Australian Football

Geoff 'Paddy' Martin enjoyed an illustrious and varied football career with five different Tasmanian clubs. He made his senior debut with Launceston in 1946, and was selected in the NTFA’s intrastate team the same year. In 1947 he lined up with Sandy Bay in the TFL, but the following year saw him back at Launceston, where he remained until 1955, representing Tasmania in 1951 and at the Adelaide carnival of 1953. A three year stint at Ulverstone between 1955 and 1957 coincided with that club’s most auspicious era up to that point, eliciting successive Grand Final wins over Burnie, Cooee and Latrobe. 

Paddy Martin’s final stint as a player was with Burnie where he took his final tally of league games to 312. He was also successful in coaching the side to consecutive flags in 1958-9-60. From 1960 to 1965, Martin was non-playing coach of the NWFU’s intrastate representative side, before having one final stab at club coaching at Devonport in 1970 and ‘71. 

He remains without doubt one of northern Tasmanian football’s most noteworthy products. He was selected on a half back flank in Launceston’s official ‘Team of the Twentieth Century’ and, in 2005, was included as a coaching legend in Tasmanian Football’s inaugural Hall of Fame.

Author - John Devaney