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Pick 53: Jack Graham
- Thread starter puregreen
- Start date
you like to turn a phrase without actually saying anythingI’ll lay it out nice and simple.
Jack Graham doesn’t hunt the ball like Cotch and Prestia.
He doesn’t create space for himself like Bolton, Martin and Edwards do.
What Graham does is apply defensive pressure around stoppages. He’s a get the ball back specialist, and that’s fine. Our game plan depends on it.
With ball in hand we break. Like really *smile* break more than anyone in the comp. it’s insane how aggressively we break.
Jack Graham is fine at creating the turnover and running 200m up and down the paddock, but he isn’t bringing the damage like the other mids I’ve mentioned.
If his one wood ain’t working at 100%, if his shoulders are troubling him, if his just OK pace over 15m isn’t quite there, if his pressure rating is slightly off, he ain’t bringin’ much.
He reminds me of Lambert in the sense of seeing a sharp drop off in output if the one wood ain’t working.
This is why he’s been dropped over the past couple of years. When he’s purring he’s best 22, no question. I just don’t want to pay too much opportunity cost in setting up contracts for these good honest soldiers.
Ah.
Well that's all very different to him being slow.
You're also someone who likes to turn a phrase while gently sliding across to a different point when your initial one isn't so pointy.
Graham is critical for his defensive work in tight, and our game plan is more sophisticated than just run and gun.
We also give up the clearance knowing that we can apply enough defensive pressure to dirty it up. And the filthy clearance brings our run and gun players in, post turnover. There's a really important first part of that which involves Jack Graham. It also involves him doing the thing you said he doesn't do, which is catching the guy trying to burst away from a stoppage.
Weirdly, none of that is why I love Jack. I love him in the side because of his composure, and steel. He is one of our best deliverers inside fifty as he can lower his eyes, assess his options, get his balance quickly, and hit a target.
I'd also be picking him to kick a goal for my life.
But I guess he is slow between 5 and 15 metres, so none of that matters.
never said he doesn't tackle guys in a stoppage, never said his good qualities (big, strong, brave, mature, penetrating straight kick) don't matter. but keep peddling distractions if you can't quite nail the argument, eh?
we can agree graham is a good, slow player and leave it at that
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what we have here is a failure to communicate.
I say he is a tackle machine in close, in congestion, in chaos.
I also say he ain’t catching the guy who’s already broken like say a Cotchin or Shai might.
15m ain’t his gig, but you disagree which is legal
You're probably right, in terms of run down.
My point would be that if Jack is there, the guy isn't breaking away in the first place.
Yep. Fridge does the dirty work that forces poor ball use from opposition mids n enables our rebound game to overwhelm sides.
Going to be a massive bonus for us having both Shedda n Presty back in during finals. These two will take a slice of the seasons responsibility off the shoulders of Lamblett, Fridge n Shai. Throw the likes of Dusty, Cotch n Fish around the midfield work as well n that's some kind of scary nightmares for oppo coaches to try n sort out.
refreshing .. less money for a better lifestyle should always win ..
Good group of mates who would die for each other. Once you got that goon’, the flags roll in.
Plus, flags bring all kinds of income over the course of a lifetime
Jack realises he is still in the learning phase of his game and what better place to learn those skills than Punt Road. Short term loss for long term gain
