Port Adelaide premiership player Kane Cornes says that Gold Coast midfielder Jack Martin must have a big year and show his highly-touted talent more consistently.
The 23-year-old is entering his fifth season as an AFL player this year, having been recruited to the Suns as their number one pick in the 2012 mini-draft for 17-year-olds, ahead of now Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan.
Despite the former Claremont WAFL player being billed as a future star of the game ahead of his anticipated debut in 2014, Martin has yet to have a breakout year – a fact that Cornes believes must change this season.
“Certainly we’ve seen snippets of him, but he’s played four seasons now. He’s not a young man anymore,” the former Power midfielder said on SEN Mornings.
“Jack Martin needs to step up and show us the talent he has got.
“We know he has the talent, he just needs to show it consistently. I just think physically he hasn’t been there so far in his short career.”
Martin has played 66 games and kicked 59 goals for the Gold Coast in his four years of AFL footy.
After an injury-interrupted 2014 and 2015, Martin has only missed one game for the Suns over the past two seasons.
He averaged 18.6 disposals at 73.9 per cent efficiency, 6.3 marks and just over a goal a game last year, finishing third in the club’s best-and-fairest voting.