On 25/02/2012 at 20:25, Jordie_tackles said:

He adds some X factor especially as a big man imo

I just dont think i would want him down back for the same reasons you probably dont like him forward, is a bit awkward.... but if he clicks then wow

Agree.

He is a backup ruck that has to spend time forward, it's just the way it is.

So it is up to him to become a forward that we can go through or a lamp post in the square but he will be a forward whether he is good at it or not.

I would like to see him get a run in the midfield for a good look. Last season he proved he can get the ball in congested situations. His reading of the play is excellent and quick thinking in his disposal. Jamar taping the ball to such a tall midfielder might be an interesting concept.

Your back up ruckman should be good at the position he primarily plays and then be able to hold his own in the ruck for the 5 minutes he may play there. With Clark, Sellar and potentially T-Mac to play games Martin would want to seriously improve as a forward if he wants to hold that role long term.

  On 16/02/2012 at 06:36, leehow said:

i like the idea. i think he can be a very dangerous target down forward. he is still learning the game, but is going to be very hard to match up on because of his height and speed. his presence down there also means watts, green, jurrah etc should get an easier match up. if he can continue to improve his kicking, then i think he could kick 30-40 goals.

30 - 40? Don't think so....I'm not a fan, but I think he'll be the back up ruckman and his only brief will be to jump as high and hard as he can to allow our midfield a fair chance at the ball.

Stefs got a lot to like hasnt he.I am glad hes on our list as he really has become an X factor type player for us now.

His pace is deceptively quick,can take a big grab and boot a goal and play both ends.Just needs better accuracy in front of goal.

He will worry opposition when they kick out...

HIs confidence is growing by the minute now..the spin & baulk against the Lions was nice last night I thought.

He wont take Mitchs role but he will assist and take pressure off the tall Dees forwards and at the same time take an opposition big backman.

A little bit of Jeff White in this guy..Kill em all Stef!

  On 25/02/2012 at 13:20, Thomo said:

Anyone still think he is a forward?

Should be a very good backman, one of the best stoppers in the AFL, will never be a forward.

I'll put my hand up. If he had of pulled off that 5 baulk manouvre and kicked a goal we would be talking about how hard he is to match up on, how he has X factor, can play tall and has amazing agility for a bloke who is 6"6'.

As it turned out he got close but no cigar - this time. Personally I want him forward with Clark, Watts and Jurrah. Could be fun

  On 27/02/2012 at 04:27, fndee said:

I'll put my hand up. If he had of pulled off that 5 baulk manouvre and kicked a goal we would be talking about how hard he is to match up on, how he has X factor, can play tall and has amazing agility for a bloke who is 6"6'.

As it turned out he got close but no cigar - this time. Personally I want him forward with Clark, Watts and Jurrah. Could be fun

Yeah , I reckon he can do a job down forward . Maybe on a rotational basis . He knows how to play in front ( which is half the battle ) Or at least he has done so in the limited time he has spent forward .

What we desperately need are big forwards who play in front , always get to the contest , create opportunities for others and never give up . They don't have to be superstars . Earl Spalding was terrific for us way back when . We were a poorer side when he went to Carlton .

Stef moves a bit like the Earl . I see a good future .

Cheers ®

On the week end we had three blokes up forward 196cm+ and all three for their size are agile, quick and different type of players. If we have Martin, Clark and Watts up forward playing well there wouldn't be to many teams that could cover them. Saturday didn't suit them both the weather and our delivery but the three give us tall options. Add in Jurrah, Howe and Davey or Green, Sylvia and Blease or a mix of these and we have a very good forward structure that Martin we a key part off, he has a huge upside and potential

Is Steph Martin in your best 22? Yes

what is his position? Ruck

Can Jamar and Martin work together? Million dollar question....time will tell.

  On 27/02/2012 at 04:46, disco_demon said:

Is Steph Martin in your best 22? Yes

what is his position? Ruck

Can Jamar and Martin work together? Million dollar question....time will tell.

As somebody else pointed out - with the new interchange rules the 2nd ruckman quite often has to stay on the ground . The 3 on the interchange are primarily running types / midfielders .

So Jamar and Martin have to be of some value elsewhere other than the ruck . If Clark plays deep then Jamar and Martin might have different roles up forward or down back . Martin could be used occasionally as a Ruck/Rover . Think it was 'Jackie' that suggested that .

I can see Neeld rotating our big blokes in the forward line . Geelong do it a bit . And it's been done in the past . It's not a new thing .

Cheers ®

Stef should play on the oppositions second ruckman all day.

IMO he could do OK as a forward but looks better as a defender.

  On 27/02/2012 at 04:27, fndee said:

I'll put my hand up. If he had of pulled off that 5 baulk manouvre and kicked a goal we would be talking about how hard he is to match up on, how he has X factor, can play tall and has amazing agility for a bloke who is 6"6'.

As it turned out he got close but no cigar - this time. Personally I want him forward with Clark, Watts and Jurrah. Could be fun

Might have been looking out only one of my eyes, but I'm buggered if that tackle actually stuck on Stef.

  On 27/02/2012 at 04:44, drdrake said:

On the week end we had three blokes up forward 196cm+ and all three for their size are agile, quick and different type of players. If we have Martin, Clark and Watts up forward playing well there wouldn't be to many teams that could cover them. Saturday didn't suit them both the weather and our delivery but the three give us tall options. Add in Jurrah, Howe and Davey or Green, Sylvia and Blease or a mix of these and we have a very good forward structure that Martin we a key part off, he has a huge upside and potential

Couldn't have said this any better. Stef will continue to learn that forward role, and he is a required player. Those talking about Tom Mc competing for his spot, well, Tommy has played what - 3 games? I believe Stef is a fair way in front of Tom (no disrespect to TMc), and it will take an amazing run for this to change in 2012-2013.

I had forgotten how different things look when you're actually at the game. Sitting behind the goals, at a centre bounce, to see a forward line with Clark, Martin and Watts, knowing that Jurrah has got to come in, we've got the potential to be one of the hardest forward line to match up on.

  On 26/02/2012 at 01:42, big_red_fire_engine said:

Your back up ruckman should be good at the position he primarily plays and then be able to hold his own in the ruck for the 5 minutes he may play there. With Clark, Sellar and potentially T-Mac to play games Martin would want to seriously improve as a forward if he wants to hold that role long term.

Have to say that martin is a long way in front all them guys in the ruck area martin is next in line for the ruck job when jamar is gone the guy has been really good in the ruck and has shown some strong improvment he really is like matty kruzer the way he attacks the ball and then follows his work by roving his own tap work he will become very good going forward because he can drop the mark but will also try cruming his own work.

  On 17/02/2012 at 00:44, big_red_fire_engine said:

No offence taken. I am really keen to see how his year pans out as he has all the tools I just dont see yet exactly where he fits. His games as a mobile ruckman showed where he plays best but we have Jamar. His games back to me were more promising than when he played forward purely because he appeared to get lost forward. Just because he is being slated to play forward may be more to do with structures and need and not necessarily because he is seen as better. I find it interesting that both he and T-Mac are being seen as primarily forwards and am keen to see how this plays out.

I think you are making a mistake with this. Stef came of age last year and gathered a huge amount of self-belief (incredibly important BTW) because he got to play mobile ruckman. This doesn't mean it is his BEST position. It's just one that he flourished in. You might be right but I tend to think it's a coming of age thing and that ghe will blossom in a few different positions.

he is learning so fast and because he is actually a smart guy will continue to learn quickly, Could surprise again this year with his development as he has nowhere near reached his full potential.

198cm, strong and super quick. Frightening how good he could be,

What I liked about his NAB cup form is that whilst he may have fumbled a bit due to the conditions he got himself to where the ball was to provide a contest. Getting to good spots is half the battle.

  On 27/02/2012 at 22:50, BIG JIM said:

Have to say that martin is a long way in front all them guys in the ruck area martin is next in line for the ruck job when jamar is gone the guy has been really good in the ruck and has shown some strong improvment he really is like matty kruzer the way he attacks the ball and then follows his work by roving his own tap work he will become very good going forward because he can drop the mark but will also try cruming his own work.

Sorry Big Jim Remember to grab a breath. Nearly passed out tryin to read this. (Just Joshing)

  On 28/02/2012 at 00:26, nutbean said:

What I liked about his NAB cup form is that whilst he may have fumbled a bit due to the conditions he got himself to where the ball was to provide a contest. Getting to good spots is half the battle.

I agree, and that's why I think he's worth persevering as a forward with when not in the ruck. He also seems to have very clean hands when picking it up off the deck, as we saw when he set up that goal from the middle, so I'm not sure why he seems to get the jitters when it's at waist height.

I'm convinced that he's got the attributes to be a useful forward, even if the skills aren't fully developed yet.

In his interveiw on Deetv Steph suggests he could be spending as much as 80% game time in the forward line. That would mean Jamar is going to spend a fair bit of time in the ruck and Steph will only be giving him a chop out for a few minutes a quarter.

I've been another calling for Steph to play forward for a few years so I'm pretty happy with this. As Macca said we don't need him to be a superstar, he just needs to create a contest, bring the ball to ground if he can't mark it, kick the odd goal, and give the big russian a chop out a few minutes a quarter.Exactly the role Leigh Brown played at Collingwood.

As others have said footy smarts to play forward and composure in front of goals are the question marks. Smarts can be taught and Steph is an intelligent bloke. Composure will come with confidence. I'm not saying he's guarenteed to make it as a forward but the only way to work on his deficencies is to persist with him. If he gets it right he'll be a great weapon for us.

Martin is going to be a terrific player. I think we saw his emergence last year when he took it upon himself to do extra training during the preseason and really commit to footy. The guy is a great athlete, big unit and has a brain like a planet. I reckon we are going to see some great stuff from him this year. I was impressed last night. That one brainfade was nothing on the rest of his contribution.

Only Jones has me more excited at the moment. Jeez he's a ripper. Love the way he goes about it and had lifted his game to another level.

every time i watch him play i see something that's genuinely exciting about him.

he's going to be an absolute gun.

They reckon he's the smartest guy going round the AFL .

Which is kind of like saying the most honest investment banker .

But still -he got his HSC I believe .

  On 04/03/2012 at 10:08, Biffen said:

They reckon he's the smartest guy going round the AFL .

Which is kind of like saying the most honest investment banker .

But still -he got his HSC I believe .

He is studying a Law/science degree at Melbourne Uni. Not sure if he has finished it as yet but definitely was doing it on a part time basis.

  On 04/03/2012 at 10:08, Biffen said:

They reckon he's the smartest guy going round the AFL .

Which is kind of like saying the most honest investment banker .

But still -he got his HSC I believe .

Not sure if you're taking the p... 99.75% was his VCE score.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/tabid/7415/default.aspx?newsid=112346

So, are the naysayers still strying to convince yourselves that Stef would be better for us playing down back? On Saturday night, he played the 2nd tall forward option very well, he presented, took contested marks, and kicked 2 goals. To think that when we are playing the "real" stuff, he will be 3rd in line as far as opposition defenders go, he will fast become a valuable member of our forward line.

I've said it before, but I just hope that Watts, Clark, Stef and LJ spend the next 18 months or so getting to know each others every move. If they can build that trust, expectation and belief in each other individually and as a forward unit, it will be a beautiful thing. Being a big forward line with plenty of marking options (including Howe, Green, Petterd, etc), we can't afford to have players not playing as a unit. It's why our backline have been so good for the past 4 or 5 years, they are a group and have those qulaities I listed above.