JACK Martin may have thought that Patrick Cripps sold him a lemon.
In the co-captain’s own words, he spent the 2019 year “brainwashing” his fellow West Australian to join him and play in front of capacity Navy Blue crowds.
Undoubtedly, one of the key games would have been the Round 1 season opener against Richmond.
As fate would have it, that match was played in front of an empty MCG. However, it didn’t matter for Carlton’s new No.21.
“He played better than anyone in front of no crowd,” Cripps said about Martin.
“I wouldn’t mind if he keeps reproducing that kind of performance.”
Martin’s four-goal burst in the third quarter turned the game, with the livewire finishing with a game-high 10 score involvements.
Cripps was someone who knew Martin’s talents more than most, having played against him growing up in WA.
The co-captain couldn’t have been more emphatic in his praise for his teammate, especially when looking at what’s to come in Navy Blue.
“I’ve said it a few times: no-one has seen the best of Jack Martin," he said.
“Our fans can become pretty accustomed to performances like that. He’s a star.”
