The announcement of Dustin Martin’s retirement is not the end of a great sports story. Rather, it is a new chapter in a brand new book starring the Richmond icon.
Martin showed up at the Tigers’ Punt Road headquarters on Tuesday morning without much fuss, without warning and without any expectations to calmly tell his Tigers teammates that the boots had been hung up. Effective immediately.
There was no media frenzy, just some prepared statements from Martin and the club, and that was that.
But what happens next is the question every football fan asks themselves. Will he just walk off into the sunset and never see him again?
There are those who believe his retirement announcement is merely a smokescreen for a reunion with former coach Damien Hardwick at the Gold Coast Suns.
Carlton legend Brendan Fevola predicted this months ago, after Martin’s 300th game.
“My email is that he’s retiring after he plays his 300th game,” he said on The Fox radio show Fifi, Fev & Nick in May.
‘Say thank you to the Richmond fans after his 300th. Take a few months off. Get fit. Get his head right.
Martin has the world at his feet and a number of different well-paid options available now that he has announced he has played his final game of AFL football.
Martin is pictured signing autographs in 2014. Ten years later, he is freed after closing the door on his stellar playing career.
‘His manager is looking for property on the Gold Coast for Dusty to move to and rekindle his friendship with him. [Richmond premiership coach] “Damien Hardwick, who is now coach of the Gold Coast Suns,” Fevola continued.
“He’s getting a lot of money to go to the Gold Coast, play full-forward, help those young guys out; they’ve never played finals before in their history. So they’re getting him over there and he’s going to be the centrepiece of Queensland football.”
It’s a tempting proposition, and one that the Suns are desperately hoping will come to fruition. But it’s far from the only offer on the table.
Below are the options Martin has and where his future could lie.
1. He comes out of retirement
Martin has achieved everything there is to achieve in the sport, but could he be tempted to come out of retirement to help the struggling Gold Coast Suns?
The thing about quitting football is that it’s not a covenant in stone, it’s not a blood covenant, and it’s not written into federal law. Players can and will change their minds and come back to the game.
Shane Mumford is the best recent example. The ‘Mummy’ retired after four seasons with the GWS Giants and took on a role as their ruck coach.
In 2019, he came out of retirement to lead the Giants to the AFL finals, playing for the club for two more seasons before retiring for good.
Luke Hodge is a more similar example. He did everything in the game, winning four premierships with Hawthorn before retiring in 2017.
The Brisbane Lions were in a rebuilding phase and needed an experienced leader to guide the young stock and Hodge was the perfect candidate.
He agreed to come out of retirement to play limited minutes and games, as well as be the voice the club so desperately needed.
Martin could fill that role perfectly at the Gold Coast Suns and his old mate Hardwick still has plenty of time to convince him of that.
Many analysts believe Martin’s “retirement” is intended to give him an extended rest period so he can be fit again for his final game with the Suns.
Even if it is not the top division, Martin could still play football at a lower level, away from the attention of the public and the media.
Brent ‘Boomer’ Harvey recently played his 500th senior game for North Heidelberg, while Fevola has retired several times but still attends his park footy team’s pre-season preparations every year.
2. He becomes a commentator for the AFL
Former teammate and good friend Jack Riewoldt (pictured left with Martin after a match this year) has already made the switch to the media
Martin is well connected, including being good friends with former football star and commentator Rex Hunt (pictured together)
Fox Footy and Channel Seven love having a superstar behind the microphone and Martin is the biggest name in the market at the moment.
Make no mistake, there are currently big offers being made to entice Martin to become a football analyst.
His former teammate Jack Riewoldt has already made the switch, while Trent Cotchin has made an attempt, much to the hilarity of Kane Cornes.
Many will argue that Martin is too soft-spoken and too wary of the limelight to be a good football commentator, while others will argue that his disdain for the media means he will never be part of the machine.
But money plays a role and stranger things have happened in football.
3. He becomes a coach
A reunion with former Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick could be in the cards, possibly in an off-field role
This idea persists. Perhaps Martin’s destiny is to join the Gold Coast Suns in some kind of advisory role, to be trained by Hardwick and eventually become head coach.
It would satisfy the ongoing ties with the Suns and his former mentor, while also meaning he won’t have to queue on game days. He can have his cake and eat it too.
Richmond would also undoubtedly offer him a job for life. If he wanted to improve his skills and become a coach or take on some other role off the pitch, Brendon Gale would surely give him the green light.
Come to think of it, most AFL clubs would be happy to have him in training just for his presence.
This way Martin could direct the story and be involved as much as possible. [or not involved] with public appearances and media affairs as he wished.
It would keep him involved in football, keep his bank balance healthy and guarantee him a job for the rest of his life.
4. He will disappear from the spotlight
Martins manager Ralph Carr (pictured together) has ensured that his valued client is secured for life with sensible property investments made during his playing career
Martin and Carr own a large number of warehouse and factory spaces in Richmond worth millions of dollars
Perhaps Martin has walked off into the sunset. It is entirely possible that he will become a complete hermit in retirement, turning down all offers of big money to simply enjoy life on his own terms.
It is a serious possibility for a man known for his disdain for public life and who is in disarray after his father’s deportation and subsequent death during Covid lockdown protocols were highlighted in the media.
You wouldn’t blame Dusty if he never wanted to see a television camera or microphone again as long as he lived.
And let’s face it: that man will never have to work again.
His manager made sure of that by helping Martin build a real estate portfolio that would last him a lifetime.
Martin and Carr co-own the Butler Property Group, which they founded in 2016.
The group focuses on acquiring office and retail properties in Richmond, where commercial property values have risen as companies move out of the CBD.
Martin and Carr already own a series of warehouse-style buildings in Richmond. Their properties stretch from 23 Butler Street to 37 Butler Street, and cover almost 10,000 square feet. He is reportedly looking for more property on the Gold Coast.
Martin also owns a renovated office building on Victoria Street, purchased for $3 million in 2019. Together with Carr and Bissiotis, he co-owns a retail and office building on Victoria Street in Abbotsford, purchased for $4.8 million in 2020.
And in 2021, Martin bought a beachfront apartment in Port Melbourne for $1.7 million. The luxury home has two bedrooms and offers stunning views of Port Phillip Bay.
That guy doesn’t have to work another day if he wants to.