While plenty of the limelight deservedly went to Jeremy Cameron and the milestone men on Friday night, Jack Martin quietly went about his business and put together possibly his best game in the blue and white Hoops.
Right from the start of the game, the experienced forward made his presence felt setting up Geelong's first goal of the evening with a brilliant solo effort, as he shook off two Bulldogs defenders before delivering a perfect kick to Dangerfield deep inside 50.
The night only got better from there, with Martin going on to record 11 score involvements from his 18 disposals, dishing off three direct goal assists and kicking a major of his own to cap off a sensational performance.
Cameron Ling and Zach Tuohy discussed Martin's impact on this week's episode of 'To the Final Bell,' noting that he has a perfect combination of speed and strength to add a new dynamic to Geelong's forward line.
"Another forward who I thought was terrific, Jack Martin," Ling said.
"He has always been smart, we have spoken about that on the podcast before. He has always been skilful, we have spoken about that before. But on Friday night, I saw moments where he either had to fend or shrug the tackle and the strength through the hips."
"I 100% agree and I made this point a couple of times when I was calling it, he is a bull," Tuohy added.
"He is so strong, the one I think he ended up feeding to Jez in the far forward pocket, O'Donnell and Croft are big units but he just shrugged them. Even the first goal, it was him that paddled it along the ground and then fended off.
"He is such a perfect combination of size and strength, he looks like he is starting to get back to that version that I distinctly remember not liking playing on.
"When he was a bit younger in his Gold Coast days or his early Carlton days, he was such a weapon. I thought that was an extraordinary performance, he is in very good form at the moment and he is having a great year for the Cats."
Martin has been piecing together a strong start to the season, closing out a solid month with another terrific performance against the Western Bulldogs last Friday night.
Over his past four games, the veteran forward has kicked six goals and has hit the scoreboard in every game, while also recording four goal assists to help make Geelong's forward structure more potent.
It has also marked a brilliant and consistent run of games for Martin, who made his club debut in Round 13 last year and has gone on to play 18 of Geelong's last 20 games which is a remarkable feat for a player who previously struggled with injury.
With what he has been able to produce already in his time at Geelong, Zach Tuohy said it is proving to be a brilliant recruitment by the club and is a reason why the Cats have been so successful over a long period of time.
"Another point I made on air is that a lot gets made about recruitment and it is a big thing," Tuohy said.
"But if you can pick someone up at pick 50 who goes on to play 200 games, you think wow what a pick.
"The same is true for bringing in older players from other clubs who have had injuries, and making those guys work as well.
"I am not sure what the Cats gave up for him, but I would be willing to bet it was a pretty good deal for what we are getting right now."
