, ▁forcing ▁North ▁Melbourne ▁and ▁other ▁suit ors ▁to ▁again ▁up ▁their s . ▁ ▁soon ▁emer ged ▁as ▁another ▁su itor ▁with ▁a ▁bid ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁mark ▁set ▁by ▁North ▁Melbourne . ▁Neg oti ations ▁came ▁to ▁a ▁head ▁in ▁the ▁pre - final s ▁by e ▁week , ▁with ▁Martin ' s ▁camp ▁finally ▁ready ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁mount ing ▁contract ▁offers . ▁A ▁final ▁offer ▁was ▁presented ▁by ▁North ▁Melbourne ▁at ▁a ▁reported ▁$ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁a ▁season ▁over ▁seven ▁years , ▁while ▁Richmond ' s ▁offer ▁sat ▁significantly ▁lower , ▁at ▁closer ▁to ▁$ 1 . 1 ▁million . ▁Martin ▁spent ▁the ▁first ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁week ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁where ▁he ▁discussed ▁the ▁offers ▁with ▁his ▁father . ▁Rum ours ▁began ▁to ▁circul ate ▁upon ▁his ▁return ▁that ▁Martin ▁had ▁made ▁his ▁mind ▁up ▁and ▁would ▁announ ce ▁his ▁decision ▁on ▁the ▁following ▁night ' s ▁episode ▁of ▁The ▁Foot y ▁Show . ▁Martin ▁ultimately ▁for w ent ▁more ▁than ▁$ 2 ▁million ▁over ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁deal ▁when ▁on ▁Th urs day ▁ 3 1 ▁August ▁he ▁accepted ▁Richmond ' s ▁offer . ▁A ▁hand sh ake ▁agreement ▁took ▁place ▁that ▁afternoon ▁in ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁Martin ' s ▁agent ▁Ralph ▁Car r ▁before ▁he ▁signed ▁the ▁deal ▁officially ▁in ▁the ▁days ▁that ▁followed . ▁Though ▁numerous ▁media ▁organis ations ▁had ▁already ▁run ▁with ▁the ▁news ▁in ▁the ▁hours ▁previous , ▁Martin ▁officially ▁announced ▁his ▁decision ▁in ▁a ▁pre - record ed ▁interview