- The teammates won three flags together during their time in Richmond.
- Martin has been linked to a surprise comeback with the Suns.
According to retired Richmond star captain and confidant Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin pulling on a Gold Coast Suns jersey has a “zero to one per cent chance”.
After ending his career at the Tigers, Martin, 33, reportedly approached the Suns and former coach Damien Hardwick seeking their interest in potentially returning to play for Queensland in 2025.
The Suns confirmed that Martin had reached out to them and that talks were underway.
But Cotchin, a long-time friend and mentor of three-time Norm Smith Medallist, said that while he could understand the possibility, he doubted Martin would play for another club and end up as a Richmond legend.
“I think there’s a zero to one percent chance he’ll be wearing a Suns jersey or any other jersey,” Cotchin said.
‘But in saying that, you can understand why people like Gold Coast and ‘Dimma’ (Hardwick) are hinting at the idea that maybe that will happen.
“I don’t know why, and maybe you have different opinions on whether it helps your football club, but they are not in the final, they are in the newspaper every day and that raises awareness for your football club.”
Cotchin said he would love to see Martin remain a one-club player after playing 302 games in the yellow and black jersey, winning three championships and a Brownlow as one of Richmond’s greatest ever players.
Trent Cotchin (pictured left with Martin after Richmond’s 2020 grand final win) believes his teammate’s chances of coming out of retirement with the Suns are one per cent at best.
The former Tigers captain (pictured celebrating the win with Martin) wants ‘Dusty’ to remain a one-club man after his glittering career in black and yellow.
“There’s probably a part of me that hopes it doesn’t happen because of the love I have for him and I think it would be nice for him to end up being a one-club player, Richmond Football Club,” Cotchin told Channel 7’s Talking Footy.
“But football is a very tough game. Maybe that’s the fresh start he needs, but moving to a new environment where they are building their future will be very different to what it was like in the latter stages of his career with the Tigers.
“It’s an important decision.”
Former Sydney Premiership coach Paul Roos has warned that bringing Martin on board could lead to disillusionment in the Gold Coast’s playing ranks.
“We’re recruiting a player who retired as a Richmond legend. Does that send the wrong message?” he said this week.
“Probably, it probably does a little bit, it gives your team the feeling of ‘I don’t trust you, now I’m going to get a player who’s retired… to go out and take us where we want to go.'”