Why Jack Martin's lifeline at the Cats would have Carlton nervous

Luckless Carlton forward Jack Martin will reportedly join Geelong as a free agent after being delisted.

Martin has played 151 career games, 97 of those at the Gold Coast Suns and 54 games at Carlton including two finals. Since arriving at IKON Park, the injury-prone goal kicker has never played more than 15 matches in a season.

After getting up for just three games in 2024 after reoccurring calf and hamstring injuries, Sam Edmund, a Carlton tragic himself, believes seeing Martin fit and healthy in his new colours would frustrate Blues fans.

“If I was Carlton, I would be really hoping Jack Martin and Geelong don’t make us look stupid,” Edmund told AFL Trade Radio.

“He’s a player with an abundance of talent, he’s never been able to get his body right at Carlton.

“If the Cats are able to get all of that right with Martin and he does what he’s always been capable of doing, it could not look worse for the Blues.

“No one wants to see star players injured but I would be bleeding if he makes it work.”

While Kane Cornes also hopes the delisting doesn’t bite back at the Blues, he believes Martin has received opportunities aplenty.

“I’m not critical of Carlton because at what point do you run out of patience?” Cornes told SEN Trade Radio.

“He’s about to turn 30, so you wouldn’t think the body would get better with age, it would get worse.

“I think Carlton did everything they can, there’s no criticism for the Blues.

“But I get the angst and nervous feeling if the Cats can get him to play 18 games next year.”

Martin's hard work with physio Peter Stanton, as reported by Mitch Cleary, seemed to pay off in the back end of the 2023 season, kicking 17 goals and playing freely from injury.

Cleary added that Carlton took the management of Martin's soft tissue problems in-house in 2024, ultimately ending with him playing three games.

Martin is a delisted free agent and would walk into Geelong uninhibited.