Traded Stefan Martin

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Marns

Marns

Back from the dead
Veteran
Sep 14, 2004
9,050
776
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Pittsburgh Penguins
2008_MartinS_Profile_med.jpg



  • Number: 33
  • Height: 198
  • Weight: 97
  • DOB: 17-11-1986
 

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Re: 33. Stefan Martin

His progression through this year was fantastic. Already shown the ability to play on the best KPF's going around without disgracing himself.
 
Re: 33. Stefan Martin

I saw him boxing day, he looks like he's trimmed down a bit, looks to me like he's got a frame like Richo up close.
Said hi and asked how pre-season was going, completely forgot to ask if he'd changed his number however.
He seemed like a really nice guy.

On a side note, I feel bad for his girlfriend, he looks like he would obliterate her --- she looked like she was about 5'4/45kg's or so...
 

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Re: 33. Stefan Martin

wearing #34 now for the record... vacated the #33 so Aussie could continue the indigenous tradition of the number...
 
Re: ?. Stefan Martin

He looks to have lost a few KG's from last year almost skinny.
 
Re: ?. Stefan Martin

Crimson Azure said:
He looks to have lost a few KG's from last year almost skinny.
Click to expand...
Probably not the worst move. We have Warnock to play on the gorillas, a skinnier Martin allows him to play on mid-sized forwards, we know he is quick enough.
 
Re: ?. Stefan Martin

looked good down forward today... was leading a little all over the place, but kept presenting and used the ball well when he had it...

if we can afford not to have him down back, i'd like to see him play forward more...
 
Re: ?. Stefan Martin

Good piece on Martin:

A player with a lot to learn and a history of achievement
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rf...-of-achievement/2009/05/23/1242498972794.html
MOST of Stefan Martin's Melbourne teammates would have had an early night in preparation for the Demons' big clash against the Western Bulldogs last week. But not Martin, who was still sitting in front of his computer at 2am.

The 22-year-old 198-centimetre 100-kilogram defender had spent most of the previous day working frantically to finish an overdue university assignment.

"I was sitting in a chair the whole day thinking this is the worst preparation I could possibly have for a game," he said. "It was a nightmare."

The unusual preparation seemed not to matter as Martin collected 17 disposals in a solid performance; he seems to be one of those naturally gifted people who excels at everything he puts his mind to.

Take his football, for instance. Martin, who will play his 16th game today when the Demons take on Hawthorn, only started playing football three years ago. Up until then, his sporting life revolved around shooting hoops.

Martin grew up in Berwick, the second child of optometrists Peter and Rosemary Martin. As was the case for older brother Tim, 24, and younger sister Karina, 19, basketball was Martin's first love.

"All three of us played basketball and to get three kids to three different basketball stadiums all over Victoria was a massive feat," he said. "Without mum and dad, I couldn't have even played anything."

While his father was supportive of his children's chosen sport, Peter Martin was also a big Bombers fan and Martin watched them too whenever his six sessions of basketball a week allowed.

Along with his academic merit, his on-court abilities earned him a scholarship at Haileybury College and in 2003, the same year Martin completed his VCE, he made the Australian under-20s representative side.

But in 2006, while still playing basketball, Martin decided to give in to his nagging mates and join them at amateurs football club, Old Haileybury. He was 19, and had never played an Aussie rules game before. He shocked everyone when he rolled up to his first game with a slurpee and doughnut.

Martin ended his first season by winning the under-19s best and fairest after polling 23 of a possible 24 votes. He had been given best on ground in eight of the nine games he played.

Melbourne then invited him to train and although he was overlooked in that year's rookie draft, Martin was asked to play at the Demons' VFL affiliate side, Sandringham, so they could watch his development. Later that year, much to his surprise, he was Melbourne's No. 3 pick in the 2008 pre-season draft.

"I hadn't done anything major to get drafted and a lot of people probably just thought I was some tall kid who got picked up because I was tall or something. I always wanted to explain to everyone that I hadn't played for long in case they saw me kicking the ball in the early days and I wasn't that good. I wanted them to know it wasn't because I was unco-ordinated or anything, but it was because the sport was reasonably new to me."

Martin played his first senior game in round 14 last year against the Brisbane Lions with only 13 games in the back line behind him. He played 90 per cent of the game and while he put in a solid performance, Melbourne managed its second win of the season. "We beat the Lions by a point, so I was going back to my mates and saying I was the difference," he joked.

He played the remaining eight games last year when Melbourne received footy's most unwanted prize — the wooden spoon.

A year on, however, having played the first eight games this year and with only one win so far, Martin said the mood at the club was completely different. After all, they are sticking to their game plan, have been competitive and are getting closer and closer to another win, he said.

Martin is also gaining more confidence with each game. He has put particular effort into spoiling and contested marks, which has resulted in him being ranked second at the club for the most spoils and third in contested marks, important defensive traits.

While his girlfriend, Holly Bradshaw, hopes he will move into the forward line so he can kick goals and reach superstar status, Martin said he was not expecting it to happen any time soon. Besides, he is having too much fun lining up on players such as his boyhood idol, Matthew Lloyd.

He also describes Jarryd Roughead — who he might line-up on today — as a particularly smart player who "knows exactly when and where to lead".

There is another area of Martin's life in which he is also excelling. After earning a tertiary entrance score of 99.75 out of a possible 100 in his VCE, Martin began a double degree in science/law at Melbourne University in 2006 — not bad for someone who claims to have lost the motivation to study in his final year.

"I dropped off a bit like a lot of people do and while the score doesn't reflect that, I wasn't really doing enough to work to deserve that score," he said. "I couldn't believe it. My maths teacher actually called my parents during the year because she was worried I was going to fail maths, so it was a shock to do so well. I studied pretty hard for a week or two before the exams but I was a bit slack during the rest of the year."

While his football commitments have forced him to cut his studies back to part-time, Martin says this suits him because he is not quite sure if he wants to become a lawyer or do something else once his football career ends.

Until then, the pressure of assignment deadlines remains.

"The lecturers have been understanding because you're always tired after matches and training and it's not exactly when you want to be reading dry material like property law and stuff like that."

While Martin might pinch himself for achieving so much, so soon, one of the major influences on his football is certainly hardly surprised.

David Lappage, Martin's former geography teacher and under-19s football coach describes him as a "freak".

"He's one of the smartest kids I've ever taught and he never really did too much work either," Lappage said. "He's just naturally got the brains and the skill to do whatever he set his mind to without really ever realising just how good and how gifted he really is."
Click to expand...
 
Re: ?. Stefan Martin

Was a good read. I read it in the paper when it came out. He looks lost when up forward and in the ruck. He's better in defence where his opponent draws him to the ball.
 
A tough life this bloke has, gun basketballer 99.75 as an enter score drafted after playing 1 and half seasons of footy. Tall good looking bloke, very hard lfie indeed. I saw him in the crowd rnd 1 against north and was surrounded by 5 beltas!
 
Stefan Martin- One of the smartest players in the AFL has huge pontetial as a backman or even a utility. Great to have him at Melbourne
 
Greggas32 said:
Stefan Martin- One of the smartest players in the AFL has huge potential as a backman or even a utility. Great to have him at Melbourne
Click to expand...
I agree, I just hope we give the guy a go and as you can see by my username, I rate him highly
 
This man has developed really well. He spent some time in the VFL to learn how to play more positions like Ruck and Forward. He can match up on the tallest of guys or even the shortest with his sharp pace. I'm proud to have his Clash For Cancer Guernsey! :D

Martin Garland Frawley - Key backmen for Melbourne
 
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