Stefan Martin will take a well-earned break during the Split Round on the back of a remarkable six-game stretch, which has seen him go toe-to-toe against Will Minson, Shane Mumford, Aaron Sandilands, Todd Goldstein, Ivan Maric, and Nic Naitanui in successive weeks.

It’s been a tall order for Martin, who had a limited pre-season and was recalled largely out of necessity after ruckman Trent West suffered a season-ending knee injury.

But the past six matches could prove the making of Martin, who has been in career-best form.

Over the period, he has averaged 19.5 disposals, 29.6 hitouts, four tackles, and four clearances per game.

Those numbers would easily stack up against the best ruckmen in the competition.

Last Saturday night, Martin had 24 disposals – his most as a Lions player – while the equally as athletic Naitanui managed just 10.

While Martin’s form has been quite a pleasant surprise for Lions fans, it comes as no shock to Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch.

“Everyone knows he’s got the ability to do it. It’s not like his athleticism has come from nowhere,” Leppitsch said.

“He’s been given an opportunity with injuries, and he’s taken it.”

With Matthew Leuenberger expected back to return to the senior team in the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see how the ruck responsibilities are shared between he and Martin.

Either way, it’s a good problem for the Lions who looked to be in some sort of ‘ruck crisis six weeks ago.