Jack Martin (Australian footballer) facts for kids

Jack Martin was born on January 29, 1995. He is an Aussie Rules footballer who plays for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early Life and Football Start

Jack Martin was born in Broome, Western Australia. His mother is from the Yawuru people and his father is from the Yamatji people. When Jack was 12, his family moved to Geraldton, Western Australia. He went to Geraldton Senior College for high school.

Jack started playing senior football at just 15 years old for the Towns Football Club. This team was part of the Great Northern Football League. In that same year, his team made it to the Grand Final. He even played against Jaeger O'Meara, who would later become his teammate at the Gold Coast Suns.

Jack was chosen by the Claremont Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). He was the very first pick in a special draft called the 2012 incentive Mini Draft. This draft was for younger players who were not yet old enough for the main 2012 AFL Draft. The Gold Coast Suns got this first pick by trading away their second overall pick in the main draft to another team, Greater Western Sydney.

Because of the Mini Draft rules, Jack could not play for the Gold Coast Suns in the 2013 AFL season. However, he did play for them in the 2013 NAB Cup (a pre-season competition). He also played for their reserve team in the North East Australian Football League.

AFL Career Highlights

Jack Martin played his first AFL game in Round 1 of the 2014 AFL season for the Gold Coast Suns. This game was against Richmond at Metricon Stadium. Early in the game, Jack hurt his left shoulder while trying to catch the ball. He had to leave the game. At first, people thought he might miss the whole season. But scans showed he would only be out for at least two months. He returned to play in Round 14 against Geelong, even though he hadn't played any games since his injury.

After the 2018 AFL season, Jack wanted to move from the Gold Coast Suns to a club in Victoria. The Essendon Football Club was interested in him, but the Gold Coast Suns did not want to trade him. So, Jack played the 2019 AFL season with the Gold Coast Suns.

After the 2019 AFL season, Jack again asked to be traded to a club in Victoria. Both the Carlton Football Club and the Western Bulldogs were keen to sign him. He was expected to choose Carlton. When the Suns and Carlton could not agree on a trade during the official trade period, Jack joined Carlton through the 2019 pre-season draft.

On September 13, 2024, after playing 54 games over five seasons for Carlton, Jack was removed from their team list. However, in November 2024, the Geelong Football Club signed him as a delisted free agent. This means he was able to join Geelong without a trade.