GOLD Coast veteran Campbell Brown believes re-signed teammate Jack Martin is the best young player he's seen.
Martin signed an unprecedented five-year deal on Saturday, tying him to Gold Coast until 2017, despite not yet playing a senior match.
Eligible to play next season after being taken in last year’s GWS mini-draft, Brown said Martin was the best young player he had seen in an AFL system, placing him higher than former Hawk teammate Cyril Rioli.
"It is a massive call, I know," Brown said.
"I’ve seen him for the first six months, he played in all our NAB Cup games and to compare him to Cyril Rioli is not out of the question.
"Probably the area where he trumps him, Cyril does unbelievable things but he only gets 14 or 15 touches a game.
"Jacky Martin has been getting 25-30 and he does the same things, the run downs, the chases, the tackles, kicks some freakish goals, breaks lines and he’s outstanding on both sides of his body."
On Saturday, the Suns produced an enormous vote of confidence in Martin, extending the 18-year-old's contract for a further five years.
Martin will follow the same path that Jaeger O'Meara followed in 2012, spending a full season in the NEAFL before joining the senior list in 2014.
Gold Coast list manager Scott Clayton said the club was rapt to secure Martin for an extended period.
"We are over the moon to extend Jack’s contract until the end of the 2017 season," he said.
"The contract extension for Jack is a significant vote of confidence from him and the Gold Coast Football Club and the direction we are heading, and indeed an indication from us as to the importance of Jack for our football club in the future."
Martin echoed Clayton’s thoughts.
"I’m really excited to sign with the Gold Coast for the next five years," he said.
"I have really enjoyed my first six months with the club and I had no hesitation in re-signing long term."
Martin joins teammates Zac Smith, Trent McKenzie, Seb Tap, Rory Thompson, Jackson Allen, Clay Cameron and Charlie Dixon who have all re-committed in 2013.
