RICHMOND captain Trent Cotchin remains in the dark about whether superstar midfielder Dustin Martin will re-sign with the Tigers after catching up with his teammate on Wednesday afternoon.
Martin returned from a visit to New Zealand on Tuesday night amid speculation he would reveal his decision in a paid prime-time television interview this week.
But Cotchin said the 26-year-old, who is set to be named All Australian for the second year running on Wednesday night, had not divulged his decision to him when the pair caught up in Melbourne suburb Southbank.
"No news for me, it was just a regular catch-up as we usually do," Cotchin said.
"He's back from New Zealand, I was in the area and he lives not too far away and we thought we'd get a coffee.
"It's hard to say (what he'll do). What I do know is he's contracted until October and we have an opportunity to do something special this year.
"I've enjoyed watching him play and being alongside him for the year."
Coach Damien Hardwick will meet with Martin for the first time since he returned from New Zealand tomorrow when players return to Punt Road Oval after a short break.
He said the Tigers had not put any pressure on Martin to return from New Zealand with a decision as he weighs up a more lucrative offer from North Melbourne.
"We didn't have the conversation as a footy club about that. As far as we were concerned it was a young man going to visit his father. That's all," the coach said.
"We didn't put any pressure on the decision, one way or the other, we've just let it run its course.
"We stated early on that we were happy with the way it was playing out, as were (manager) Ralph (Carr) and Dustin … we haven't put any pressure on."
Hardwick hoped the prospect of success in September would factor in Martin's decision, as well as the Tiger Army's standing ovation for the powerful midfielder last Sunday against St Kilda.
The coach said he was comfortable with the way contract negotiations had been handled by player manager Carr, who joined Martin in New Zealand as he visited his father Shane.
The prospect of Martin re-signing on the eve of the finals was exciting but not something that would alter the Tigers' preparations for a premiership assault that starts next Friday night against Geelong.
"Dustin has been fantastic for us for eight years and he'll continue to be fantastic for us as long as we go in this finals series," Hardwick said.
"If he signs, great. If he chooses not to, we deal with it and we move on.
"The fact of the matter is we've got a game to win next Friday night and that's purely our focus at the moment."
