Dustin Martin is offered...

[HillHero13]

wait for it... $2.4 million dollars... this is more than GAJ..

RICHMOND young gun Dustin Martin has a potential $2.4 million contract ahead of him after just eight games of football.

It is believed Martin, 18, has a verbal offer of $800,000 a season over three seasons from 2012 from the New South Wales expansion team, despite denials yesterday from Greater Western Sydney.

The good news for Tigers fans is Martin wants to stay at Punt Rd and contract negotiations with the Tigers will be discussed in the second half of this year.

If he stays, he could reasonably demand between $400,000-$500,000 a season.

Martin's manager Ricky Nixon said yesterday: "I don't want to get involved in discussion over Dustin's negotiations, other than to say it's a unique situation with two new teams coming into the competition."

As barbs continue to be traded between the Tigers, GWS and its coach Kevin Sheedy, Martin has been made aware a boom contract awaits him if he doesn't re-sign with Richmond.




GWS head of football Graeme Allan yesterday said the club had yet to prioritise its wish-list and had not spoken to Martin.

"We don't comment on player contracts," Allan said.

Nixon and Richmond yesterday agreed to make no further public comment on Martin's future after yet another report linking Martin to the expansion team.

It was first revealed in the Herald Sun on May 12 that the Tigers had began contract talks with Nixon, which revolved around a telephone call from Richmond to Nixon.

Sheedy upped the ante with the Tigers in a recent column in the Sunday Herald Sun.

He said the Tigers' promising youngsters would be targeted by the GWS, and that the Tigers had never got their business together in two decades.

Tigers president Gary March yesterday was quoted as saying clubs needed protection from losing early-round draftees to the expansion teams.

The AFL has said the Tigers must fight to keep their players, like every club.

Martin, pick No. 3 in last year's national draft, is contracted until the end of 2011 on a base salary of $57,300, plus payments of $2800 for every match.

His form this season has wowed Tigers officials.

Richmond's issue is GWS will pay a superstar's wage for Martin, so the Tigers will have to pay "overs" for a player of such inexperience.

As the club develops a new list, and after recent signings of Brett Deledio and Trent Cotchin, Martin's signature on a new contract is priority No. 1.

[Master Q]

Leave Martin Leave! Richmond are going no where, take the risk and leave. But I think I heard he signed with Richmond anyway...