Player Watch #34: Jack Graham - Part 2

[Muddiemoose]

Led the midfield for disposals, contested possessions, score involvements and pressure acts but didn't step up apparently. Take the agenda elsewhere.

Yeah thought overall he had a good game, reflected the team overall a couple of frustrating moments and not the greatest 3rd qtr but if you don’t focus on them and look at his overall contribution to the team and the win it was a solid game with him being the sr midfielder in the mix

 

[cairo tiger]

hes on struggle street atm.

 

[Barunga Bullet]

Had the perfect opportunity to step up today with all our midfield outs. I think my assessment of him was on the money.... If anything I think I was generous. Fair dinkum I'm 43 haven't played in over 10 years and I bet money if I was playing against him I'd burst clear of him and vice versa I'd run him down. I'm not sure I've seen a slower mid since Relton Roberts left for a job at Burger King!!!! Can anyone provide footage of him breaking a tackle or cleanly dishing it off mid tackle? He always takes em on and after a few failed attempts at shrugging he's either pinged or just completely fluffs it. He has 16kg's on Liam Baker but I'd bet anything Baker would flog him in a game of mercy. First option Fatboy FFS!!!!!

Yeah hes really slow and no good

 

[tiger_tough]

I thought he was and has been good after a slow start this season. Got caught a few time son the weekend but so what.

 

[Lord of the Wings]

hes on struggle street atm.

That's where he lives

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

Let's assess Jack Graham

34

Jack Graham

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

6.3

5star

CL

1.8

4star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.2

4star

D

14.0

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

7.0

5star

CL

3.2

5star

honestly.

When he's got Dusty, Cotch, Prestia, Edwards, Shai all demanding the attention of the opposition, he can amass over 30 touches and kick a goal. He can really step up when the game is on our terms.

When we need him to elevate and become Midfielder 1 or 2 in our line up, he cannot do that. Completely out of his depth. This is why no one speaks of Jack Graham

34

Jack Graham

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

6.3

5star

CL

1.8

4star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.2

4star

D

14.0

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

7.0

5star

CL

3.2

5star

as an A Grader, he is a role player, he is like Matt Kennedy from Carlton. Can really hurt you when our team is focused on Cripps and Walsh. But if he's required to fill the void of Cripps or Walsh, he just cannot do that.

So when the big boys return, Graham will have his occasional big outing, we will mark his praises and claim he is the future. But he isnt, he is a role player, knows our gamestyle, can compliment the boys, but definitely will never amount to anything more than he is now. I dont see anymore growth. He is the type of player that should take a modest salary, not ask for overs, so we can pay the big money to Shai Bolton

29

Shai Bolton

Age

25

Ht

176cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

12.7

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

3.5

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.8

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.0

1star

and Liam Baker

7

Liam Baker

Age

26

Ht

173cm

Wt

72kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.7

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

7.9

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

2.6

4star

MG

222.2

3star

D

14.6

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

7.9

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.8

3star

MG

191.9

3star

D

14.4

4star

K

6.2

3star

HB

8.2

5star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

MG

224.2

4star

.

All the love to Graham, it's great to have him, but we all need to accept where he is at and what he is capable of. Look forward to a big game from him when he's under the radar because all the attention is elsewhere, cannot handle the attention being on him.

 

[cairo tiger]

Let's assess Jack Graham honestly.

When he's got Dusty, Cotch, Prestia, Edwards, Shai all demanding the attention of the opposition, he can amass over 30 touches and kick a goal. He can really step up when the game is on our terms.

When we need him to elevate and become Midfielder 1 or 2 in our line up, he cannot do that. Completely out of his depth. This is why no one speaks of Jack Graham as an A Grader, he is a role player, he is like Matt Kennedy from Carlton. Can really hurt you when our team is focused on Cripps and Walsh. But if he's required to fill the void of Cripps or Walsh, he just cannot do that.

So when the big boys return, Graham will have his occasional big outing, we will mark his praises and claim he is the future. But he isnt, he is a role player, knows our gamestyle, can compliment the boys, but definitely will never amount to anything more than he is now. I dont see anymore growth. He is the type of player that should take a modest salary, not ask for overs, so we can pay the big money to Shai Bolton and Liam Baker.t
All the love to Graham, it's great to have him, but we all need to accept where he is at and what he is capable of. Look forward to a big game from him when he's under the radar because all the attention is elsewhere, cannot handle the attention being on him.

fair assessment, but role player or not he is slow as damian monkhurst. he costs us.

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

fair assessment, but role player or not he is slow as damian monkhurst. he costs us.

I dont know if he's slow, or if, in his mind, he thinks he's Scott Pendlebury and can buy more time and weave through traffic effortlessly.

I just see a guy who can't play within his limitations when the furnace is hot.

 

[banana_bus]

I dont know if he's slow, or if, in his mind, he thinks he's Scott Pendlebury and can buy more time and weave through traffic effortlessly.

I just see a guy who can't play within his limitations when the furnace is hot.

Thinks its a bit of both, bit off more than he could chew yesterday on multiple occasions. Dont mind him taking it on, but needs to work hard on getting his hands free at training - needs to watch some tapes of Patty Cripps and learn.

 

[tropicaltiger]

trying to be nice but with lambert, cotch and shedda no longer spring chickens add graham and ross to that mix and we have 5 slow tigers..... none can take a strong overhead mark like bolton, none can roost it over 55 metres with ease like shorty can, and none will be weaving thru traffic like rioli does and none will be crashing packs like dusty/pickett can.

all can't be on the park at the same time anymore. jack graham

34

Jack Graham

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

6.3

5star

CL

1.8

4star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.2

4star

D

14.0

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

7.0

5star

CL

3.2

5star

needs to bring his best each week or we are gunna be dismantled, its up to him now as he looks injury free and in his prime.

 

[sregit]

Thinks its a bit of both, bit off more than he could chew yesterday on multiple occasions. Dont mind him taking it on, but needs to work hard on getting his hands free at training - needs to watch some tapes of Patty Cripps and learn.

Very good assessment by you. Graham’s pace is not the issue, it’s his inability to break a tackle or get his hands free/high to enable him to dispose of the ball. I am amazed that when he’s tackled he puts his head down and tries to bulldoze through,when what he needs to do is stand taller and get his arms up. I like Graham in the side but he has to work on this skill.

 

[Grrr]

Let's assess Jack Graham honestly.

When he's got Dusty, Cotch, Prestia, Edwards, Shai all demanding the attention of the opposition, he can amass over 30 touches and kick a goal. He can really step up when the game is on our terms.

When we need him to elevate and become Midfielder 1 or 2 in our line up, he cannot do that. Completely out of his depth. This is why no one speaks of Jack Graham as an A Grader, he is a role player, he is like Matt Kennedy from Carlton. Can really hurt you when our team is focused on Cripps and Walsh. But if he's required to fill the void of Cripps or Walsh, he just cannot do that.

So when the big boys return, Graham will have his occasional big outing, we will mark his praises and claim he is the future. But he isnt, he is a role player, knows our gamestyle, can compliment the boys, but definitely will never amount to anything more than he is now. I dont see anymore growth. He is the type of player that should take a modest salary, not ask for overs, so we can pay the big money to Shai Bolton and Liam Baker.

All the love to Graham, it's great to have him, but we all need to accept where he is at and what he is capable of. Look forward to a big game from him when he's under the radar because all the attention is elsewhere, cannot handle the attention being on him.

What he does better than anyone, well maybe he and Lambert do better than anyone is run the lines and link up play. Graham is not slow when he is in full tilt, and when he gets the ball at full tilt, which is how he mostly gets it, he can usually use it well. Dimma would love his power running between half back and half forward and is one of the reasons we transition the ball so well. That is Graham the half forward, gets a gig every week because even at full strength nobody does that role better.

So yes he is a role player, but he's good at it. As a mid his change of direction is not quick, so when the ball pings around he is often chasing and pressuring rather than getting first hands on the ball, and his clearance and contest possession count shows that.

Yesterday he was pretty good in the absence of quality assistance, Dusty aside.

 

[Roachy8]

I think we are getting blinded by that poor period where he got caught 3 times - did not have a great patch there.

Also as a previous poster correctly identified, he his limitations if asked to be one of our prime-mover mids.

HOWEVER - when we get Prestia back in and Martin playing more like he did in the first half, + I woudl 100% swing Bolton's mid-filed % time up too, Graham is a vital part of our rotations and provides great hustle and tackling pressure.

Is our leading tackler for the year but interesting that over the past two weeks with no Cotch and less than a qtr of Dion, Graham has only laid 5 tackles in total whereas over the previous 3 weeks before that he had 29!

Offers a lot to the squad IMO but has just been stuffed a bit by the lack of other mids around him.

 

[k31th]

It doesn't matter how fast you are in the AFL, there's always some bloke just as quick or slightly slower running a better line to get you, except in rare circumstances. If you make the wrong choice or take on the wrong bloke, you're going to get tackled 9 out of 10 times. That's just the speed of AFL. If JGTI makes better decisions over time and/or takes on lines in positions where it won't hurt on rebound, I'm fine with getting caught a few times here and there.

 

[Dr Tigris]

JGTI is a hard running, pressure player with good skills. Will he ever have the ability of Prestia, don't think so.

As part of a midfield set up he is very high value.

Our issue is replacing our midfield stocks so that he can play to his strengths.

 

[richoplzbreed]

I'm trying to figure out when he's due for his next good game? Let me see he averages about 5 a year..... He's in for a ripper next week I guess. Woohoo.

 

[Hank Heavenly]

just stop trying to take blokes on and get stung HTB... its about 4 or 5 in two weeks

 

[tropicaltiger]

had plenty of mates but jack was poor yesterday... no ross, dustin or trent, so we needed a big one from jackie, dow was pushed aside dion and bolts were bloody good but jack really needed to do better on his slowing down/restricting of anderson, miller and rowell and co they spanked us..... reckon his pressure is over rated too
getting only 3 free kicks but giving away 5 in the past 2 games indicates to me he's getting pinged in tackles rather than rewarded for nailing his target.

 

[Lord of the Wings]

Slow spud........the end

 

[bc27]

This guys role epitomises what Dimma Hardwick has done to this team lately.

He is stuck half between a midfielder and a forwrd and right now is in no man’s land in terms of his role in this team.

 

[juss]

Yep, he's another having no influence and just looks to have a role of running hard that requires no football skill or talent. Then when we actually need some midfielders to win some ball and play good attacking footy he's not up to it.

 

[Tomnat Tigers]

He has played exclusively in the role that Castagna has previously played the last two weeks. Once again comparing forwards output with a midfielders output. Swear some of you don't pay attention outside of where the ball is.

 

[cairo tiger]

no impact player

 

[Daka]

I said months ago he hasn't improved, people come at me & bit my head off don't just look at disposal count he has not improved his tackling pressure has also dropped off.

 

[tropicaltiger]

teams roll the dice in the last quarters coz they know we have snails and slow grinders in the side - tarrant, nank, soldo, jackr and

3 mids who have lost or never had any pace graham, cotch and shedda. and when our pressure is on thats good until that last quarter when we get tired. its a problem.