IT'S SEPTEMBER 19, 2013, and Dustin Martin is walking around a construction site in Western Sydney in an orange high-vis vest.

But unlike his teenage years wearing similar apparel driving forklifts for his father's transport business, Martin finds himself as an emerging superstar of the AFL weighing up his football future.

He had effectively walked out on Richmond three days earlier.

Martin on his way to Sydney to meet the Giants. Picture: Channel Nine



On September 16th, the Tigers had issued a statement acknowledging the 22-year-old Martin was to "pursue other opportunities."

The out-of-contract midfielder's management had been demanding a fresh deal of more than three years at $600,000 per season.

While well aware of his talents, the Tigers were conscious of the rest of the Martin package that was drawing headlines off-field, and were sticking true to their original offer.



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They felt there was nothing more they could have done to assist the immature kid from Castlemaine – largely with the help of a close bond formed with assistant coach Mark 'Choco' Williams – to become a professional footballer.

Even then-AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou had warned Martin not to throw away his career and Richmond great Matthew Richardson had suggested he was getting poor advice.

And the press release from the Tigers voicing "disappointment" was seen as the final straw in a contract stand-off that had lasted close to a year.

The only problem was Martin didn't have a concrete suitor.

Martin dons a high-vis vest to tour the Giants' facilities. Picture: Channel Nine



With his father Shane living in Sydney, rumblings of interest from Greater Western Sydney had emerged.

It was then The Footy Show got wind of a scheduled meeting for Martin and Giants officials, and working for the program at the time, I made my way to Sydney to see it all unfold.

Two local camera crews – to double our chances – were booked to capture the moment Martin almost became a Giant.

From there it could only be described as a "circus."



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Flanked by manager Ralph Carr, an entertainment guru only new to football circles, Martin boarded an 8.30am QANTAS flight from Melbourne bound for Sydney.

But greeting him as he landed, Martin and Carr were shocked to find us waiting as they jumped into a privately booked SUV headed for Western Sydney.

A visit to the Giants' playing venue at Skoda Stadium (now Giants Stadium) was their first stop before making their way to the club training facilities two blocks away.

He was flanked by manager Ralph Carr. Picture: Channel Nine



If the stadium tour was part of the briefing, then surely the multi-million dollar training complex would be included as well.

Still under construction, entering the facilities without correct access was impossible so we needed to find other tactics quickly.

With the sight of several club-issued Skoda cars inside the construction zone, Martin's arrival had to be imminent.

One camera crew made its way to the top of the neighbouring P3 car park with a clear line of sight to the front entrance. (Note – it's the same car park where camera crews filmed closed sessions for Lachie Whitfield and Stephen Coniglio this week.)



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The other camera crew – including myself with microphone in hand – made its way to one wing of the training oval with a direct view of a wired fence.

An interview with Martin was going to be tough but fresh pictures would tell the story.

Within moments, the same black SUV from Sydney Airport only hours earlier had arrived with Martin and Carr.

Chief executive David Matthews, soon-to-be coach Leon Cameron, list boss Stephen Silvagni and head of football Graeme Allan soon followed.

I remained in constant communication with the cameraman on top of the car park to establish Martin receiving his orange vest alongside key GWS officials.

The personal tour included an outlook to what life as a Giant would look like: the location of the player cafeteria, the meeting rooms, the gym.

The Giants had also found time to sit down with Martin and question him over his interests. They had been told he was missing his father and had long been thinking about a move to Sydney.

The Giants also got on the front foot, offering us Silvagni for an intereview back at Skoda Stadium to confirm the club's intentions to go through a process and explore the possibilities of recruiting the former No.3 pick.

When I quizzed Silvagni on whether the Giants would be able to provide adequate resources around Martin, as Richmond had in previous times, he responded, "I think you're out of line there," and stormed out of the interview.

The story led The Footy Show that night as the League's newest club pondered its next move for Martin.

But the very next day the speculation was over. The Giants had pulled their interest, believed in part due to the Martin package and part his immense passion for Richmond.



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"We were in a very early phase of our club and we didn't really hesitate if there was interest from a player and manager in coming," Matthews told AFL.com.au this week.

"Because of his link to Sydney it was an obvious one for us to speak to him.

"My main memory when he came up was that it turned into a little bit of a circus because The Footy Show were there, cameras coming out of the trees.

"I've got a lot of respect for him. He's a really sincere, humble young man. To see the career he's had has been brilliant. He would've looked good in orange."



It's hard to think of Dustin Martin in anything other than yellow and black.

Brisbane and St Kilda were among other clubs linked to Martin before he walked back into the Tigers with his tail between his legs 11 days later and re-signed a two-year deal on far less than the expected $600,000 per year.

This weekend Matthews and Cameron will head to the MCG driving the club's tilt at its maiden premiership.

And part of them will look to the other side and think what might have been if the superstar wearing No.4 was decked out in orange instead.