Player Watch #34: Jack Graham - MOVED TO WCE - PICK 42 Received

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Roksman said:
Strong rumours that there will be 5 interchange players next season with reduced rotation cap.

Keeping your best aerobic players will be crucial and Graham is one of the best in the league.
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Wow.
These perpetual rule changes make the competition so farcical.
We’re talking about peoples livelihoods and career plans thrown into turmoil based on some brain fart from HQ with no forward planning or transition period.
It’s like the AFL imagine the game is akin to clash royale etc where a season update comes with unit nerfs, and gamestyle changes.
It’s a sporting code- leave it alone already ffs!
 

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spackler said:
Wow.
These perpetual rule changes make the competition so farcical.
We’re talking about peoples livelihoods and career plans thrown into turmoil based on some brain fart from HQ with no forward planning or transition period.
It’s like the AFL imagine the game is akin to clash royale etc where a season update comes with unit nerfs, and gamestyle changes.
It’s a sporting code- leave it alone already ffs!
Click to expand...
Clash Royale made me giggle
 
spackler said:
Wow.
These perpetual rule changes make the competition so farcical.
We’re talking about peoples livelihoods and career plans thrown into turmoil based on some brain fart from HQ with no forward planning or transition period.
It’s like the AFL imagine the game is akin to clash royale etc where a season update comes with unit nerfs, and gamestyle changes.
It’s a sporting code- leave it alone already ffs!
Click to expand...

WWE style rule changes.
Goes from a regulation match, to a no-holds barred match, to a falls count anywhere match once Vince McMahon and his cronies get involved.
 
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JACK Graham has told Richmond he won't be seeking a trade to Port Adelaide doesn't say his staying maybe going elsewhere.
 
Keep hearing all these reports saying his contract had clauses that will easily trigger into another automatic one year extension. I remember Jake king had to play like 15 games in his last year which thank f@ck he didn't. Surely Graham's would stipulate more than finishing top 16th in your second last and getting 4 games and finishing in the top 26 in your last. Journos making shit up as usual. Turning into an expensive list clogger. Surely the club's learnt something from Caddies final years.
 
Football Tragic said:
Great to see Graham staying. He is a strong depth player now. To now cement himself into our side though - I think he needs to become our tagger.

He'll be fighting with Ross for the high half forward role next year. Ross did a great job in his absence and was actually chosen over him when both were available. So, he needs to find a need and fill it. For me, that's the tagger role. He's proven himself in the role before.

If I'm being completely honest though, if he doesn't reinvent himself and we have a fully fit midfield for the whole year, Graham might find himself playing at VFL level for much of the year. Looking through all the midfield, and duel role midfield roles, its hard to find him a place given his current skillset. Cotchin has played his best football when he stopped being our number one ball winner and became a defensive midfielder. It took all the pressure off him. At the moment, we have no one who could take that role when Cotchin isn't playing. Including Taranto and Hooper will be great for the team but I do think Graham will need to reinvent himself if he's to earn a meaningful role in the side moving forward.

Without seeing Taranto or Hooper play in our system (and assuming the deals go ahead of course), I would speculate that the midfield order could now be -

Pure Mids
1. Prestia (fully fit - pure mid)
2. Taranto (can rest forward and switch with Bolton/Dusty)
3. Hooper (can rest forward and switch with Bolton/Dusty)
4. Cotchin (playing the defensive mid role)
5. Sonsie (Outside distributor)

----------------------------------
Wingman/Outside Mids
1. McIntosh
2. Pickett

------------------------
Part time/Rotating/Duel Position Mids
1. Bolton (Mid/Sml Forward)
2. Dusty (Mid/Sml Forward)

1. Short (HHB)
2. Ross (HHF)
3. Graham (HHF)

-------------------

Graham has the strength and endurance to run with any midfielder in the league. He could become a fantastic tagger for us if educated correctly. The better teams are reverting to having a tagger to take out the likes of Neale and Oliver. It would be good to have that option in our kitbag moving forward too and Graham could be our answer to that.
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Have to remember though Prestia only good for 12-16 games a year
 
The only time Graham may be close to getting squeezed out of the 23 is if we have a 100% fit list. This hasn’t happened for 2 seasons. The closest we’ve ever gotten I think would be at least 2 of our best team injured.

Let’s say on occasions by some miracle we do have everyone available, then I’m sure the club would use those opportunities to rest Cotch or Prestia. Or rest Jack and play Martin exclusively forward those weeks etc….

Geesook showed how to do it this year …. their oldies were flying come finals time as they’d had plenty of games where they were fit but rested. Or when a bit sore they had the week off when in years gone by they’d have played.

Prestia cannot get through a season so he needs to be coming into finals on the back of plenty of rest … we saw what happened in the EF. It was about his 9th game in a row and ‘ping’. Cotch should also only play 18-20 H&A games even if fully fit. Dusty the same. He’ll be 32yo mid-year. Give him an occasional rest for both his body and mind. Jack’s a bit different given his position but he also should get an occasional rest.

If this is our attitude … which it should be… then no-one ranked outside our top-15 (the likes of Graham, Macca, Pickett, Miller, Gibcus, Ross, Sonsie, MRJ) will play any VFL.




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Noidnadroj said:
The only time Graham may be close to getting squeezed out of the 23 is if we have a 100% fit list. This hasn’t happened for 2 seasons. The closest we’ve ever gotten I think would be at least 2 of our best team injured.

Let’s say on occasions by some miracle we do have everyone available, then I’m sure the club would use those opportunities to rest Cotch or Prestia. Or rest Jack and play Martin exclusively forward those weeks etc….

Geesook showed how to do it this year …. their oldies were flying come finals time as they’d had plenty of games where they were fit but rested. Or when a bit sore they had the week off when in years gone by they’d have played.

Prestia cannot get through a season so he needs to be coming into finals on the back of plenty of rest … we saw what happened in the EF. It was about his 9th game in a row and ‘ping’. Cotch should also only play 18-20 H&A games even if fully fit. Dusty the same. He’ll be 32yo mid-year. Give him an occasional rest for both his body and mind. Jack’s a bit different given his position but he also should get an occasional rest.

If this is our attitude … which it should be… then no-one ranked outside our top-15 (the likes of Graham, Macca, Pickett, Miller, Gibcus, Ross, Sonsie, MRJ) will play any VFL.




Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
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I agree that some older players need a rest, but some need continuity.

Prestia did his hammy in the EF after a weeks rest.
 
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db26 said:
The article says he has rejected Port doesn't say he has decided to stay may be other clubs in for him.
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Other articles mention that he’s set to stay with the Tigers.

The Age is also running with industry sources expect him to remain until the end of 2024 when he’ll be a Free Agent.
 
rammbo said:
That's a midfield stacked with snails
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The speed that counts is ball movement in the middle.
Got plenty of speed running off the flanks and pockets where you want it
 
Heisenberg_ said:
The speed that counts is ball movement in the middle.
Got plenty of speed running off the flanks and pockets where you want it
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Speed over 5-10m is pretty handy unless you are built like Cripps/Fyfe/Mundy. Graham is not quick over that speed which is why he has such low clearance numbers. Even Cotch is/was pretty quick over a short distance. Ross has a quick Selwood type step. Speed off the mark like Prestia has is important for mids which is why Graham plays flanks mainly.
 
Heisenberg_ said:
The speed that counts is ball movement in the middle.
Got plenty of speed running off the flanks and pockets where you want it
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Completely true.

Nothing quicker than slick ball movement.

Definitely want some speed across the ground - we've got Rioli off half back, Bolton off half forward and Ralphsmith (if he can break into the team) off the wing. Pickett also has that Pendlebury quality about him, seems to be one step ahead of everyone around him.
 
spackler said:
Wow.
These perpetual rule changes make the competition so farcical.
We’re talking about peoples livelihoods and career plans thrown into turmoil based on some brain fart from HQ with no forward planning or transition period.
It’s like the AFL imagine the game is akin to clash royale etc where a season update comes with unit nerfs, and gamestyle changes.
It’s a sporting code- leave it alone already ffs!
Click to expand...
I think you've come up with a great idea just call rule changes game updates and we'll all be waiting with bated breath, its so AFLX.

Seriously though is there any other long established sport in the World that changes rules on the fly like our competition does, no testing in pre season, no consultation just throw in a new rule whenever they feel like it.

We really need to take this game back from the flogs that run it before it disappears up its own arse.
 
Purple reported on the AFL Daily podcast that Jack Graham knocked back interest from StKilda after the he pulled out of going to Port.
 

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Player Watch #34: Jack Graham - MOVED TO WCE - PICK 42 Received

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