This guy, i truely believe can develop into a superstar ruck! He has had starved opportunities however at melbourne largely due to Jamar and some injuries that he has had at the wrong times. Some on here think he struggles to get a place in our best 22, but when fit i think he is a shoe in! He has outstanding agillity for a man of his size and is incredibly fast too! When Jamar was injured for a large majority of last season Martin was ranked in the top 2 or 3 ruckman in the competition I feel Jamar is holding him back, and although Jamar has been very good for us and is still good when he is on the park, He seems to be getting a few injuries that tend to be associated with older players and he is taking a lot of time to get over them. I feel our time would be better spent developing Martin as our no. 1 ruckman and we could possibly have Jamar as a big CHF to bring the ball to ground if we were not able to get someone like Cloke this year in FA although Jamar would not be ideal in that position as he probably doesn't have the mobility required.

Thoughts???

Right at the moment it's injury and not the Russian that's holding him back.

Hopefully, he'll return fit and strong for the pre-season.

Right at the moment it's injury and not the Russian that's holding him back.

Hopefully, he'll return fit and strong for the pre-season.

Yeah atm it is injuries but i feel when both fit Martin doesn't get as much opportunity as he should but then you do have to keep both of them happy so in a way i'm probably being a bit unfair to russian!

If we don't land Cloke, is he capable of becoming our CHF?

If we don't land Cloke, is he capable of becoming our CHF?

I'd say he could be almost anything we want him to be! he has the athleticism and the talent

its going to be very intresting year for rucks next year. Gawn will be back cherry ripe, spencer with a full pre season will show us he will be a force and Martin will be also push for a spot next year.

i highly think jamar will be battling against these 3 next year..

i like Stef and would actively seek to trade him out this year.

i like Stef and would actively seek to trade him out this year.

Stef would?

There's not a lot of teams out there where he'd be thrust into the first-choice ruckman role.

Port maybe, but I think Lobbe will be good eventually.

At GWS I think he'd be behind Giles.

Although he hasn't had a great year, GC have Zach Smith, then Gorringe, and a couple of others behind him.

St Kilda has McEvoy, but he is slow with not much behind him. Maybe Stef would be a good foil?

Can't think of any other teams without better ruckmen. At this stage.

Unfortunately for Martin, he does his best work solo, or at least being no1 ruck. I think in time, Spencer and Gawn may overtake him and even Jamar as our senior big men, with Clark assisting occasionally. I can see him requesting a trade for better opportunities elsewhere and I believe he may hold some trade currency. Some on the trades board have suggested we pick up that young big guy in this draft. Haing said that, I'd prefer we kept him. Still relatively young and has been in the system for a few years now.

If we don't land Cloke, is he capable of becoming our CHF?

Not a bad suggestion, he looked really good up forward in the 1st quarter of the Freo game. Kicked 2 before Jamar went down with injury and Stef had to take over ruck duties.

its going to be very intresting year for rucks next year. Gawn will be back cherry ripe, spencer with a full pre season will show us he will be a force and Martin will be also push for a spot next year.

One thing that Martin has that Gawn and spencer don't is great versatility! he can play as a big defender, a ruck and as a key forward. He has greater agility than gawn and spencer too!

He fumbles too much, he does the 90% but it's the last 10% that usually lets him down.

Martin will never be our 'first' in whatever position he plays - will be the second ruckman, play as a second or third string key forward, etc. Doesn't mean he can't become a valuable player though - its a tiresome and overused comparison but Leigh Brown was truly a jack of all trades and very handy because of it.

Not a bad suggestion, he looked really good up forward in the 1st quarter of the Freo game. Kicked 2 before Jamar went down with injury and Stef had to take over ruck duties.

CHF is a bloody difficult position. You can't just lump a big guy there (like you can at FF) because the CHF needs to read the play out of the backline. It's a highly under rated part of Cloke's game.

I think that Stef can be a very useful second ruck but not a permanent CHF.

If you watch Stef against quality ruckmen, he really gets worked over.

He has loads of ability but its hard to see him in any set position. I would be putting him on the trade table.

Stef Martin may be traded, but if he stays under Neeld, he'll need to change his entire approach to AFL footy.

Block, stay out of space, shepherd, give off quickly, etc.

He needs to listen, become disciplined and his improvement will come.

He brings out in me what Lynden Dunn brings out in others.

Suprised if isn't traded. He is a basketballer. Does not read AFL plays well. He has done well considering this, but doubt he is in Neeld's long term plans.

Prefer him to Jamar. Wish there was an unpopular opinions emoticon.

Prefer him to Jamar. Wish there was an unpopular opinions emoticon.

Martin is not strong enough - gets monstered by bigger ruckmen.

Edited August 25, 201212 yr by jumbo returns

I do like Stef and have him in my best 22. One of the main problems though is that I think he's played his best football in the ruck and down back, but is a poor forward - not overly imposing or a goal kicker. Our back line is pretty settled and our best area of the ground, and it's probably more useful to be able to pinch-hit for a couple of goals up forward.

I remember one of the first games Martin had to ruck on his own. It was against St Kilda and it was a centre bounce between him and Kosi. Just before the ball was bounced, Martin had this animal-like look of determination on his face. He proceeded to jump on Kosi's shoulders, win the tap straight to one of our guys, and we kicked a goal out of it. His leap on that occasion was just phenomenal. Deadset, his knees were planted on Kosi's shoulders like they were two kids trying to look over a fence.

He could be a fantastic first-selection ruckman if given the opportunity.

Martin offers far more in the ruck than Jamar.

I couldn't have Jamar at CHF either, he probably has less than 10 kicks this year,

strikes me as a bloke scared to kick a football.

I'm with you on Martin as a ruckman though, he has easily looked our best ruckman

this year, I'd be surprised if other sides haven't been in Stefs ear.

I dont mind us signing Jamar up for 3 as we'd of lost him for nothing anyway

and he is apparently a very tactical ruckman, so he would make a good ruck coach.

Even if Jamar slips a bit, he'll play enough to help Martin out. Ive seen worse back ups than Spencer aswell.

Jamar, Martin, Spencer, Fitzpatrick, Gawn.........Sellar and Clark as back ups.

At least one and preferably two need to get an extra string in their bow to become 'indispensible'.

Fitzy could develop as a good KPP forward ?Salmon like; Stef does well as a KPP defender.

Maybe our tall stocks are looking up.

I'd be actively seeking to trade Martin in the off season.

If Nathan Jones' most recent interview says anything, it's that competitiveness in a ruck man is essential for the midfield to work as a collective (re spencer). I don't believe stef has this hardness in centre contests. Sure he's athletically gifted and has good speed, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't fit into the type of list Neeld is trying to build.

Martin has huge trade value this year at a few clubs, he could help us release a big name player from another club..... ???