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

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fargothegreat said:
We've won two premierships with him playing that role. He's been doing it for years.

Why is he suddenly too slow?
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bc he is and the team is overall . We can't win anything running a team full of plodders. Hence, why we're sitting so low on the ladder. We are no longer the team of 17-20 anymore , isn't that obvious to the naked eye?
 
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TigerImposter said:
bc he is and the team is overall . We can't win anything running a team full of plodders. Hence, why we're sitting so low on the ladder. We are no longer the team of 17-20 anymore , isn't that obvious to the naked eye?
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Groundhog Day, mate.
We persisted with Edwards last year, who had slowed to a walk and was gassed by half time.
Now it's obvious that Cotch, Riewoldt, McIntosh, Pickett, Grimes, Prestia, Nankervis, even Vlastuin have slowed and you can't play ALL of them, along with Graham, but we will.
 
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Graham has been asked to play the role that Lambert used to play, the high half forward, who pushes up into the midfield once the ball is in play. At the moment though, the impact Graham is having isn't at the same level that we became used to when Lambert and the team as a whole was playing at its best during the premiership years. Back then Prestia and Cotchin were the midfielders who won the ball at the source and then fed it out to the attacking weapons.

Just like Lambert whose strength was to gut run from the half forward line to the back pocket to provide defensive coverage for our attacking midfielders, Graham is a gut runner who just grinds away, and is still running as hard in the last as he was in the first quarter. The difference between the 2 though, is that Lambert covered the ground quicker than Graham does.

If Graham sticks around after this year, and McQualter gets the senior gig, I can see us playing a similar system that we used to play under Hardwick, except this time it will be Graham as the defensive cover, alongside Hopper & Taranto, that are pushing back into D50 and winning the ball back at the source and then feeding it out to our more attacking midfielders, they'll then be the ones who gut run back through the middle of the ground to get the rewards on the other end of the chain, much like Lambert used to do when we were at out best.

I like to look at the future midfield mix like this, with the 2017-2020 equivalent in brackets:

Inside Midfielders: Taranto Hopper (Prestia Cotchin)
Defensive Midfielder: Graham (Lambert)
Hybrid Midfielders: Bolton Ross Baker Sonsie (Martin Edwards Graham Caddy)
Outside Midfielder: Clarke Ralphsmith Banks (B.Ellis McIntosh Pickett)

The big question though is will that remain the same if McQualter doesn't remain in charge moving forward.
 
fargothegreat said:
We've won two premierships with him playing that role. He's been doing it for years.

Why is he suddenly too slow?
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No, when we won the premierships Lambert was playing that role. The difference being that Lambert did it better and much, much faster.

And he's not suddenly too slow. He's been getting gradually slower over the last 3 years due to a combination of extra bulk and various foot or leg issues.

He's simply not in our best 22 anymore. Probably not in our best 25.
 
Rioli2Rioli said:
Whilst our team looks old and slow - er these days there is light at the end of the tunnel with some speed being developed in the 2's

Clarke - HRS - Campbell - Coulthard - Smith - Trezise

It will come
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You‘ve missed our most important speed machine A grader in MRJ.
Trezise isn’t fast , but is a mini Grimes and reads the play well which gains him yardage. With strengthening and conditioning of his legs it will hopefully make him faster.
 
TigerImposter said:
You‘ve missed our most important speed machine A grader in MRJ.
Trezise isn’t fast , but is a mini Grimes and reads the play well which gains him yardage. With strengthening and conditioning of his legs it will hopefully make him faster.
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Trezise is pretty quick, hasn't quite worked out how to use it yet, but he will. Grimes is pretty quick as well, so the comparison of mini Grimes is not far off. Great agility though with a good step can buy a lot of time.
 
Hoos said:
No, when we won the premierships Lambert was playing that role. The difference being that Lambert did it better and much, much faster.

And he's not suddenly too slow. He's been getting gradually slower over the last 3 years due to a combination of extra bulk and various foot or leg issues.

He's simply not in our best 22 anymore. Probably not in our best 25.
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They both did it to cover Dusty. If Lambert didn't get the run and receive Graham did. The difference was Lambert was better in traffic and off his toes, Graham is very upright. As you say, he is slowing down and needs a preseason on salad and beach running.
 

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Soooo, who had Jack Graham as the new whipping boy once George retired?

Please come on down and claim your prize
 

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

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