Richmond make call on handing out Dustin Martin's number as Geelong rocked by captaincy twist

Richmond will resist the temptation to hand its new No.1 draft pick the jumper number of triple premiership champion Dustin Martin out of respect to the club legend. The Tigers' new No.1 overall pick Sam Lalor plays in a similar manner to that of Martin and having played junior footy in the No.4 had his sights set on that cherished jumper at Punt Road.

However, Channel 9's Tom Morris confirmed on Tuesday the Tigers will retire the AFL great's iconic No.4 for at least the 2025 season. "Dusty’s number 4 guernsey at Richmond is set to remain vacant in 2025. The club has essentially decided to retire it for a year," Morris wrote on X.

The decision comes after Lalor spoke on his desire to take Martin's No.4 guernsey after being drafted by Richmond. "I'd definitely like it (the No.4 guernsey)," Lalor said. "I wear No.4 throughout the year and it's my favourite number, so if I did get it, I'd snatch it up.

"He's someone I've watched growing up, so I'd love to play like him. For me, I don't look into it too much. I just can't wait to get in there, chip away and work hard."

Clubs often shelve the guernseys of their champion players for a period of time as a tribute to their retired stars. And that's what Richmond have ultimately decided to do with the No.4 for at least next year.

The club are understood to be of the view that it would be better to give Martin's old number to a player who has established himself at the top level rather than hand it to a first-year player. However, Trent Cotchin's number nine and Jack Riewoldt’s number eight have been made available for the Tigers’ new draftees.

Patrick Dangerfield may relinquish Geelong captaincy

Meanwhile, Geelong veteran Patrick Dangerfield has hinted at the possibility of him not being the club's captain for the 2025 season. The 34-year-old veteran has been skipper of the Cats for the past two seasons but is not yet locked in to lead the club next year.

“It’s about the right person for the job for next year,” he told reporters on Monday. “I don’t think it’s anyone’s to own for any long period of time unless you’re Joel Selwood at 23.

"It’s what’s best for the footy club, that’s the most important thing to keep front of mind. For us it’s around what’s the best thing for next season. The coaches will get together and they’ll put forward their ideas on where that sits.”

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And Sam Edmund and Adam Cooney suggest Dangerfield's comments imply he could be set to hand over the reins. “There was a question around putting your hand up for the captaincy again and his first response was, ‘I’m not sure’,” Edmund said on Tuesday. “So I think if he’s saying that… am I reading it wrong? I think there’s about to be a changeover or handover.”

Cooney agreed: “I think it’s a good pickup from you. I think if there was a 90 per cent chance he’d do it, he would just say, ‘Yeah, I’m keen for the job next year’. He’s obviously thought about it and they’ve probably had discussions as to who could possibly take over. Don’t be surprised if they make an announcement in the new year.” If Dangerfield is not captain in 2025, current vice-captain Tom Stewart, 31, is the obvious replacement but even 22-year-old Max Holmes may also be given the honour if they want to look for a long-term captain.