2009 season:
One week in July was all it took for Brodie Martin to experience the highs and lows of AFL football. A string of good performances for Sturt in the SANFL led to his promotion onto the senior list. In the same week he made his AFL debut against St Kilda in round 16 after a late call up. In an impressive performance Martin had 16 possessions and kicked a goal with his first kick and was amongst Adelaide’s better players in a disappointing loss. The euphoria of a Showdown win followed the next week with another impressive AFL performance. But an innocuous incident in that game led to scans revealing a complete tear of his ACL, requiring a full knee reconstruction. Martin has been permanently upgraded onto Adelaide’s senior list for 2010 and hopes to make a return late in the season. “I had experiences in two weeks of what some blokes get in 200 games,” Martin said. “Obviously it was a pretty big high when I got the call up and played my first game. Then it was pretty shattering when I heard the news about my knee reconstruction. With the signing though for next year, that was great, and I can go around again next year and have another crack.”

David Noble’s 2009 review:
“Brodie was the hard-luck story of the year. We were extremely disappointed with how the season ended for him and we can’t wait to get him back on the paddock. His knee has settled really well and he’s in the gym every day working out. You keep your fingers crossed that he can come back at the same level and intensity he left at because his debut against St Kilda was just outstanding for a guy coming off the rookie list. He was one of only a few guys that day that actually had the right tempo of the game and that was a credit to him.”

Career:
From Meningie on the South Australian coast, Brodie Martin travelled to the city to play on the wing for the Sturt under 19s in 2007, and his late season performances caught the eye of the recruiting team and he won a spot on the rookie list. He played a lot in defence for Sturt and made his SANFL league debut in 2008, showing a lot of promise and earning a Coca Cola Star Search nomination. He returned to the reserves but starred in their Grand Final win against the Eagles winning the medal for best on ground.