Dusty in demand

Richmond confident it can win battle to retain star

RICHMOND isn’t fazed by a host of suitors pursuing Dustin Martin, with coach Damien Hardwick saying rival clubs would be “crazy” if they weren’t trying to poach the star midfielder away from Punt Rd.

Hardwick yesterday remained confident a deal would be reached with free agent Martin, but he was unconcerned with Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell flagging his club’s interest on Wednesday and by North Mel- bourne’s $1 million-a-season bid to win his services.

“Dustin is an outstanding player so he’s going to create this sort of attention,” Hardwick said.

“It’s just part and parcel of the industry we’re in.”

“He’s always going to get linked [with other clubs]. In the same situation we are reasonably pleased with where [the contract negotiations] are at.

“He has been a good player for us for a long period of time and any club that is not speaking to him is crazy, as far as I am concerned.”

Hardwick said Richmond general manager of football Neil Balme and the club’s general manger of football talent Dan Richardson were in constant communication with Martin’s manager Ralph Carr, though a resolution is considered unlikely any time soon.

Speaking at a lunch at the Melbourne indigenous Transition School in Richmond, which links with the club’s Korin Gamadji Institute, Hardwick also admitted he was confused with the AFL’s messaging around a stricter interpretation on jumper and gut punches.

He conceded skipper Trent Cotchin was lucky to dodge a suspension a fortnight ago after delivering a jumper punch to Fremantle’s Lachie Neale.

“There’s a possibility [that Cotchin could have been banned] but so should 25 other blokes the week before,” Hardwick said.

“We’ve probably put another layer in where there doesn’t need to be another layer — it’s just striking, isn’t it?

“I feel the MRP has been put in this situation where there are all these precedents — the fact of the matter is, you either hit them or you don’t.”

The AFL wants to stamp out intentional jumper or gut punches which have recently attracted fines, instructing the match review panel to apply a stricter interpretation from this week.

Josh Caddy returns for tomorrow night’s Dreamtime game against Essendon.