AFL greats say Dustin Martin will quit Richmond Tigers after Damien Hardwick’s shock resignation

Leading AFL pundits believe Dustin Martin could be next out the door at Richmond after coach Damien Hardwick’s shock sacking last week – and the Gold Coast Suns could be in the box seat.

There was speculation last year that the three-time premiership winner could leave the Tigers to escape the Melbourne bubble following the death of his father Shane Martin.

Martin’s strong bond with Hardwick would have been a key part of his decision to stay at Punt Road, but with the championship coach no longer in a top job, Martin could consider a move again.

Hardwick expressed a waning passion for his work and attributed his mental exhaustion to his 14-season tenure at Punt Road. Under his leadership, the Tigers underwent a remarkable transformation from a struggling team in the AFL to a three-time premiership-winning powerhouse.

However, over the past two seasons, the Tigers have experienced a decline from their previously dominant form. They barely managed to secure a place in the top eight last year and will struggle to keep up with the competition in 2023.

That included three premierships after the club hit rock bottom, memories that will be with them forever

Experts believe that with Hardwick gone, Martin is likely to look for a way out of the Melbourne bubble, with Sydney and Gold Coast as his options

Both Hardwick and Martin started their careers at Richmond at the same time. Hardwick made his debut as a coach, while Martin made his first appearance as a player in the first round of the 2010 season.

Four-time premiership winner Jordan Lewis believes Martin will look for a change of scenery for the twilight of his career.

“I think (Martin) will play somewhere else… not either [in] Sydney or Queensland,” Lewis said on radio station RSN.

AFL analyst and former Port Adelaide midfielder Kane Cornes said Martin’s departure could be mutually beneficial.

‘Yes, but it’s his decision. I don’t think it’s Richmond’s decision,” Cornes said on SEN.

“If he goes to the club and says, ‘This is what I want to do’, [it would be] like Damien Hardwick and [Richmond’s] ability to force him to resign.

‘With what [Martin’s] contributed to the club, he will become a legend in the Hall Of Fame… he will go with their blessing.”

“Because they’ve traded all of their picks, it would free up a big chunk of their salary cap…even if they paid some of Dustin Martin’s wages,” Cornes said.

“He’s not at his best. He’s been very good and very solid… and for the first three quarters [against Port Adelaide on Sunday],,I thought he was the one who would let them win the match, but then you don’t see him in the last fifteen minutes.’

Lewis won four flags with the Hawks, but ended his career with the Melbourne Demons. He thinks Martin will look for a new club to end his playing days with

Kane Cornes believes ‘Dusty’ would leave with Richmond’s blessing after all he has achieved for the club

Former Magpies champion player and coach Nathan Buckley believes Hardwick’s resignation could cause the Tigers’ dominoes to fall and players like Martin to suddenly become available.

He believes that not only will Martin leave, but champion Jack Riewoldt might also consider leaving or retiring.

“One thing I would suggest is that once a tough guy like Damien Hardwick decides to get out, everything is up for grabs,” Buckley said on SEN.

“What it was, it’s not what it will be because there will be a shift in perspective and a change in philosophy or direction.

“So Dustin Martin could end up wherever he wants.”

Jack Riewoldt (right) is another Tigers champion who could leave the club following Hardwick’s resignation

Former Collingwood star and coach Nathan Buckley believes Martin is reachable and the Tigers star wants to leave Melbourne following Hardwick’s resignation

The Gold Coast Suns loom as a logical destination for Martin given their distance from Sydney and the fact that they are an up and coming club

He believes Gold Coast looms as the logical destination as they have already tried to sign Martin and they are a long way from the Melbourne bubble.

The Gold Coast salary cap is not as precarious as it was 12 months ago, partly because Jack Bowes was traded to Geelong. I’m not saying they have a lot of room, but they’re not in such a bad position as they were 12 months ago,” said Buckley.

“This is what we know about Dusty based on the people I speak to who know him much better than I do.

‘The appeal of living in Sydney or the Gold Coast is real at some point, be it briefly or after he’s retired. The Tigers will try to get back into the first round of the draft one way or another, currently their top pick pick is 23.

Gold Coast, which has built up a pretty good list, is likely to ask the question again. The view of a list manager I spoke to a few days ago is that the Suns could try to give up a top 10 pick for Dusty, which he’s probably not quite worth anymore, but Richmond could be a big chunk of next year pay salary .’