Injuries pushed Jack Martin to his whit’s end. This is how the Cats rebuilt his body and mind

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At times through last season Jack Martin thought about giving the game away.

The precocious talent seemed locked into a Sisyphean battle with his body as soft-tissue injuries piled up, scarring him physically and emotionally.

Geelong’s Jack Martin had doubts whether he would ever play in a grand final.

“At times, it had crossed my mind. It’s just you lose hope [and] you lose confidence,” Martin said.

“All you want to do is play football, and you sort of lose your identity. You go out on the street and everyone is asking: ‘how is your body, how is your body?’.”

At age 29, retirement would have been reasonable albeit disappointing.

Tough, talented and team-oriented, he was part of the Blues’ golden run that took them to the 2023 preliminary final, and before that was a star youngster during a turbulent time at the Gold Coast.

But his body had become as reliable as the printer at work.

It was during 2023 that he began travelling to Peter Stanton’s physio studio in Geelong on his days off as he and his club sought out any expertise they thought might help.

“I just couldn’t get my body right. There were people that we could go and see on days off. I would go to and from Melbourne and see Pete for about two hours. He was massive [for me],” Martin said.

He also received treatment in Queensland and followed a program Carlton mapped out. The pain he felt daily when he rose from bed to his feet started to disappear.

Jack Martin celebrates a goal in the Cats’ win over Hawthorn in the preliminary final.

But in 2024, the promise of the previous season wasn’t replicated and a series of injuries restricted him to just three matches with the Blues. A fresh start was required.

Geelong came knocking for the delisted free agent in a low-risk, high-reward recruiting move.

The advice to the Cats’ medical team, which includes consultant Steve Saunders, physio Richard Citroen and newly appointed fitness boss Des O’Sullivan, was that Martin could gain the continuity he craved if he emphasised core work and undertook a staggered program which effectively rebuilt confidence in his body.

The planning was detailed, but it wasn’t radical; just a new approach with a fighter’s chance of succeeding.

The change of environment also helped Martin as he had new faces presenting a different plan. He adhered to it as he played half games in the VFL or ran, and when required, stood out of matches if soreness or tightness was detected.

“It was November last year I had a meeting with the medical and high-performance team and put a plan in place, and we just targeted strength and did a lot of gym work really,” Martin said.

His progress wasn’t perfect. He did not have the pre-season he hoped for, and again he seemed a long shot to re-ignite his career when calf tightness sidelined him once more.

But the Cats stayed cool and Martin continued the grind, supported by teammates, who had already been reminded during pre-season match simulation that Martin was an elite player.

By round 13, after several VFL matches, Martin was ready. He played against his former club, the Suns, and has missed just one match since.

He is now poised to play in his first grand final since he played for Geraldton seniors as a 15-year-old in a match remembered mostly because one of his opponents was future Suns’ teammate Jaeger O’Meara.

A preliminary final corkie gave him a minor scare, but he expects to be fit for the decider.

“That work we did early in the year and during the pre-season is reaping the rewards now, and I feel my body is in a good spot,” Martin said.

So is his life off the field, with children Rosie and Jett and partner Brittany at his side every step of the way, while his warm personality haas made him a popular figure at the Cattery.

The grand final will be Martin’s 13th match for the season, equal to the most games he has played in a season since 2020. He is glad he did not succumb to the temptation of retirement and is grateful the Cats believed in him.

“As a kid, you always dream about getting to the big stage, and you just never know really if you are ever going to get there,” Martin said.

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