Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
John Martin

Known as
Ray Martin

Born
18 November 1909

Died
28 July 1988 (aged 78)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 20y 173d
Last game: 30y 315d

Height and weight
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 73 kg

Senior clubs
Richmond

Jumper numbers
Richmond: 27, 7

Ray Martin

Advanced stats
ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
RichmondV/AFL1930, 1932-19401591350.8570%21.09—4.4745
Total1930, 1932-19401591350.8570%21.09—4.4745

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 3,669th player to appear, 1,153rd most games played, 751st most goals kickedRichmond: 318th player to appear, 62nd most games played, 49th most goals kicked

Along with Jack Dyer and Percy Bentley, rover 'Ray' Martin made up one of the most famous first ruck combinations in VFL history, an ensemble that helped make Richmond one of the most powerful teams of the early 1930s. Combining a rugged fearlessness with immense adroitness and skill Martin, who was fairly big for a rover at 173 cm and 73 kg, was seldom beaten, and hardly ever put in a bad game.

Martin was a member of the Tigers' 1932 and 1934 premiership winning teams, as well as being in the runner-up side of 1933. Richmond did not always proffer best and fairest awards to its players during the course of Martin's playing career, but he nevertheless managed to nab two that were on offer, in 1934-5. A regular 'Big V' representative player, Ray Martin played a total of 159 VFL games for the Tigers in a 10-season league career. His omission from Richmond's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century' remains, perhaps, a trifle surprising.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Related Articles

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.