Stef Martin needed as key back for opposition gorillas

[Tex 68]

We must keep Martin on our list as a permanent key back and not trade him.

Look at the power forwards of the top teams, Hawthorn, Sydney, WCE and Collingwood and tell me who from the MFC are going to play on their power forwards.

Collingwood - Cloke & Lynch

WCE - Kennedy, Darling & Cox/Naitinui

Hawthorn - Franklin & Roughead

Sydney - Reid & Tippett

IMO Martin is clearly the best option to take each teams biggest/strongest key forward (Franklin, Cloke, Cox/Natinui, Tippett) with Frawley taking the 2nd biggest/strongest.

I thought Martin played some really good footy 2-3 years back when he played as a permanent key back.

MacDonald maybe in 2 or 3 years, but definitely not next year or the year after.

It also gives us some flexibility with him to pinch hit in the ruck.

[3031 11]

Agree totally Tex. You make good points.

[Biffen 12,947]

I second that-hope like hell we keep him.

[monoccular 17,574]

I have been very keen since Jamar's return from injury for Stef to return primarily to defence. He reads the play well and has the pace to run with the likes of Franklin, though few Dan beat him one on one all day.

I would keep him, and maybe off trade Spencil instead. He offers more options for us.

PS: may also free up Tom McDonald to move forward, depending on the Dawes and Pedersen status.

Edited October 12, 2012 by monoccular

[John Crow Batty 8,879]

The club has not been able to work out how to use his talents to best advantage.

[Nasher 33,617]

I couldn't agree less. Sellar can play the gorilla back role and Martin (apparently) has intrinsic trade value.

[Yossarian 1,820]

He doesn't read the play well, has dreadful defensive sense and has trade value. Soiiiyaa

[Biffen 12,947]

I couldn't agree less. Sellar can play the gorilla back role and Martin (apparently) has intrinsic trade value.

Pity Sellar cant play the "catch the ball" role and Martin has trade value because he is good.

[Nasher 33,617]

Pity Sellar cant play the "catch the ball" role and Martin has trade value because he is good.

Aren't we talking about playing a key defensive role? Who cares if he can't play "catch the ball" for that? He just needs to be able to play "not get outbodied, then punch the ball away from the other guy". I think he can cope with that; he showed this year that he could.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Cloke, Lynch, Cox, Tippett, even Tex Walker would absolutely monster Stef.

If (big if) he stays on the list, he'll need to sulk less, work harder and earn his stripes.

[DemonWA 3,936]

Martin is big bodied but is no good!

Can't believe how overrated he is on this site, you'd think he was drew Petrie if you didn't know any better

[Demon2 58]

when has Martin ever played on the gorillas????....

[rjay 25,092]

Sellars Job.

[H_T 3,049]

when has Martin ever played on the gorillas????....

Excellent point. With Frawley and McDonald we have our two best defenders for such roles.

And to trample all over america de cali's point, I think the club has worked out his talents to his best advantage, he can be utilised in the ruck as a back up and can play in the ruck for large stints but not be dominant. He can go forward to make a contest without starring. Or he could be utilised down back as a last resort with no guarantee of holding a key forward to a minimum. As Nasher states, he has value, where we now have players in those roles.

[thaipantsman 180]

We haven't yet seen the best of Martin and I don't mean Todd!

He'll have a huge year alongside the Dawes Factor. ....If we land him.

[Jordie_tackles 354]

Tom Mcdonald is a btter option and Frawley, reckon that Sheehan or Williams sounds like he had a promising year in defense at casey. martin is not coordinated enough imo. Has some flair going forward but you can afford that in the fornt half, not the back.

[_becks_ 35]

Martin plays best when he is the first ruck. If Jamar goes down in 2013 (which he invariably will) then that is when Martin comes into his own. As an around the ground player he is in front of every other ruck on our list (Clarke aside).

He is very much worth keeping.

[Watts Jurrah Dunn? 735]

Horrible thread. Frawley takes the best forward. McDonald the second (its not about 2013 so doesnt matter if he's beaten). If there is a slow gorilla Sellar plays. Pederson could also play back there. Watts also seems destined for the back half given our recruits. Plenty of options.

If Martin has another season like the one just gone he'll be worth a 4th round pick. Must cash in while we can still get something for this perennial tease. He is a very capable ruck but the club has put all it's eggs in the jamar basket and must move him on.

[Tatu 416]

Martin is the next Jolly.... Great player, just not at MFC....

[Go the Biff 3,442]

Highest bidder for Steph I'm afraid. I get the impression his cards are marked. My daughters will be filthy as they are fans. This one might come back to bite us on the bum as his ability hasn't been harnessed yet. You can't keep them all though.

[Red&BlueBlood 61]

IMO waste of a thread.

Pies = cloke / chip ... Lynch / Tommy mac with help (3rd man up) - lynch won't play out of the square

Hawks = buddy / tommy mac or chip ... Roughy / Tommy mac

Sydney = Reid / Tommy mac ... Tippit / chip

WCE = Darling / seller or Tommy mac ... Kennedy / chip + help ... Nic Nat & Cox / jamar with help

The above depends on us developing a game plan with a gibson style 3rd man up.

Stef Martin is a spud, competed well that 1 year and has had injuries and dropped off. The more trade week unfolds the further he moves out of our best 22.

[dee-tox 4,835]

Not a defender. Sellar takes gorilla two. Martin ruck back up and not much else.

[Standing Room Only 27]

I've obviously never seen this Martin fella play because the descriptions above don't match the ability of the Martin I know of.

Can he run - yep

Mark - yep

Can he play footy - haven't seen it yet.

McDonald, Frawley, Garland, hopefully Rivers & Sellar are all better tall backs. Gawn will be a far better ruck & with support from Clark, hopefully Dawes & maybe Pedersen we don't need Martin.

Been on the list long enough. Show him the door & get some value. Tip him into the Dawes deal. 20 & Martin for Dawes & 2nd round pick.

[Biffen 12,947]

I've obviously never seen this Martin fella play because the descriptions above don't match the ability of the Martin I know of.

Can he run - yep

Mark - yep

Can he play footy - haven't seen it yet.

McDonald, Frawley, Garland, hopefully Rivers & Sellar are all better tall backs. Gawn will be a far better ruck & with support from Clark, hopefully Dawes & maybe Pedersen we don't need Martin.

Been on the list long enough. Show him the door & get some value. Tip him into the Dawes deal. 20 & Martin for Dawes & 2nd round pick.

Cause we know so much abouy Gawn , don't we.

[Standing Room Only 27]

Cause we know so much abouy Gawn , don't we.

100% correct. He's had too many injuries to form a true opinion on yet.

I didn't say he would be great, I said he'd be a far better ruck than Martin. He was a ruckman as a junior, he's 208cm & in his few games in the ruck he showed he knows what to do. Martin played a season at Old Hailebury (probably as a glorified wingman) and was outstanding. He was drafted on the back of Melbourne's love for athletes, and he is definitely that. But he's played forward and hasn't done much, he's played ruck and was ok when forced to ruck on his own but quickly ran out of gas on a number of occasions & he may have played back in his first season but hasn't since.

Martin has played 57 games now & if he was going to be anything more than just a back up tall we would have seen it by now.