Jack Martin Biography

Jack Martin joins Geelong as a delisted free agent on a two-year deal.

"We are really excited about the prospect of bringing Jack into our football club," Geelong general manager of football Andrew Mackie said.

"He is an experienced player and a quality person."

Carlton delists Jack Martin, Caleb Marchbank, David Cuningham, Alex Mirkov, and Dom Akuei.

“David and Caleb have persevered through adversity throughout their extended careers at Carlton. Their resolve to continue to front up and give themselves every chance to overcome each challenge is a testament to them and will hold them in good stead with whatever the step is that they choose to take,” Carlton list manager Nick Austin said.

“Jack also showed a resilient mindset through his five seasons and has made some lasting friendships at the football club, while Alex and Dom brought great energy around the club over their time with us, each earning their opportunity to be part of an AFL program via unique pathways.

“We thank all five players for their commitment during their time in navy blue.”

Carlton recruit Jack Martin describes the stressful moments of having to go through the pre-season draft to get to the Blues after a deal failed to be struck with the Suns for a trade.

"I think myself, my family and my partner knew it was going to be a long process. It wasn't just going to happen overnight. All along, we were pretty confident it was going to get done. But we just didn't expect for it to take that long," Martin said.

"It's definitely worth the wait, walking through those doors. I've loved every moment of it so far and I wouldn't take it back. I'm just really enjoying my time here to be honest."

Jack Martin officially joins Carlton after being the first player picked in the 2019 pre-season draft.

"There's a sense of excitement, happiness, and relief at the same time as it's been a long time coming," Martin said.

"I think I'm ready - I want to come to Melbourne and prove myself and I'm ready for the challenges ahead. I've committed for five years and I'm going to give everything to the Carlton football club."

Jack Martin is set to join Carlton in the pre-season draft after requesting a five-year contract valued at close to $650,000 per season.

By requesting the front-ended contract in papers lodged to the AFL on Monday, Martin has all but ended any potential of Gold Coast re-selecting him before Carlton.

Rival clubs had previously thought the Suns could take Martin at No.1 and then hold the rights for a trade in 12 months' time, but the seven-figure price for 2020 is now seen as a hurdle too far.

Carlton's salary cap situation, built off several years of spending under the salary cap within AFL rules, sees it easily able to accommodate a heavy contract in 2020.

Carlton misses out on landing Jack Martin during the 2019 Trade Period.

The Suns wouldn't budge on their asking price of a first-round pick to be involved in any potential Martin trade, with the Blues refusing a late request for their pick No.9 to be involved in the deal while receiving Martin and pick No.15 in return.

"They talked about future second and future third-round picks. What we've got to understand there is that we have a really strong hand in this year and next year's drafts," Gold Coast list manager Craig Cameron said.

"For us to trade someone of Jack's calibre, a trade coming in had to significantly change our position and improve our position. We just felt that didn't."

Jack Martin has reportedly nominated Carlton as the club of his choice for 2020.

Martin met with Carlton last week about the prospect of joining the club this October, having officially requested a trade away from Gold Coast last month.

The highly talented and versatile Martin had also met with the Western Bulldogs, while also drawing interest from Fremantle and Essendon.

Out-of-contract Jack Martin requests a trade away from Gold Coast to a Victorian club, with Carlton and the Western Bulldogs believed to be among the leading suitors.

Gold Coast makes its case to Jack Martin as it hopes to retain the out-of-contract midfielder.

The Suns have grown more confident across the year that the West Australian will remain with the club next season and beyond, however he has put off a decision until after the club's 2019 campaign is finished.

Jack Martin started 2019 in the best form of his career, but conceded to AFL.com.au that he had "dropped off a bit" over the past month.

"I feel like I have to play well every week, I put that expectation on myself," Martin said.

"I'm not performing the way I want to, but I've got to continue to work and I know the tide will turn.

"I'm more of an on-field leader than an in-class leader that speaks up in meetings. I try to lead by example."

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew believes Jack Martin could be ready to fulfill his potential in 2019, particularly as a midfielder.

"We had a really good chat at the end of last year about what type of player Jack wants to be and how we could help facilitate that – our end of the bargain and his," Dew said.

"He's given himself every opportunity to play more on-ball and he can certainly be a dangerous forward as well."

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew is confident a meeting with Jack Martin late last year will help the speedster overcome an unsettling off-season and fulfill his lofty potential in 2019.

"Everyone is loving Jack at the moment with the way he's going about it. It's great to see, because the new coaches have come in and the first thing they talk about is how good Jack Martin is. He's held up his end of the bargain," Dew said.

"He's got really fit, so we'd love to play him in the midfield a fair bit. We know he can play forward and hit the scoreboard, but I think Jack is hungry for a bit more responsibility."

Essendon confirms its interest in Gold Coast's Jack Martin, but believes he is unlikely to leave the Suns this year.

Martin, 23, is contracted for another year and the Suns have been on record declaring their intention to extend his current deal.

"The interest is there, but that said, he is contracted," Essendon football manager Dan Richardson told SEN radio.

"I'd be surprised if a club like the Gold Coast, who are obviously under a bit of pressure to retain players at the moment, I'd imagine he'd still continue to play at Gold Coast next year."

Jack Martin signs a two-year contract extension with Gold Coast that will keep him at the club until the end of 2019.

He said there was never any thought of leaving, including to return to his home state of Western Australia.

"I didn't meet with any other clubs. I sat down with my manager and said 'this is where I want to be'," Martin said.

"It was pretty straightforward from there."

Tom Lynch has made it back-to-back best and fairests for Gold Coast with a runaway win at Southport Sharks Events Centre on Friday night.

The vice-captain celebrated an emphatic victory, racking up 209 votes to win by 80 from nearest challenger Jarrod Harbrow (129).

Versatile third-year player Jack Martin finished third on 102 votes.

"I'm proud of the achievement," Lynch said.

"I think I've got a fair bit to improve on.

"I can still improve on my strength. Another pre-season under JC (high performance manager Justin Cordy), who has made a massive improvement for me, just made me quicker, a bit more dynamic, so I'm looking forward to improving that.

"I can still improve my goalkicking. I kicked pretty well this year, but towards the end I missed a few I'd like to have kicked."

Jack Martin says he is nowhere near where he wants to get to as a footballer.

"It is only my third year and there is a lot of room for improvement and that is what I am excited about; not only for me but for the team collectively," Martin said.

Although showing his best in defence, Martin continues to see himself as a forward who will eventually develop into a midfielder.

"I still think I am a forward naturally," Martin said.

"Obviously I don't have the body for [the midfield] at the moment to bash and crash with the bigger guys but over the next couple of years, when I put (on) a bit more weight and get a bit more bigger, I will be able to spend a bit more time there."

Jack Martin's move to the backlines for the Suns is showing early signs of success after the 21-year-old notched 21 disposals and 7 marks against Adelaide.

Martin was excellent in the unbeaten first three weeks, kicking nine goals and proving a perfect foil for spearhead Tom Lynch.

But as the Suns began to lose, the young West Australian drifted out of games and began to lose touch in the forward line.

So when Adam Saad left with a hamstring injury late in the third quarter against GWS two weeks ago, coach Rodney Eade shifted Martin to half-back.

"My last couple of weeks have been down and I put my hand up and said I haven't been playing good footy," Martin said.

"To go down the backline has freed me up a bit and 'Rocket' (Eade) has had the confidence in me to keep playing me.

"I'm enjoying the role down there."

Jack Martin says it is time to live up to his talent in his third year at Gold Coast.

"I've got to want to grab it now," he said.

"Two years have just slipped, and coming into my third year I think it's going to be an important year for me.

"I've got to start working hard, do the little things away from the club."

Martin says dealing with injuries and suspensions early in his career has been frustrating.

"Coming in as a young guy you want to play as many games as you can, but these things happen in footy," Martin said.

"I'm getting older now, a bit more mature, and I'm looking after my body, just things on your days off, massages, coming in and seeing the physios, getting on top of niggles and injuries, whereas in the past I haven't done that."

Charlie Dixon and Jack Martin have been banned for one match after breaching the club's zero-tolerance alcohol policy.

Dixon and Martin broke the rules on Friday night before the Suns' 53-point loss against Hawthorn in Launceston by consuming "a glass or two" of wine.

"We've really put our foot down now, enough's enough. We need to make sure everyone's heading in the same direction," Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett said.

"In the past I think there's been a bit of inconsistency in the way we've handled things. Change needs to happen.

"What's disappointing is the trust that comes with that, and those boys know they really need to earn the group's trust back now.

"It's just unacceptable."

Shaun Burgoyne says he is impressed with his AFL Indigenous All Stars teammate Jack Martin.

"There's some big wraps on Jack and you can see why Gold Coast were so keen to wrap him up for a few years and he looks as though he's going to be a special player," Burgoyne said after Martin shone up forward for the All Stars.

"For a young player, he has some special attributes. He's quite mature and composed and he has a lot of upside, considering he's 20.

"So he's going to have a long career."

Jack Martin has added five kilos to his wiry frame during the pre-season, and hopes to add another kilo or two before the season begins.

"First couple of weeks I did feel a bit heavy and a bit slow," he said.

"There's bigger bodies out there, so I've got to get a lot bigger and a lot stronger… I've got to try and keep that weight on."

Jack Martin admits his debut campaign with Gold Coast has been a frustrating time due to a badly dislocated shoulder in round one.

"Knowing I'd put in all that work and I was here 12 months before, did the same thing as Jaeger (O'Meara), a lot of talk and that so coming out and doing in round one was pretty hard," Martin said.

"Every player deals with it, Gary (Ablett) is in that situation at the moment ... I definitely learned a lot being injured."

Jack Martin has won the NAB Rising Star nomination for Round 23 after a superb showing against West Coast on Sunday.

Martin stood head and shoulders above his teammates in the 52-point loss, finishing with 19 disposals and kicking four goals.

"We want to get games into Jack," Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna said post-match.

"Over the last month he's competed for that ball, his repeat efforts have got better and today ultimately … it's the game he's fittest in, and surprise, surprise, you get that result."

Jack Martin is a likely chance for shock return against the Cats this week.

"We're confident with our rehab players that when they come back they can play a full game of AFL," Suns general manager of football operations Marcus Ashcroft said.

"We'd be confident he can get through and play at the level, it's just a matter of … is it a risk we take with him or not?"

Jack Martin will have surgery on his injured AC joint with no set timeframe on his return.

"Jack's in a pretty good space, he and the club were pleased with the report he received from the specialist," Gold Coast football manager Marcus Ashcroft said in a statement.

"During the consultation it was determined that surgery was the best way to treat the injury."

Jack Martin will be sidelined for an extended period of time after scans on Monday revealed considerable damage to his left AC joint.

Unfortunately the scans have shown that Jack has extensive damage to his left shoulder. Jack and the club's medical team will meet with specialists in the coming days to determine the appropriate course of action," Gold Coast general manager of football operations Marcus Ashcroft said.

"The nature of the injury means Jack will be sidelined for an extended period of time."

Jack Martin makes his AFL debut for Gold Coast with 3 disposals (3 handballs) in a 18-point win over Richmond.

Jack Martin is set to spend some time on the sidelines after his much-anticipated debut turned into a nightmare with a dislocated shoulder.

Martin was forced to leave the field midway through the first quarter of Saturday night's 18-point win over Richmond after diving for an errant kick from teammate Tom Lynch.

"I don't think it's great news," Suns coach Guy McKenna said.

"I spoke to him at half-time, he's done one before, so we won't know until we get a scan.

"He'll spend some time away from football but I don't know how long yet."

Gold Coast say they are keen to provide Jack Martin with as much exposure to the AFL as possible in 2014.

"He's had a full year with us and we think he's been fairly resilient in that time," Suns football manager Marcus Ashcroft said.

"We're confident he can handle the rigours of the AFL from week to week, but until he gets into it and experiences it, we won't really know.

"We need to be conscious it's still his first year in the AFL and we'll monitor him from week to week."

Suns coach Guy McKenna says Jack Martin will benefit from fellow mini-draft pick Jaeger O'Meara's rise.

"Not taking anything away from Jack, (but) it should be slightly easier for Jack," McKenna said.

"Jaeger's been able to do what he's been able to do in our side as young as it is.

"Jack will go into his first year with a group of young players around him one year older, so Jaeger's had to do it with a side a year younger."

The Gold Coast Suns re-sign 18-year-old Jack Martin for a further five years.

In an unprecedented contract extension, Martin, who was recruited by the GC SUNS with selection one in the 2012 GWS Giants incentive mini draft, will remain with the GC SUNS until at least the end of the 2017 season.

“We are over the moon to extend Jack’s contract until the end of the 2017 season," Gold Coast list manager Scott Clayton said.

“The contract extension for Jack is a significant vote of confidence from him and the Gold Coast Football Club and the direction we are heading and indeed an indication from us as to the importance of Jack for our football club in the future.”

Gold Coast's mini-draft recruit Jack Martin has been given permission to play in the NAB Cup.