Geelong Cats: Forward Gryan Miers opens up on criticism and his AFL journey ahead of 100th game

All of Gryan Miers' junior coaches tried to change it, and expert commentators gave him a hard time. But the stats show Miers’ unique technique has been very effective.

Gryan Miers opens after his three-year extension. Picture: Getty Images

Gryan Miers is fresh off a three-year contract extension and a career-best disposal tally in a breakout season to date, but things haven’t come easy for the crafty Cat.

Miers has had to overcome intense criticism over his unique kicking style since he was a junior.

As a player standing 178cm, he had to overperform in his draft year to get noticed. Miers led the TAC Cup goalkicking in 2017 with 50 goals for the Geelong Falcons, including seven in a matchwinning grand final display, and still had to wait until pick 57 to have his name called.

And before this year, he had his own fans hurling hate in his direction, with the former Cats whipping boy getting “bashed” despite playing in a thankless small forward.

But reflecting on his journey ahead of his 100-game milestone against Essendon this weekend, the Grovedale product wouldn’t have it any other way.

Gryan Miers celebrating one of his seven goals in the 2017 TAC Cup grand final. Picture: Getty Images

Gryan Miers will play his 100th game this week. Picture: Getty Images

“(I’m) very lucky to be where I am and the people that are around me and everything has gone pretty smoothly from the day I’ve been drafted,” Miers said.

“Geelong boy, very happy, it’s a fantastic place to be. I think that was one decision that, if they didn’t want me who knows, I could have just ended up back at Grovedale, so very happy here.

“You do hear (the criticism), I think players lie if they don’t hear anything like that.

“It obviously wasn’t ideal getting bashed for just trying to play but it also helped me become stronger as a player and to right now I’m currently getting praise – I’m blocking that out too. You’ve gotta deal with what’s right for the team and try to win each week.”

KICKING CRITICISM

Despite plenty of Miers’ coaches – and some commentators – telling Miers to change his kicking action, he is currently the No.1 score assist player with 2.6 per game, regularly delivering dimes to his teammates inside 50.

What has changed is his focus since the arrival of Jeremy Cameron and Tyson Stengle, with Miers now playing an unselfish forward role where goals aren’t an expectation.

“I think every single coach until even my first year here said ‘change it, what are you doing, why are you doing that’ so the longer they see it, spend time with me or know why I’m doing it they seem to understand. There are definitely kicks I get wrong as every player does and I shank a few like every player does but I know it’s worked for me and got me where I am today,” Miers said.

“It’s not as such a new role (this year), it’s more just the continuity that we have had in our forward line now for a year. A couple of years ago I was more of a goalkicking forward that was needed in our team, we recruit Jezza Cameron and Tyson Stengle and I think I found out that I don’t need to do that and I can do other things, so I work on other sides of my game.”

Gryan Miers kicking has become his biggest stretngth. Picture: Getty Images

Miers’ mentor at the Geelong Falcons, renowned talent manager Michael Turner Michael Turner said Miers has exceeded his expectations since he joined the Cats and conceded he wasn’t sure he would get picked up before his stellar TAC Cup finals series back in 2017

Turner said Miers has now become an “elite” footballer”, labelling the early criticism from commentators over his kicking as harsh.

“I wasn’t sure if he’d get drafted before the finals but a little like (former Swan) Amon Buchanan back in his day, he had a really good finals series,” Turner said.

“Numbers are sometimes important but you just need the opportunity and with him I know he’d worked really hard. He’s a good kid, he’s worked on his game and you know all the experts started knocking him because of his kicking – Garry Lyon in particular gave him a pretty hard time I thought for a young kid.

“We thought his kicking was effective and at 18 you don’t want to be mucking around with people’s kicking – as long as it is effective, you let it go.

“His goalkicking was extraordinary for us… but what has really improved – and I watched him pretty closely on the weekend. His game has developed, he’s got a really elite kicking game and chip kicking game.

“He does assist a lot of goals and I would use the word now that he has become an elite player for Geelong.

“Has he become better than I thought he would? Yes he has, and I give him full credit for that… Gryan has certainly achieved more than what I would have probably expected, definitely more than I expected when he got drafted.”

Gryan Miers has exceeded expectations during his time at the Cats. Picture: Getty Images

HELP ALONG THE WAY

Miers said the support of his father David – “the OG” – and past and present assistant coaches Shane O’Bree, Corey Enright, Nigel Lappin and Shannon Byrnes who have helped mould him into the player he is today.

He said O’Bree gave him with some tough constructive criticism in his first season which helped him grow.

And being under the little master’s wing for his first few years at the club was invaluable.

“First credit to my Dad, because he is the OG in that department. Then along the way Shane O’Bree in my first year of VFL, spent so much time with him. Hard conversations which I loved because I wasn’t going great in my first year but he was just honest with me instead of buttering me up as some coaches do,” Miers said.

“To get to play with Gary Ablett the first few years, both the patterns and the professionalism he played with help me learn.

But while plenty has changed for Miers over the journey, he is adamant those dreadlocks are a thing of the past.

“Happily done, we had some vision of last year’s games when I had them and I’m just shocked at what I look like so. I don’t think they’ll be back, that’s parked and that’s gone in the past,” he laughed.

Originally published as Geelong Cats: Forward Gryan Miers opens up on criticism and his AFL journey ahead of 100th game