Swan dive, GWS deal ‘pulled from above’ and $11m rejection: How Dusty nearly left again and again

There’s never been a shortage of movement rumours when it’s come to Dustin Martin.

While this week has been spent exclusively celebrating the game’s only triple Norm Smith Medallist and his decorated journey at Tigerland, there have been numerous instances where it seemed plausible Richmond’s superstar might depart Punt Road.

Alas, close to 15 years on from his AFL induction, ‘Dusty’ remains a Tiger through and through.

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This Saturday, Martin will become the seventh Richmond player to achieve the 300-game milestone, joining Kevin Bartlett (403 games), Jack Riewoldt (347), Jack Dyer (311), Trent Cotchin (306), Shane Edwards (303) and Francis Bourke (300).

This is Dustin Martin’s draft and trade history — and if you’re a Swans, Giants, Roos or Crows supporter, you might want to look away.

ALMOST A SWAN? ‘NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN’

How different would the modern AFL landscape look if Dustin Martin donned Sydney Swans colours in 2009 instead of yellow and black?

Well, the Tiger Army can direct their thanks to long-time recruiting guru Francis Jackson and his shrewd conviction in ensuring Dusty was Tigerland-bound.

Richmond’s then-recruiting manager, Jackson had also been responsible for acquiring Martin’s three-time premiership teammate, Clarence product Jack Riewoldt, in 2006.

With the ‘09 draft on the horizon, the Tigers finished the home-and-away season a lowly 5-1-16 and second-last on the ladder, above only Melbourne.

The Demons, awarded an early draft concession by the AFL for winning less than five games, were armed with the first two picks, meaning Richmond sat at No. 3 in the order.

Jackson knew plenty of Martin’s salivating potential, having first scouted the Bendigo Pioneer in his underage season before following up during his draft-eligible year.

“He just stood out as being a potential first-round pick, clearly, because of his talent — an early first-round pick,” Jackson told Richmond’s Martin-centric documentary Don’t Argue.

“We didn’t go all that well in ‘09, and we had pick 3. Melbourne had two picks prior to us, and we weren’t sure what they were going to do.”

Jackson recounted the Swans’ ambitious pre-draft trade offer to the Tigers in 2009.

“Sydney (was) very keen on Dustin, and they wanted to trade (picks) six and 14 for our pick 3,” he said.

“Now, normally you would discuss that, and you would take time (to make a decision), but we didn’t even discuss it — it was never going to happen.”

After gaining knowledge of Melbourne’s desire to select Tom Scully and Jack Trengove with its top-end selections, Jackson went outside standard operating procedure to commemorate the club’s impending decision.

“We did something unusual,” Jackson said.

“I organised to have lunch with his mum and his grandma. I actually told them that we were taking Dustin at pick 3 — unless something radically changed — that Dusty was going to be a Tiger.”

So, while an alternate universe might have seen the Swans’ Dusty ploy pay off, it wasn’t going to happen in the one where Jackson was in Richmond’s chair.

Sydney’s No. 6 choice was now-Cats forward Gary Rohan, while the 14th selection was Lewis Jetta. Both were serviceable in the Harbour City, but neither was on Dusty’s level.

“How about the cojones on Francis Jackson?” asked Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle.

“This is the club (Richmond), of course, that (previously) missed out on the likes of Matthew Pavlich and Buddy Franklin, and even (Jarryd) Roughead as well.

“This kid, he’s different, he’s don’t-arguing (opponents), he’s got a mohawk, we know his father keeps some interesting company with some bikies — and so imagine the risk profile there, where the Richmond hierarchy’s saying; ‘this is the kid we want?’

“And yet, look what Francis did, and look at how it changed the course of history at Richmond. It’s just a stunning story; a stunning pick by Francis.”

‘THOUGHT HE WAS A GWS PLAYER’: HOW SYDNEY MOVE WAS ON, THEN MYSTERIOUSLY OFF

Four years later, in 2013, a no-longer-clean-skinned ball-magnet came out of contract and indicated his desire to survey opportunities elsewhere — with the allure of reuniting with his then-Sydney-based father, Shane Martin, playing a considerable role.

Martin and his long-time manager, Ralph Carr, made no secret of touring the Western Sydney-based GWS Giants facilities at the end of the ‘13 season, with Richmond resigned to the fact its burgeoning superstar wanted to “pursue other opportunities”.

GWS reportedly tabled a five-year deal worth around $700,000 per season to a then-22-year-old Martin — a whopping sum in that economy.

He was prepared to make the career-altering move.

However, as quickly as his Punt Road departure seemed imminent, the Giants’ deal was mysteriously wiped off the table.

“I’ve got no idea (who pulled it),” Carr said years later in 2020.

“As ‘SOS’ (then-GWS list manager Stephen Silvagni) knows, between Dustin, myself and ‘SOS’, we thought he was a GWS player at that point.

“We thought the deal was done, we’d been up there, Dustin was going to reunite with his father in Sydney because he’d had personal issues about not being close to his father.

“The deal was done and the next thing I heard was that it got pulled from above.”

Seven years on from the saga, Carr claimed he still didn’t know who made the call.

“We thought it was done and the next time I spoke to SOS, we didn’t know. We just didn’t know, but we knew it came from above,” he said.

“Maybe it was the CEO, maybe it was someone at the AFL, not too sure.”

Almost a decade later, former GWS coach Leon Cameron revealed he’d effectively talked Martin out of making the move in late 2013.

“He liked the idea of being anonymous in Sydney, so then I asked him about ‘Dimma’ and the playing group … He said he loved both,” Cameron told SEN in 2022.

“I said ‘why would you want to leave, then?’ A couple of days later, he said he was staying with the Tigers.”

Martin ultimately agreed to a two-year Richmond extension on less money.

In early 2015, Martin cemented another two-year agreement to take his commitment to the end of 2017 — when the real contract drama commenced.

‘WE TOOK LESS TO STAY’: LEGEND PROVES LOYALTY… AND IT PAYS DYNASTIC DIVIDENDS

One of the most memorable failed player pursuits in recent memory: North Melbourne’s big-money play for Martin in 2017.

With Dusty once again uncontracted, the Kangaroos — who had finished their ‘17 season in 15th spot on the ladder with a 6-16 record — made their charge for Richmond’s tattooed midfield maestro.

“We spoke to a number of clubs,” Carr told Don’t Argue. “I think it’s been (made) pretty public who they are.

“In the end, I think the North Melbourne deal was a lot higher than the Richmond deal.”

In 2020, Carr revealed not only the figures of the Kangaroos’ eye-watering deal but also that the Adelaide Crows matched North’s gargantuan offer.

“It was $11 million over seven (years from North Melbourne),” Carr shared in 2020.

“They (the Crows) matched that offer. Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide’s football director) came down to see me and they matched that offer.

“Then we took less than that to stay at Richmond, which I had to talk Dusty into.

“I gave him the equation of what we could make outside of football, which I thought was a lot better, and I thought Richmond were a better club and better equipped to take him to where he wanted to go.”

The Tigers reportedly offered approximately $1.2-1.3 million per year, totalling close to $9 million over the contract’s lifetime — set to expire at the end of this year — but well short of North Melbourne’s cumulative $11 million.

Triple premiership coach Damien Hardwick recalled feeling uncertain about Martin’s commitment to Richmond in the latter stages of ‘17.

“There (were) a couple of stages where he probably withdrew, if I’m being completely honest, throughout the season,” Hardwick told Don’t Argue.

“He’d always give me ‘everything’s OK, everything’s OK’, but there were a couple of times where I thought ‘maybe he is going to leave’.

“I was definitely worried (about) the money that they were talking (about), that there might be a possibility he could go because it was life-changing (financially).”

Martin and Carr’s well-documented meeting with his father in New Zealand provided the champion Tiger the clarity he needed to make a critical choice.

Martin announced his seven-year Richmond recommitment before winning the 2017 Brownlow Medal and starring in his club’s flag triumph over the side that pledged a lucrative sum to lure him interstate.

In mid-2022, following Shane Martin’s passing, veteran journalist Caroline Wilson linked Martin to a move to Sydney, then telling Footy Classified “perhaps it’s on”.

“It’s certainly something that is being considered,” she then-told Nine’s Footy Classified.

“Sydney (has) shown some interest.”

But, with Dusty contracted until the end of ‘24, a Richmond-spurred departure always seemed highly unlikely.

‘TOO MUCH TO PLAY OUT’: DIMMA REUNION ON THE GOLD COAST?

Three premiership medallions, three Norm Smith medals, four All-Australians blazers and two club best-and-fairest awards later, the departure rumours rear their heads again as we return to the present.

Hardwick’s adoration of Martin is certainly no secret, having been brought to tears in Don’t Argue while reminiscing about his mercurial match-winner.

Now Gold Coast’s senior coach, there have been rumours aplenty linking ‘Dimma’ and Martin to a reunion in Carrara, with the superstar once again off-contract.

The pair were in late 2023 pictured enjoying a beer together during Martin’s September visit to the Sunshine State, fuelling baseless speculation.

However, Gold Coast football performance boss and former Richmond 297-gamer Wayne Campbell thought it’d be more curious if the duo didn’t meet up during Martin’s visit north.

“I mean, (Hardwick and Martin) were photographed on the Gold Coast last year and it was (made out to be) a big deal,” Campbell told SEN in April.

“But I almost thought at the time it’d be a bigger deal if Dustin came up and he didn’t catch up with Damien, given the relationship they’ve got.

“I don’t know (if we’ll target him), there’s too much to play out, Dustin’s an absolute Richmond legend and he’s contracted to them. We’ll keep an eye on it, but I would have thought he probably sees his days out at the Tigers.”

Some have speculated about a possible Martin retirement at the end of this season, while others have floated another potential NSW move.

Of retirement rumblings about Martin, Carr in April said: “Dustin, at this point, has no intention of retiring, and he has never lost his love for AFL football.”

Richmond’s ‘Don’t Argue’ documentary can be viewed on the club’s website.