No regrets as Tiger emerges from out of the BlueMatt Murnane
The Age
May 26, 2012THOSE Richmond supporters who thought Shaun Grigg, at best, would be a midfield battler brought in to ride the bumps meant for Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin will be surprised by this statistic: Grigg has had more uncontested possessions this season than any other player in the AFL.
Those Carlton supporters who were happy for him to leave two years ago, thus sparing them another season of watching Grigg ''butcher'' the ball by foot will be surprised by this statistic: Grigg is equal fifth in the AFL for effective kicks this year.
To the man, there's only one set of numbers that matter. Grigg played 43 of a possible 90 games in his four years at Carlton - some missed due to injury, some not. Since crossing to Richmond in 2011, the 24-year-old has played 29 out of a possible 30.
He is becoming the player he always wanted to be - prolific, hard-working, versatile. ''I think it's just the chance to play AFL every week, I really feel at home now,'' Grigg said of his emergence at Punt Road.
''Dimma [coach Damien Hardwick], all the coaches - the midfield coaches Brendon Lade and Danny Daly - have played a massive part in that, and the senior players have instilled a lot of confidence in me as well,'' he said. ''So now I just want to repay those blokes that have backed me and want me in the team. But it's also about maturing. I'm 24 now and it does take time for you to get used to the game and where you fit in.''
In reflection, Grigg - a priority selection (pick 19) in the 2006 draft - explained the rut he was in at Carlton, one he could only dig himself out of, he felt, by uprooting to Richmond in search of more playing opportunities.
''It's a tough game. There are so many highs and lows in AFL that the general public don't see, battling with injury or form or other reasons,'' he said. ''There is a lot that goes on, but at the moment I'm really enjoying my footy and I've got a really good life outside of footy.
''I've always believed I could play regular AFL footy, and once I got the chance, I just wanted to show it.''
But Grigg makes sure to point out that his time at Carlton wasn't always so hard. In fact, it was former Blues assistant coach Robert Harvey who planted the seeds of a game that has blossomed at Tigerland, after Grigg requested and was granted a trade in which ex-Tiger Andrew Collins swapped to Carlton.
The smooth-moving midfielder completed every session this pre-season and, with that as a launching pad, has elevated his game, averaging 27.8 disposals in eight games this year - second at Richmond and up significantly from 21.5 in his last year at Carlton.
The irony of the Grigg-Collins deal is that Grigg, on form, would be close to a walk-up start at Carlton, particularly as Brett Ratten shuffles his team to cover the loss of star midfielder Marc Murphy. But while Blues supporters might ponder the what ifs, Grigg has never once considered what life would be like if he had listened to the pleas of good friend Chris Judd and stayed at Visy Park. ''I have no regrets, and I've never looked back,'' he said.
Grigg is young and part of the youngest team in the AFL, which is still a chance to play finals this year and moving on an upward curve. More importantly, it appears that whatever success the Tigers have this year and in the future, Grigg could play an integral part - if he stays at his current level.
Getting to that level has required hard work. First, to fix what he admits was the major deficiency in his game - his kicking - and second, to find a way to prosper. That has come, as the coaches say, ''on the spread''.
Grigg did not need to be reminded, when he sat down with The Saturday Age this week, that he was No. 1 in the AFL for uncontested possessions, averaging 21 a game.
His teammates let him know every week. ''A few of the boys joke around a bit, saying the other teams don't rate me. They don't want to come near me,'' he said.
The Ballarat boy goes along with the ribbing, even playing up to it by calling himself ''the cheat''.
But the stats are no joke. For the moment at least, no one in the league spreads with more efficiency than Grigg. ''It's one area of the game that I've worked on - spreading from a stoppage and free kicks,'' he said.
''I really pumped out those 10-metre, quick-burst efforts during pre-season. If other boys were doing long runs, I would just focus on the shorter, harder efforts. Our midfield is quality, with [Brett] Deledio, Cotchin, Martin, [Shane] Tuck, [Nathan] Foley … so I'm more than happy to keep flying under the radar.''
Getting so much ball in space has had a direct result on his kicking efficiency - another trick he learnt from dual Brownlow medallist Harvey at Carlton.
Again, the numbers represent reward for effort, with Grigg now going at 77.5 per cent by foot, compared to 64.6 per cent in 2010, the lowest point it sank to at Carlton.
''I really tapped into [Harvey] and his knowledge. He said if you do your hard work early, then you might give yourself that extra metre or two to get a clean kick away,'' he said. ''I've worked on my kicking ever since I was drafted, so I guess I'm seeing the rewards for it now.''
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