Dustin Martin had two million reasons to cheat on Richmond with another AFL club but the superstar midfielder just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Martin ended his long-running contract saga on Thursday night when he announced he had signed a seven-year deal to remain at Punt Road.
The blockbuster deal is thought to be worth up to a whopping $1.3m a year, but in total still fell more than $2m short of the mega-contract offered by North Melbourne.
Martin revealed he had met Roos coach Brad Scott and members of the club’s leadership group as part of their audacious bid to sign him.
“I really appreciate those guys for taking the time and showing interest … (but) I kind of felt like I was cheating on a girlfriend,” Martin said on the Nine Network’s The Footy Show.
“It was weird.
“The Richmond Football Club has been great to me, we’re on an incredible journey together, and I’ve just got such great relationships at the club.
“I certainly thought about (leaving), it was a stressful year, I was wrestling with myself. But the relationships I’ve got there are far more important.”
While Martin struggled with the thought of leaving Punt Road for Arden St, his manager Ralph Carr said it had remained a serious consideration until very recently.
“This time last week he was going or that was the talk,” Carr said.
“But once we weighed everything up and really talked it through in New Zealand … we realised that Richmond was where we wanted to to be.
“Dusty gave up over $2m to stay (but) I think we’ve made the right decision.”
Martin, who was to become a restricted free agent at season’s end, is now tied to the club until the end of the 2024 season when he will be 33.
The news was music to the ears of coach Damien Hardwick, who has patiently played a straight bat to constant questions about Martin’s future since he put contract negotiations on hold in January.
“It’s Christmas come early,” Hardwick said.
“It’s very exciting for our footy club, it’s great news for Dustin and more importantly it’s outstanding news for our fans.
“It’s every player’s right to look at free agency and Dustin had some enormous offers.
“It’s really testament to the guy he is … to give up $2m to stay with his mates and stay with the footy club that he loves is terrific.”
DUSTIN MARTIN’S AFL CAREER AT A GLANCE:
* Born: June 26 1991 (age 26)
* Draft: First-round selection, 3rd overall, 2009 draft
* AFL Debut: Round 1, 2010 – Richmond 9.10 (64) def by Carlton 18.12 (120) at the MCG. Martin, wearing the No.36 guernsey, had 18 possessions
* AFL Games: 175
* Honours: Richmond best-and-fairest winner 2016; 3rd Brownlow Medal 2016; All-Australian 2016-2017; All-Australian nominee 2014, 2015; Rising Star nominee 2010
* Career goals: 182 (Career high: 5 goals v Brisbane, round 13, 2011)
* Career-high possessions: 43 v Essendon, round 17, 2016