Now, on this warm Sunday morning in February 2013, he is preparing his body for Collingwood’s next NAB Cup match after making his debut in the round-robin match against the Western Bulldogs.
In the blink of an eye, the 22-year-old has gone from being a suburban superstar with EFL club Noble Park to earning a spot on the rookie list of an AFL powerhouse.
In the Sunday Q&A, Martin explains his rise to the top that has seen him serve a footballing apprenticeship that has him readied for anything senior football can throw up.
Luke Mason: It goes without saying that the past 12 months must feel like a whirlwind for you.
Kyle Martin: Definitely. It’s all come around pretty quickly when you think about it. This time last year I was just training at Frankston (in the VFL) and now I’m training at Collingwood with an eye to the NAB Cup. It’s all exciting.
LM: When you played in the TAC Cup with the Sandringham Dragons back in 2007 and 2008, were you ever close to being picked up?
KM: In my top age year I played for Vic Metro and I got invited to a state screening but nothing really came of it. I had Jarrod Molloy as coach in my top age year. It was a while ago now but he was very helpful and supportive and knew a lot about footy. He was good for me.
LM: What was the knock on you at the time?
KM: It was probably my work ethic and really wanting it and the desire to play AFL football probably wasn’t there at the time. That’s really come along now and it’s all I really want to do, and I’m trying my hardest to stay here. Now I’m in here I want to stay.
LM: Once you finished up with the Dragons, where did football lead you?
KM: I ended up going back to my local club Noble Park and I stayed there for three years and won two premierships, so that’s been a pretty big thrill in my footy career so far. I’d played all my junior football through there.
LM: What was the reason behind going back to the EFL? Was it a matter of playing with your mates or keeping yourself on the VFL and AFL radars?
KM: At the time I didn’t think that I had the commitment to go to VFL football and Noble Park were talking to me and wanted me to come down and play seniors there. I thought at the time that it was probably the best thing for me to get away from the system and sort of think about my life and where I want to take it and focus more on family and friends and everything like that, and sort of make footy not as serious.
LM: That approach obviously helped your footy immensely…
KM: Yeah it did. Going back and playing senior footy against men when I was only 18 and having reasonable success helped me realise that I can compete at that level and play against men and really having the three years there drove me to want to play football again.
LM: Being such a powerful local club, the successful culture at Noble Park must have been a key factor in your rise to the elite level.
KM: We were very much driven through success at Noble Park. The more we were having a successful season, the more fun it was to go down to training. All the boys were young, all mates just hanging out and the camaraderie was there. It was just a real successful environment to be around and the environment was always upbeat and positive.
LM: Former Collingwood player Craig Jacotine (16 games from 1999-2000) has been on the scene at Noble Park for several years. Did he have much of an influence on you?
KM: He’s an assistant coach down there so he’s had a bit to do with me. It was good to play with the likes of him and pick his brain every now and then. He was the backline coach so he dealt with them, but just being able to talk to him and to have his knowledge there about the AFL and about just football in general.
I think Craig was pretty unlucky with injuries and stuff so when he heard that I got picked up he congratulated me and just said ‘work your arse off, it’ll happen. All you’ve got to do is just work your arse off, ask questions and do everything you can do and everything will fall into place’.
‘Jaca’ doesn’t talk too much about his time down here but I know when he was here if he hadn’t had all the injuries I’m sure he would have been a pretty good player.
LM: At Noble Park, were you an overnight success in seniors or was it a gradual process?
KM: I fitted straight into it, really. I only went down there with a week or two before practice matches and played the first couple in the reserves then went up to the seniors for the last couple of practice matches and then from there never really looked back and played senior footy full time. I had a pretty successful year in my first year winning the Best and Fairest, so I’d say I fitted in quite well and picked up the standard quite easily.
LM: After winning the senior Best and Fairest as a teenager, did it dawn on you that you still had the potential to take things further?
KM: It was always going through my head, when was the right time to make the step up to the VFL, but I just thought that even after having a successful year that it wasn’t really time yet. I wasn’t ready yet for the big commitment of the four or five days a week sort of thing to play VFL and I was still really enjoying my mates and all that. It was just a case of wait and see how we went.
Each year since I left the Sandringham Dragons I probably had about between four or five calls from VFL clubs asking me to come down and do a pre-season, but I looked at my opportunities and sussed it out and thought it wasn’t the right time until before last year.
LM: What sort of awards did you pick up during your time at Noble Park?
KM: I made the Team of the Year (in Division One) and won a couple of Best and Fairests at Noble Park as well as two premierships which as I said before were definitely the highlights of my footy career so far besides being picked up by Collingwood to play footy. I was runner up in the league Best and Fairest in the year that I left the EFL, so there were a few little things here and there.
I was definitely on the up and definitely getting comfortable with senior footy and finding my place, knowing how to play against men and knowing the right places to move.
LM: It was just over 12 months ago that you joined Frankston in the VFL. What made you choose the Dolphins?
KM: Simon Goosey, the coach at Frankston, was calling me for about a year and a half, maybe two years before I actually made the decision to go down there. The main decision to go down there was that there were going to be opportunities to play senior VFL football on a weekly basis. Having one team that is always going to be the same no matter what with no AFL ins or outs (as Frankston is not aligned with an AFL club), there were always 22 spots available for you to get a game. I went down with one of my close friends from Noble Park, Lachie Delahunty, and there were opportunities for us to play senior football together so we chose that route.
LM: I understand that you arrived at Frankston a little later than most players last summer?
KM: Before Christmas I had a pretty interrupted pre-season where I was there one week, then was on holidays for another couple of weeks. Before Christmas wasn’t a really successful pre-season for me but after Christmas in the January-February period was when I really got stuck into it and tried to give it my best shot at VFL footy to make sure that I could play the best footy that I could play.
LM: This summer at Collingwood the first full pre-season that you’ve ever done, which must give you a lot of confidence in terms of the amount of improvement you still have in you?
KM: Definitely. I think for myself I’ve definitely seen it as an upside that I hadn’t had a full pre-season before. From when I started at Collingwood to where I’m at now I definitely have improved my fitness and everything and I’m really getting a feel for the place.
LM: At Frankston, did you play in the seniors from the get go?
KM: It was a bit surreal, really. I played every game for the Frankston Dolphins in the VFL and to get picked in the state side that went across to Tasmania to play against them was a pretty surreal feeling. Just being with the best of the best in the VFL and representing my state again was just an awesome feeling. Even to go across with the senior guys from the VFL and to learn a bit through them, watching how they train was a real thrill. At the end of the year to be selected in the VFL Team of the Year was another surprising thrill. I’d worked really hard and was getting rewarded for it.
LM: When you travelled to Tasmania with the state team, which players impressed you most?
KM: Just the guys like Sam Dwyer, who’s here at Collingwood now, Shane Valenti and John Baird (all three were from Port Melbourne). The main thing was watching how they went about it at training and just how hard they work at all times. There’s no dropping off.
It was a really good experience and the Frankston boys and the Port Melbourne boys bonded a bit more because we’re both in the unaffiliated teams. It was a good experience to play state football.
LM: Frankston struggled for wins last year. To make the impression you did, it must have felt as if you were swimming against the tide to a degree?
KM: It was definitely an interesting season. Coming from Noble Park where we’d be winning every game and winning premierships and then going to Frankston where it was always an uphill battle with the opponents we were coming up against and only winning the two and a half games for the year.
The reason that we did get pushed around a bit was that we were a very young and inexperienced side. We could match it with sides for two, two and a half quarters, but we’d end up getting blown away in the end. It wasn’t as much about me swimming against the tide, it was more just I suppose going out and playing the best footy you can play for the club that you’re representing.
It was definitely a tough experience for myself and all of the Frankston boys having come across a lot of sides that had 16 AFL players in it. But it’s not only the size and the fitness of them, but it’s them having the specific structures and roles that they know how to play very well and that they get taught on an every day basis, whereas we can only do two to three nights and only get a limited time together, so you’re really up against it in that sense.
LM: What role did Simon Goosey (Frankston coach) play in your development?
KM: ‘The Goose’ was great for me personally. I had a really good friendship with the Goose in both coaching and obviously as mates off the field. He was a really big supporter of mine and really wanted the best out of me and really drove me towards success and made sure I kept my mind on the job because it wasn’t that far away, and in the end it all worked out. I think having him there last year to help me out as a coach and a friend and really drive me was a big success for me.
LM: What are the factors behind Frankston’s recent record of getting young VFL footballers drafted onto an AFL list?
KM: Frankston, since the Goose has been there, really has had a great record of getting people picked up. It’s all, I think, through him as much as it is through the club, and giving young guys opportunities to play senior football on a consistent basis and working hard.
LM: How much interest did your season generate from AFL clubs?
KM: I’d mainly spoken to three clubs – Essendon, Collingwood and Melbourne. Nothing was really given away, it was all just a case of ‘wait and see how you go. If it’s right, we’ll pick you. We’ve got a list of players that we’re looking at, so good luck with whatever happens’.
LM: Were you always relying on the Rookie Draft or were there any legitimate hopes that you might have been taken in the National Draft?
KM: There were some slim hopes. If you’ve spoken to clubs you’re always a bit nervous and just hoping for the best and that your name would get read out, but there’s no real expectations as such. But going into the Rookie Draft there’s more hope for mature age footballers as that’s more their draft.
LM: Describe your draft day experience.
KM: I was just at work (Martin worked as an plumber), doing a few jobs here and there. I just went to the van for a bit when it was on and had the live streaming on the Internet on my phone. I was going through it but it was a bit delayed, but I had a few phone calls instantly and the phone just went crazy.
There was a big mixture of feelings going through me. I was speechless, really. I just had relief, excitement, everything just running through me. I didn’t know how to feel. I was getting all shaky. It was a really weird feeling that you don’t feel too often in life.
My boss is my old man, so he was pretty excited at the time but in saying that he also knew that he was going to lose a worker. He was very understanding and wants the best for me.
LM: Have you considered staying on at work in some capacity?
KM: I tossed it up and spoke to him about it but at the moment I’m just focusing on football. I’ve only got a one year contract so I really want to get the most out of it and just try my best with the football and leave work to the wayside for the time being. If there’s a time where I need to help out, they need me or I feel like I need to work to keep myself busy then I’m sure we’ll have a look at that but for the time being it’s all about football.
LM: Has the volume of work and learning that you have experienced in the past two months surprised you?
KM: Not really. I expected it to be challenging and tough at times, and it has been, but that’s what you expect now that you’re a professional athlete. It’s definitely a tougher system than what you do in the VFL and working. You’re always at it. A lot of people don’t understand how hard AFL footballers actually work during the pre-season and what the club demands of them. It’s all exciting, each week you get a bit bigger and stronger.
There’s always so much to learn in the AFL system. There are thousands of structures and everything. With the time you’ve got at Frankston, you’ve got two hours on a Monday and Wednesday night so there’s just not enough time to go through all the rigours and stuff of football and what it requires. There’s definitely a reason why the affiliated clubs in the VFL are definitely ahead. It’s good learning now things and you never stop learning while you’re in this system. There’s always something that you don’t know that you’ll learn about.
LM: What have you learned from the senior midfielders like Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury and Luke Ball?
KM: Automatically you just realise their professionalism and what it takes to get to their level, and how hard they actually work off the field to get themselves in the best shape to perform on the field. They’re just super workhorses on and off the field so it doesn’t matter if they’re getting seen by anyone or if no one knows what they’re doing, they’ll just do it because of their natural instincts.
LM: What feedback have you received from the coaching staff?
KM: They’ve been saying that, from when from I first came here to where I’m at now, there’s been a huge improvement as to where I’m at physically and mentally and my professionalism is coming along. It’s always good to hear positive feedback as you go along and hopefully now that we’re getting into the games, if I get the opportunity to have a crack, I’ll be putting my best foot forward.
LM: Did you glean anything from your two games against Collingwood in the VFL last year?
KM: Not particularly. Last year when we played Collingwood I knew that they were a very tall side. When you come up and see 'Wittsy' (Jarrod Witts), and you’re only 180cm yourself and you’re standing next to a bloke who is 210cm or whatever he is, it’s always a bit daunting. Now that I’m playing with him it’s great and he’s good to learn off.
LM: How would you describe yourself as player? Simon Goosey compared your style with that of Geelong’s Jimmy Bartel late last year.
KM: I can just play inside and outside in the midfield and push forward. I’m not too bad a mark for my size. It’s really hard to compare yourself to anyone in particular. I just want to be the best that I can be and hopefully by learning now things at Collingwood I can keep getting better.
LM: How are all the draftees developing? Has anyone stood out to you in particular?
KM: I think all the first year boys are training really hard and well. Everyone wants to impress and try and get a game and work their arse off to get themselves in a better position to be playing for the Collingwood Football Club, not only during the NAB Cup but in the home and away season. I think we’re all trying our hardest.
LM: There are two spots on the senior list that remain available for any of the nine rookies to claim before the season stars. It must be good to have something to aspire towards during the summer.
KM: There’s always a little carrot dangling in front of you in that you’ve got an opportunity in early March when they redo the list where you might get the opportunity to get put up onto the main list and be available throughout the season including round one.
There’s never a dull moment in here. You never take anything for granted. You’ve just got to keep working hard and I’m sure all the rookies are working hard for that one spot. It’s not about competing against each other; it’s about getting the most out of yourself and what you can do. If it happens to come, it’ll come for you.
