JACKSON BARRETT: Richmond set to farewell premiership stars, including Dustin Martin, at the perfect time

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JACKSON BARRETT: Richmond set to farewell premiership stars, including Dustin Martin, at the perfect time

Are you ready Richmond fans? It’s time to say goodbye.

It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be for the best.

Dustin Martin’s farewell on Saturday at the MCG is going to be, as he would probably want it, not all about him.

Martin, the greatest Tigers champion of the modern era and the best big-game player we have ever seen, will make a rare public appearance to be cheered off into the sunset by the supporters he thrilled for more than a decade.

But there will be more inglorious farewells — or likely farewells — for Shai Bolton, Liam Baker, Daniel Rioli, Dylan Grimes and Jack Graham, who are all premiership heroes of the club in their own right.

It is all part of one of the biggest rebuilds of a football club we have seen in some time. It’s the type of play West Coast haven’t been brave enough to make. Gut the house, flip the place and sell your favourite furniture to fund it all.

Bolton has this week reportedly requested a trade. That’s been disputed, but it is safe to say he has either formally asked for one, or told the club that he is very open if they can get one done. It’s basically the same thing.

The **** small forward could be the missing piece in Fremantle’s push for a maiden premiership. An ever-dangerous goalkicking small forward that will free up their pressure forwards to do exactly that. They are also armed with first-round picks to get the deal done.

West Coast are leading the race for Liam Baker if he chooses to return home. He is a free-agent but will bring a compensation pick through the door.

Free-agent Graham is expected to land at West Coast in a move that free up some Tigers cap space and get a player that won’t be a part of their next success of their books.

Rioli has showed in the past two weeks why he will be dearly missed, but the opportunity to bring in even more top-end talent in his looming move to the Gold Coast is too good to pass up.

A dour and stingy premiership backman, Grimes goes of his own accord, with his retirement confirmed on Tuesday. He was beaten up, bruised and never built to be the man holding down an entire defence. He won flags holding forwards away from Alex Rance and the past two years had just become too tough.

Dion Prestia is injury ravaged and is in the final year of a contract. There is a decision to make there, as there is with stalwart wingman Kamdyn McIntosh. There is also a call to be made around the uncertain future of Marlion Pickett.

There is a one-year coach in place, a one-year president and there will be very shortly be a brand new chief executive in the chair.

It will also mean Adem Yze can properly be assessed, steering a group that is his own, rather than the ageing remnants of the one that drove Damien Hardwick to three premierships.

They could end up with five first-round picks across the next two seasons and a whole lot of cap space.

Picks across the next three seasons are as important as ever, with Tasmania looming to ******** up a swathe of first-rounders as the league helps them get on their feet.

Richmond are about to cut and run at the perfect time. There are other teams that won’t be able to, like Collingwood, who have backed in their players on the wrong side of 30 and are set for the cliff-face just as Tasmania enter.

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