Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has stated superstar Dustin Martin "has my blessing" for any decision made on his playing future at Punt Road.
Speculation over the Brownlow medallist's future has kindled throughout the season after Martin took a leave of absence away from the club for personal reasons, with rumours arising as to whether the 30-year-old could look to move interstate and escape the Melbourne 'fish bowl'.
Tigers president Peggy O'Neal recently revealed Martin had made a vow to remain in yellow and black for the entirety of his career, however the Richmond boss conceded "people change their minds".
Martin still has two years remaining on his lucrative seven-year contract with the Tigers, however Hardwick said he won't stand in the way if the triple-premiership star expressed a desire to depart his beloved club in favour of a move elsewhere.
"He's a very important player to our footy club, both on the field and off the field," Hardwick said. "He's paid us in spades.
"Whatever Dustin's decision is moving forward is up to Dustin. And to be honest, he has my blessing.
"What he's given to me, us, our fans has been incredible. Whatever we get from here on is a real bonus from my point of view."
"...I don't want to get into hypotheticals. What I do know is he's a Richmond player, a required Richmond player obviously.
"I'm just glad he's out there playing this week."
Martin has amassed almost every feat a midfielder could earn in his 263-game career, earning three Norm Smith Medals and a place among the top echelon of players of the 21st century.
The Castlemaine product has effortlessly slotted back into Richmond's system after six weeks away from the action, with Hardwick highlighting the veteran onballer's efforts both on and off the track as a reason why the Tigers cult hero sits atop the competition.
Used as a prime example for the club's next generation, Martin's internal investment places him as an exceptional role model to his peers.
"He puts a lot into his footy. A lot of people see the outcome on the weekend and the result of the way he plays the game, but the way this guy prepares, both physically and mentally, is first class and it's what the great ones do," Hardwick said.
"There's no coincidence that the amount of work he puts in gets rewarded with his on-field performance
"He invests himself thoroughly, he's always looking at areas to improve. Even after today's session he does extra running just because that's the sort of performer he is.
"We use him as an example for our young blokes. 'Listen, you want to reach that level?' First of all, good luck. But the second one is that this is the way to go about it."
Martin has shared his on-field duties between the forward line and engine room since his return in Round 8 against Collingwood, booting five goals in the past fortnight while also averaging 21.5 touches per game.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
The bullish midfielder is among a handful of Richmond players, including phenom Shai Bolton, who have been given a license to play their own role this season.
Hardwick said the greats of the modern game know how to benefit their side like no other.
"He knows where to put himself, he'll start up forward, he'll put himself through the midfield," the Tigers coach added. "The great players just know where to be and we give him that license to do so.
"I'd love to say I can sit there and say 'play more mid this week, more forward', but he knows where he needs to go.
"We have what we call unstructured and structured players. Dustin is one of those guys that's got a little bit more of a license. Shai's probably another one.
"If you put them in a paddock with tight fences, it takes away their ability somewhat. Then there's other guys that are really structure-orientated players that don't necessarily get a lot of kicks, marks and handballs, but are really important to the way we play and provide the stability for those structured players.
"Those sort of guys provide the framework for those guys to stand up and provide the brilliance sometimes. Both are equally important though. It's the yin and the yang, you can't have one without the other."
Martin is set to line up for Hardwick's side in his fourth game of the season on Saturday night when the Tigers and Bombers tussle for the traditional Dreamtime game.
Essendon are historically one of Martin's more favoured opponents across his career, having averaged 26.63 disposals per game while also booting 25 goals from his 19 appearances against the red and black.
