See what's next for Dustin Martin after his retirement bombshell - as footy great says AFL legend will make a shocking move Richmond star retired from the AFL on Tuesday Hung up the boots without fanfare or addressing the media Has a raft of options available to him after footy By Josh Alston For Daily Mail Australia Published: 04:08, 6 August 2024 | Updated: 04:08, 6 August 2024 e-mail View comments Dustin Martin 's retirement announcement is not the conclusion of a great sporting story - if anything, it is a fresh chapter in a brand new book starring the Richmond icon. Martin fronted up to the Tigers ' Punt Road headquarters on Tuesday morning without fanfare, 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 scrum, just some prepared statements from Martin and the club and that was that. But what happens next is the question on every footy lover's mind as they wonder if he'll just walk off into the sunset, never to be seen again. There is a school of thought that the retirement announcement is just a smokescreen for a reunion with former coach Damien Hardwick at the Gold Coast Suns.
Carlton great Brendan Fevola predicted that would be the case months ago after Martin's 300th game . 'My mail is that he will retire after he plays his 300th game,' he said on The Fox's Fifi, Fev & Nick radio show in May. 'Say thank you to the Richmond fans after his 300th.
Have a couple of months off. Get fit. Get his head right.
Martin has the world at his feet and a number of different high-paying options available to him now that he has announced he's played his last game of AFL footy Martin is pictured signing autographs in 2014. Ten years later, he's at a loose end after closing the door on his stellar playing career 'His manager has been looking at real estate in the Gold Coast for Dusty to move up and re-kindle his friendship with [Richmond premiership coach] Damien Hardwick, who now coaches the Gold Coast Suns ,' Fevola continued. 'He'll be getting paid a lot of money to go up to the Gold Coast, sit at full-forward, help those young kids; they've never played finals before in their history.
So, they'll get him up there and be the centrepiece of Queensland football.' It is an enticing proposition and one that Suns will be desperately hoping comes to pass. But it is far from the only offer on the table.
Here are the options available to Martin and where his future could lie. 1. He will come out of retirement Martin has achieved everything there is to achieve in the game, but could he be tempted to come out of retirement to help the battling Gold Coast Suns? The things about retiring from footy is that is not a covenant in stone, it is not a blood pact and it is not enshrined in Federal law.
Players can and do change their mind and come back to game. Shane Mumford is the best recent example. The 'Mummy' retired after four seasons with the GWS Giants and took up a role as their ruck coach.
He came out of retirement in 2019 to help steer the Giants to the AFL grand final and kicked on for another two seasons before hanging them up for good. Luke Hodge is a more like-for-like example. He did everything in the game, winning four premierships with Hawthorn before retiring in 2017.
The Brisbane Lions were in a rebuild stage and needed a senior head to guide the young cattle and Hodge fit the bill perfectly. He agreed to come out of retirement to play restricted minutes and limited games, and also to be the senior voice around the club that they desperately needed. Martin could play that role perfectly at the Gold Coast Suns and his old mate Hardwick has plenty of time left to sell him on that idea.
And plenty of analysts believe the timing of Martin's 'retirement' could be to give him a longer off-season to get his body right for one final tilt with the Suns. If not the top flight, lower grade footy could appeal to Martin, away from the public and media glare. Brent 'Boomer' Harvey recently notched up his 500th senior game with North Heidelberg while Fevola has retired more than once but still keeps showing up to pre-season training for his park footy side every year.
2. He will become an AFL commentator Former teammate and good mate Jack Riewoldt (pictured left with Martin after a game this year) has already made the switch to the media Martin is well connected, including being good mates with former footy star and commentator Rex Hunt (pictured together) Fox Footy and Channel Seven love having a superstar behind the mic and Martin is the biggest name on the market right now. Make no mistake, big-bucks offers will be getting put together right now to entice Martin to become a footy analyst.
His former teammate Jack Riewoldt has already made the switch while Trent Cotchin had a crack, much to the amusement of Kane Cornes . Many will argue that Martin is too softly spoken and wary of the limelight to be a good footy commentator and others will suggest that his disdain for the media would mean he would never become part of the machine. But money talks and stranger things have happened in footy.
3. He will become a coach A reunion with former coach Damien Hardwick at the Gold Coast could be on the cards, possibly in an off-field role This idea holds water. Maybe Martin's destiny is to join the Gold Coast Suns in some kind of advisory position, to be trained by Hardwick and to ultimately become a head coach.
It would satisfy the continued links to the Suns and his former mentor, while also meaning he doesn't have to line up on game day anymore. He could have his cake and eat it too. No doubt Richmond would be willing to offer him a job for life as well.
If he wanted to upskill and become a coach or in another off-field role, Brendon Gale would be sure to give it the green light. Come to think of it, most AFL clubs would love to have him around training just for his sheer presence. This way Martin could control the narrative and be as involved [or not involved] with public appearances and media commitments as he wanted to be.
It would keep him involved in footy, keep the bank balance healthy and give him job security for life. 4. He will disappear from the limelight Martin's manager Ralph Carr (pictured together) has ensured that his prized client is set for life with wise property investments made through his playing career Martin and Carr own a raft of warehouse and factory space in Richmond worth millions Maybe Martin has walked off into the sunset.
It is entirely possible that he will go the full recluse in retirement and shun all big-money offers to just enjoy life on his own terms. It is a heavy possibility for a man famous for his disdain of being in the public eye and left scorched after his father's deportation and then death during Covid lockdown protocols were highlighted in the media. You wouldn't blame Dusty for never wanting to see another television camera or microphone again as long as he lives.
And let's face it, the man never needs to work again. His manager made sure of that by helping Martin establish a property portfolio that has made him set for life . Martin and Carr co-own the Butler Property Group, which they established in 2016.
The group focuses on buying office and retail properties in Richmond, where commercial property values have risen as businesses move from 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, covering nearly 900 square metres.
He is reportedly shopping for more real estate on the Gold Coast. Martin also owns a renovated office building in Victoria Street, purchased for $3million in 2019. Along with Carr and Bissiotis, he co-owns a retail and office property on Victoria Street in Abbotsford, bought for $4.
8million in 2020. And in 2021, Martin bought a beachfront apartment in Port Melbourne for $1.7million.
The luxury home has two bedrooms and offers stunning views of Port Phillip Bay. The bloke never needs to work another day in his life, if that is what he chooses to do. Dustin Martin Gold Coast Suns AFL Share or comment on this article: See what's next for Dustin Martin after his retirement bombshell - as footy great says AFL legend will make a shocking move e-mail Add comment.
