New Geelong recruit Jack Martin has revealed he saw his delisting from Carlton coming after a lack of communication from the club.
The 29-year-old was axed by the Blues after five seasons, 54 games and 52 goals - playing only three matches in 2024 due to another injury-affected campaign.
Martin was signed by Geelong as a delisted free agent during the AFL player movement period, with the Cats needing to expend no capital other than a two-year contract.
With 2024 the last year of his contract at Carlton, Martin says he saw the signs that he wasn't going to be offered a new deal by the club.
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“There (weren’t) many chats throughout the year, to be honest, so I sort of expected it — the writing was sort of on the wall,” Martin told reporters.
“(My) manager was working in the background, the Cats popped up, and (it’s) something I’m forever grateful for.”
With Geelong featuring a stack of quality small-to-mid-sized forwards, such as Tyson Stengle, Gryan Miers, Oliver Henry and Brad Close, Martin knows he has to work hard to get a spot in the senior team.
“I’ve got a little bit excited, so I’ve just been trying to cool my jets, but there’s a lot of talent down there (at the Cats),” Martin said.