Puzzle of Jack close to solved

JACK Martin says all the pieces are now in place for him to become an AFL match winner.

The Suns star predicts 2018 will be the year he finally turns expectation into reality on the back of a season that has earned him a place in the AFL’s 40-man 22Under22 squad alongside fellow Suns forward Peter Wright.

Ever since a 17-year-old Martin arrived at the end of 2012, the highly touted Western Australian has been burdened with hype he’d become a genuine game-changer.

He is in line to complete a full season of 22 games this Saturday against Port Adelaide and will likely challenge for the club’s best and fairest a year after finishing third.

Martin said it still wasn’t the breakthrough year he predicted but said a patient past four seasons have him ready to tap into another level.

“Things didn’t go as planned this year, for me and collectively as a team and it was disappointing,” Martin said.

“I’ve got another level I can go to. That’s going to take some work and I’m ready for a big summer. Nothing will come without hard work.”

Martin’s first challenge was to stay on the park after two seasons of injury that kept him to 23 games.

The forward then evolved his game in the backline last season under former coach Rodney Eade while maturing in a year where he played 21 of 22 games.

Finally Martin began to work his way through Gold Coast’s midfield this season and believes he now has the complete game.