Martin has played 57 games for the Demons since making his debut in round 14, 2008.
He appeared to have a breakout year in 2011 when he played 21 games and finished eighth in Melbourne's club best and fairest. He was at his best either playing as a solo ruckman or acting as the third tall and spare ruck.
However, this year he suffered a hip injury that kept him to just two games before round 14. He then came into the team and performed well but was not able to impress enough to cement a position in Melbourne's future plans.
Trade tracker
The Lions had made no secret of their attempt to secure a mobile forward. After failing in their efforts to get Adelaide's Kurt Tippett and Collingwood's Chris Dawes they turned their eyes to Martin.
Martin flew to Brisbane to meet the coaching staff during the week and then had a nervous wait to see whether the trade would happen, particularly when the move of Cameron Pedersen from the Roos to Demons was delayed.
However with one hour of the Gillette AFL Trade Period to go, the 25-year-old was on his way.
Lions national talent manager Rob Kerr said the club identified Martin as a versatile option capable of playing in a variety of key roles. ??
"Structurally, a player of Stefan’s ability is critically important as it provides us with a flexible tall who can be effective both in the ruck and around the ground," Kerr said.??
"We view Stefan as a natural support ruckman who can cover the ground really well. He presents another marking option up forward, and has also had experiencing playing down back.??
"The shifting ruck rules seem to suit players with Stefan’s athletic capabilities."
