Burton, 31, came back successfully from a knee reconstruction last year, booting four goals in just his second game back at the elite level.
Martin has followed a similar training program to Burton, but Schwerdt said the 21-year-old was looking better than the high-flying forward six months into his recovery.
“Brodie has come along quicker than some of the other guys we have had with [knee reconstructions] in the past,” Schwerdt told afc.com.au.
“He’s a bit more advanced than Brett Burton was at the same time, which is pretty impressive considering how Brett came back. Brodie started running a while ago, but he’s starting to get up some speed now and he’s looking pretty sharp.”
Martin injured his left knee during the Crows’ round 17 win over Port Adelaide, just one week after making an impressive debut against St Kilda.
The lightly-framed onballer was able to play out the game against the Power, but was booked in for a full reconstruction a few days later when he experienced swelling in the joint.
“I probably got 300 games experience in those two games with all the highs and the lows I went through,” he said.
“I don’t think I’ll forget the Showdown anytime soon because it was one of the best things to happen to me on a footy field. Playing well in a losing team against St Kilda was bittersweet and then I also had to deal with the fact my season was over.”
Martin spent two weeks recuperating on his mum’s couch at home in Meningie before returning to Adelaide to begin his 12-month rehabilitation.
Complicating his recovery was the fact he didn’t have a contract beyond 2009.
Adelaide had to make the tough decision whether to promote the injured, second-year rookie to the senior list, or delist him and risk a rival club snapping him up in the draft.
Martin said it was a relief when the club eventually offered him a spot on the primary list for 2010.
“If there was an upside to doing my knee it was that I did it in a Showdown playing at the highest level and not while I was running around for Sturt in the SANFL because who knows what would’ve happened [if that was the case],” Martin said.
While his teammates were on their post-season break, Martin spent five days a week at West Lakes trying to strengthen his wasted leg.
Two weeks into pre-season, disaster struck again when the speedy midfielder slipped a disc in his back while using the rowing machine.
He returned to the weights room at the start of the month and is hoping to graduate to agility work over the next fortnight.
Martin said sticking to the strict schedule was the hardest part of the rehabilitation process.
“I’m always onto the physios and rehab staff asking ‘can I dodge yet?' or 'can I kick on the run?' I’ve tried to make sure I’m doing as much as I possibly can,” Martin said.
“I want to be pushing the barriers without breaking them.”
Martin, who has taken up a mentoring role with new Adelaide rookie and Sturt teammate Matt Jaensch, said he was aiming to be back playing by round 17 this season.
“I’ll be ready to get a few games in this year if all goes well,” he said.
“I’d like to get back, play a few games and hopefully get back into that [Sturt] league team. Who knows what could happen from there.”
Brodie Martin averaged 71.5 as a midfielder in last year’s Toyota AFL Dream Team
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