Jack Graham that is [merged]

[WilliamPowell]

As for the culture it was built and continues to be driven by the many oler players we now have at the club. Losing a few popular players wont chabge that.

Yes, but there are players coming through, the next level of leaders that are and will drive the culture going forward.

Jack Graham is one of those players. Surely the fact that senior players speak of him as a future Captain sort of gives the hint

It is a real shame this year that the Club never announced the future leaders group ... they said they would they never did have no idea why but think you would find one Jack graham would be in that group

Yep, it's odd. Jack is a realist and he hasn't exactly hidden the fact he wouldn't mind going home one day. He's just been overlooked for an Elimination Final due to being sore yet was still an emergency. Next year we'll have Dusty back playing regularly and 2 midfielders who are clearly better footballers coming on board.

I'm sure he's weighing up a bigger role, potential of a good contract and a return to SA. Same way the club will weigh up whether it's worth facilitating a trade.

Whatever happens, it's not going to shatter the club

Interesting you say "he hasn't exactly hidden the fact he wouldn't mind going home one day". Don't recall ever reading or hearing him say that. So would love to know where that "fact" came from

What I'm interested in is what happens if he turns around and says "I'm staying, I don't want to leave"? How will those who clearly want him either gone or have no issue with him going feel them? Will he rise to the top of "whipping boy" rankings?

As I've said I think it would be a mistake for the Club to trade him on a number of levels. But I've also said what will be, will be.

Interesting times ahead

[Tiger Khosh]

You seem to be taking this a bit personally WP for whatever reason. I may be forgetting a post or 2 but I can’t really remember anyone posting anything that suggests they want him gone, just that if he does leave they wouldn’t really have a problem with it. Don’t see why him choosing to stay will change anyones opinion of him. He’s 24 years old and entering the prime of his career so if the expectations of him become a tad higher and the judgements a bit more critical then that’s pretty normal I’d say.

I’m one of those people who have said that I don’t mind if he leaves. Prefer him to stay however if it’s jacks desire to leave and we receive a good and fair trade offer then I’d be ok to do that deal. This is all assuming the club isn’t pushing him out which we don’t have any evidence that they are. I personally would find it hard to believe that the club would be the ones pushing especially if they rate him so highly on and off the field as has been discussed.

Now if it is jacks wish to be traded then I would think holding onto a player who wants to play elsewhere would be worse off culturally then the loss of a player as well regarded as jack is.

Also think this ‘future captain’ talk is being overplayed. If the players wanted him captain they would have voted for him to be so at the start of last season rather than grimes/nank. He was 24 at the start of the season so almost a perfect age to be captain - cotch was 22 when he got the role.

[Hard Roar Tiger]

People on here raved on about the "culture" of the club when we were losing but over the last few years the world hardly ever gets used. Some players are key to a clubs culture and even though I have no inside information I would think Graham is one of those. It's imperative to keep the bond of the playing group close and trading these sorts of guys doesn't help that. Look at what other clubs have copied from us over the last few years, game plan and tightness of the playing group and you can see it's such an important part of success. My vote is to try and keep him if possible. Hope we can do that.

Exactly the point I have been trying to make but clearly haven't as well as this post

HRT, just on your comment shout having Taranto & Hopper over Graham. Understand your point but wouldn't you want a Graham over a Ross, Castagna, Dow?

Yes which is why I am saying I don’t see Hartley wanting Hopper and Taranto without Graham. We want them as an incremental improvement without losing what we already have there.

[georgies31]

https://www.afl.com.au/news/852894

[Assange Tiger 😎]

Well there you go. Hardly seems the club were shopping him and we are all happy to retain him

Bedwetters can calm down now

[Francois Jackson]

 

It’s  been a long time coming but an apology to WP may be forthcoming,

Great news especially as your more likely to get a dud with the pick, as we have in recent years, that port would have given us.

[Tiger Khosh]

What a guy! Look forward to what he can produce next year.

[WilliamPowell]

Chutney 

Good to see that there is still loyalty in footy. And alot in this case can be put down to 2 things.

1/ our Club's culture, the bond between our playing group

2/ the quality of the bloke himself

[Gigantor]

I’ve just finished reading the “Neil Balme” book and in it he spends some time discussing the effect on the Richmond playing group and the whole club in fact had , the transfer of the whale Roberts to south Melbourne as he was the heart and soul of the place. Now I have no idea if Graham goes or stays but knowing Balmy is still there and probably remembering back to those days , he might have had a part to play in this

[Andyy]

Glad he's staying and I hope his pre -injury standard in 2022 can become his minimum in 2023, or better yet go to another level, although at his age with 97 games I suspect this is likely to be his peak output unless he does a Jarryd Lyons.

Good on ya Fridge.

[Damo]

Well there you go. Hardly seems the club were shopping him and we are all happy to retain him

Bedwetters can calm down now

Yep .. the drama queens can chill

And now he’s decided to stay , I’ll ask a question of the panic merchants

If he requested a move to Port , and we honour that request, how on earth would that be impacting on our culture

It’s complete rubbish

It should be the opposite .. we’ve shown we will honour players requests and don’t play hardball

All I wanted was fair value if he left .. somehow that’s frowned upon

People get far too attached to the players .. like Claw said (yep, can’t believe I’m going there), would there be the same mass hysteria if it was Castagna? Not a chance in the world

Graham may be the most fantastic bloke that ever set foot inside Punt Rd , and that might be enough to stretch his value from the B grader he is , to possibly that of a B+

If we received the value of a B+, I would have taken it and ran

The truth is , he will need injuries to get a game .. between Cotchin/Prestia/Hopper, I’m sure the opportunities will come due to injury .. but barring that I can’t see him being best 22, and if he is, it’s by the skin of his teeth

Yet you would think he was a top 5 player with all the panic

[yandb]

Glad he is staying

[Tiger Khosh]

Damo I don’t think he’ll only be getting games due to injury. I think the first half of the season especially there will be a fair bit of ins and outs from week to week while the coaching group try to settle on a 22 that provides the best balance with the 2 giants boys coming in. It’s all about balance and finding players to play a role within the overall game plan. It may end up being that jack is important in providing that balance.

Anyway you may be right be the end of the season but I wouldn’t be shocked in the slightest if he lined up in round 1.

[Damo]

TK , you might be right
He MIGHT sneak into the 20, 21, 22 zone
He wouldn’t be picked ahead of
Prestia
Taranto
Cotchin
Hopper
Martin
Bolton

Won’t be picked on a wing
Won’t be picked as a forward

Can’t see how he’s possibly starting 18

Time will tell .. just my opinion

[Broadsword]

Glad he' staying. I will have a beer to celebrate. Love Graham