RICHMOND captain Trent Cotchin is backing his teammates not to be distracted if the Dustin Martin contract saga lasts all season.
Martin has starred in each of the Tigers' two season-opening victories over Carlton and Collingwood and is certain to have rival clubs lining up for his services.
But Cotchin was confident his star clubmate would remain at Punt Road.
"I don't think he's the sort of personality it will affect the way he plays, and I would like to think we're mentally resilient enough to deal with anything that's going on," Cotchin said on SEN.
"There was obviously Rancey's (defender Alex Rance) situation a few years back and other teams have been through it and it hasn't affected performance, so I don't think it will affect ours.
"I think he loves the club, I think he's done a lot for our football club and we've done a lot for him and we're just looking forward to him playing amazing footy, as he has done the last two weeks.
"Hopefully at some stage during the year, whether that be sooner rather than later or if it does have to be at the end of the season, he signs on and hopefully it's for a long period of time."
Cotchin said Brownlow Medal fancy Martin was as fit as ever and his decision-making had improved markedly this year.