The consistent Saints defender collected his second premiership medallion in three years on Saturday – just two weeks after illness threatened to deny him the opportunity.

Martin convinced the Koroit hierarchy he was fit to play against North Warrnambool Eagles after training strongly throughout the week.

“To be honest, I always gave myself a chance,” he said. 

“I sort of surprised the coaches a bit to be at training on Tuesday night, put them back in contention to pick me and Thursday, two doctors’ clearances and a good night on the track and I got back in.”

Martin had surgery following the Saints’ second semi-final loss to the Eagles.

“I went in Tuesday night the week before and thought it was the appendix then and was booked to get them out,” he said.

“The surgeon came back and did his last check and said ‘nah, it’s not appendicitis, probably just stomach troubles, and said ‘go home, if it gets any worse, come back’.

“And straight after the North Warrnambool game at Port Fairy, I went to bed and woke up at 2.30 in the morning and went straight back in and they took them out.”

Martin, an avid water skier, enjoyed his most consistent season after making a concerted effort to establish himself in the star-studded Saints’ best 21.

“Missing out last year was devastating and I didn’t want it to be two years in a row,” he said.

“At the start of this year I set myself a goal, to play every game. I sacrificed my skiing through the summer, put in a massive pre-season and had played every game until the prelim.”

Koroit clawed its way back from 35 points down early in the second term to run out 14.16 (100) to 10.7 (67) winners in front of a bumper Reid Oval crowd.

Martin said the Saints’ belief – a trademark of their time under Adam Dowie – lifted them to greater heights in the second half.

“It means the world, especially after the first half,” he said of the win.

“We were up against it and Wiggsy (Dowie) rallied us at half-time, put some things in place and true to the boys’ spirits – a lot of people wrote us off (saying) we’re too old, we’re too slow – but we got it done.”