Ian Martin

[Mals]

Ian Martin is up for Manly football club life membership at the Manly RLFC AGM in December. Apart from winning 4 GFs with Manly I know little about him because I was born in '75. I would appreciate it if a few of our more senior Silvertails members give us some of their recollections of him 🙂

 

[mikem]

One of my favourite ever players. Can't understand why he isn't already a life member!

 

[wedgetail eagle]

When low tackling was the go back then,
when running the ball, Ian Martin used to crouch & bump off a would-be tackler.
Ball held in 2 hands, always looking for something to happen.

 

[Eric Galt]

Very tough, no-nonsense player. I am reading a book at the moment about Rugby League in the 1970's by Alan Whiticker (called Mud, Blood and Beer) Bozo wrote the foreword and he mentions Ian Martin and Kevin Hastings as the 2 best players not to play for Australia.

 

[Real Deal]

Behind Wombat, he would be one of my favourites as a kid. Tough, dependable, versatile in defence and attack. No wonder Bozo rated hime so highly. The comparison with Foran is fairly accurate. Except I doubt that money was ever a major consideration with him. Every few years he would take off and play in the country (Sawtell and Warren?) just for the love of it A worthy life member if he is chosen. Does he live on the North Coast somewhere? Would love him to sign an old pioneer jersey.

 

[Dee Why Eagle]

when running the ball, Ian Martin used to crouch & bump off a would-be tackler.
Ball held in 2 hands, always looking for something to happen.

Yeah strange style... almost using the ball as a battering ram.
Quite effective - players used to seemingly bounce off him.
Haven't seen that attacking style since

 

[Rex]

Ian Martin was a very strong defender and a no frills link to the backline. He had powerful tree-stump sized thighs that made him very difficult to put on the ground. Not flashy, not very fast, no great sidestep, kicking game or deceptive passing, but solid and strong and mistake free in everything he did. When the chances were on, he got the ball out well so the likes of Fulton, Branighan, McDonald, Eadie, & Irvine had room to move. When the chances weren't on, he took the hits himself like a front rower - without giving an inch.

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

Ian Martin was a very strong defender and a no frills link to the backline. He had powerful tree-stump sized thighs that made him very difficult to put on the ground. Not flashy, not very fast, no great sidestep, kicking game or deceptive passing, but solid and strong and mistake free in everything he did. When the chances were on, he got the ball out well so the likes of Fulton, Branighan, McDonald, Eadie, & Irvine had room to move. When the chances weren't on, he took the hits himself like a front rower - without giving an inch.

Ahh, Those were the days of miracle and wonder. It was in the matches against the Tough Teams that IanM really stood up Wests, Parra, Souffs, Roosters. Is Ian featured in the original 'Feel like a Tooheys' ad ? If not - he should be. I remember his announcement of retirement came as a big shock. Could've played on for quite a few more seasons.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

The amount of time Fulton spent in the centres so Martin could be in the team as 5/8 says a great deal. Came into 1st grade at the same time as Terry Randall and quickly established as a regular for Manly. As others said, he wasn't known for making long breaks or too much fancy stuff but was a key man in our teams back then. Surprised he didn't make @"EagleFromMay1967"'s hero list. 🙂

 

[Eric Galt]

And let's not forget his nickname ' Ima Martian '

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

The amount of time Fulton spent in the centres so Martin could be in the team as 5/8 says a great deal. Came into 1st grade at the same time as Terry Randall and quickly established as a regular for Manly. As others said, he wasn't known for making long breaks or too much fancy stuff but was a key man in our teams back then. Surprised he didn't make @"EagleFromMay1967"'s hero list. 🙂

He's borderline in there SE Rock. Who should i drop ? I've restricted myself to two lines long 😉

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

In that case try some players with shorter names. Scrap Watmough for example 😉

 

[Daddycool08]

Wasn't he CEO or something during the Beagles time?

 

[Eric Galt]

I think you are thinking of Ian Thomson (Magilla).

 

[BOZO]

Great clubman !!!
Ian Martin (born 1951) was an Australian rugby league player from the 1970s, and was a multi premiership winning player with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

Ian Martin was graded as a 16 year old with Manly in 1967. He played nine seasons of first grade football with Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles between 1969-1974 and 1976-1978. Ian Martin holds the rare distinction of playing in six grand finals with Manly, winning four of them. His first was in the side that lost the 1970 Grand Final to Souths. He then starred in the winning Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles teams of 1972, 1973, 1976 and the 1978 draw and replay. He started his career as a brilliant five-eighth, and finished his career as a lock-forward. Ian Martin played 155 first grade games, and scored 34 tries during his career. His only representative appearances were for New South Wales in 1972, and after a short stint as the captain-coach of Sawtell, New South Wales in 1975, he represented N.S.W. Country Firsts that year. Martin retired at the conclusion of the 1978 NSWRFL season

 

[zambuck]

Great clubman !!!
Ian Martin (born 1951) was an Australian rugby league player from the 1970s, and was a multi premiership winning player with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

Ian Martin was graded as a 16 year old with Manly in 1967. He played nine seasons of first grade football with Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles between 1969-1974 and 1976-1978. Ian Martin holds the rare distinction of playing in six grand finals with Manly, winning four of them. His first was in the side that lost the 1970 Grand Final to Souths. He then starred in the winning Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles teams of 1972, 1973, 1976 and the 1978 draw and replay. He started his career as a brilliant five-eighth, and finished his career as a lock-forward. Ian Martin played 155 first grade games, and scored 34 tries during his career. His only representative appearances were for New South Wales in 1972, and after a short stint as the captain-coach of Sawtell, New South Wales in 1975, he represented N.S.W. Country Firsts that year. Martin retired at the conclusion of the 1978 NSWRFL season

!an was a Narraweena hawks boy came into grade,1967 very good 5/8
was hard but never a dirty player, but very hard to stop and a hard hitter, he now lives somewhere in Kempsey I last spoke with him some 5 years ago when I accidently ran into him up there he looked as though he could still play, but time has caught up with him, great to see he will become alife member should have been done years ago

 

[Sea Eagles Rock U]

My enduring memory of Ian Martin, was him standing in the middle of the SCG refusing to leave after the 78 drawn grand final, he wanted to play on instead of having to comeback on the Tuesday for the replay. All the players were exhausted after a huge finals campaign, they had just played 5 games in 21 days, but he wanted it finished there and then. Super tough competitor.

 

[Shoe1]

One of my faves as a kid, I have framed footy cards from the 70s in my office, him included.

Epitomised the tough hard working manly ethos, our flair is based on this foundation. In the few years we have struggled, it's because the flair didn't have a tough interior.

No coincidence we made 6 gf winning 4 with Ian there. The year he took a break and went north we didn't do as well. When he came back we won again.

He gets my vote for life membership.

 

[Bandit]

Ian is a Real, absolute legend and maroon & white through and through.

I wish him best of luck and thouroughly deserves life membership - long overdue.

cheers

 

[simon64]

Tough and often underrated.

In the mould of a Ballin or Vautin. Not flashy, but if he was missing, the volume of work he did was obvious.