So it was with some expectation and anticipation that Martin loomed as one of Melbourne’s most important players entering 2012.
And given his size - 198 cm and 103 kg - and athletic ability, there was plenty of anticipation for the key position/ruckman this year.
But, following 13 rounds, Martin had just two matches under his belt after he missed six matches with hip/quadriceps injuries. It was a frustrating return for a player, considering his talent.
However, since his return against Greater Western Sydney in round 13 - Melbourne’s first match after the bye - Martin has arguably been the red and blue’s best performer.
And after a “pretty hard first half of the year”, Martin said he was “not unhappy” with his recent form.
“It’s been OK. I’ve been building and getting used to the pace of the AFL again after playing a bit in the VFL and being on the sidelines,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“There’s been not a lot to take from [this season] really. I played the two games and then missed the rest, so in some ways, it was a bit of a shame and a waste of time.
“But I’m looking forward to the second half of the year and trying to do the best I can and springboard into next year as well.”
According to Champion Data last round, Martin was Melbourne’s best. And it was not hard to see why. He started up forward and kicked the first goal of the match, before he turned in a fine performance in the ruck when Mark Jamar went down with a calf injury in the first quarter.
“It was hard work, because I haven’t been playing as much of a percentage in the ruck, so even that fitness base I didn’t have from the previous games,” Martin told melbournefc.com.au.
“I like playing in the ruck as well as forward. I was happy to go into the ruck when Russian (Jamar) went down. But having said that, I was happy starting to play as a forward - it’s nice to kick an early goal.”
Martin had three matches in the VFL - including one in the development league (previously the reserves) - before his recent comeback. But he said that period was pivotal to his form.
“I did all of the rehab and worked with the physios. But going back to the VFL was good. Casey has got a great culture down there at the moment and they’re playing some great football, so that helped me gather a bit of momentum to go back into the AFL team,” he said.
Martin said consistency and an injury free run was pivotal to him regaining - and surpassing - the form which landed him a top 10 placing in the best and fairest last year.
“That’s the main thing, and learning things each week,” he said.
“Each time you play, you can take things out of it, and the better I am at applying what I learn, the quicker the improvement will be.”
Martin’s versatility has been an asset to the side, and although he has played in the ruck, up forward and down back during his career, he was adamant he had learned to deal with it.
“It took some time to get used to that,” he said.
“Now I view the game a bit differently, and I feel like I’ve got a better grasp of what a good game of footy looks like.
“Even if I get swung around, I have to segment my play in a different line, so I have to reset my mindset, depending on where you are on the field, and go from there.”
Martin said the transition under coach Mark Neeld had been challenging, but one he was relishing.
“It’s a new game plan and new style and I really like how the coaches go about it - they’re honest and very clear with their direction, so that’s been great,” he said.
“They’re all great to work with, so hopefully we can build a good group and good culture under these coaches.”
With the Demons playing the Power at TIO Stadium on Saturday night, Martin is determined to continue his good form in the warm Darwin conditions.
“The last few weeks we’ve been doing some work in the altitude room,” he said.
“You can’t do a heck of a lot of fitness work at this time of the year, but we’ve been doing some bike sessions in there to get us acclimatised to the heat. They’ve put a heater in there as well.
“So we’re trying to adapt to the conditions a bit, and other than that we’ll just have to talk about how that alters our game plan tactically leading into the game.”
But the 55-gamer said the second half of the season had shaped into an important stage of his career.
“With the first few games [of the season], I was questioned a little bit with where I was at and I really want to have a solid second half of the year,” he said.
“I just want to have that belief again and keep in mind next year and as a team and individually, really have some momentum going into that.
“Ideally, I’d like to be in as good form or better than I was last year. I’d like to put together a number of good games if I can, and really get that confidence back and lead into next year.”
Not only will it benefit Martin, it will be significant to Melbourne’s cause.
