Croweater Jack Graham’s amazing ride from draft day slider to youngest player in the grand final
HE was the draft day slider who will be the youngest player in Saturday’s AFL grand final going into battle against the side he grew up supporting.
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HE WAS the draft day slider who once had a Dustin Martin haircut and will be the youngest player in Saturday’s AFL grand final going into battle against the side he grew up supporting.
Welcome to the complicated world of tenacious Tiger Jack Graham.
The former SA under-18 captain has fought back from serious injury and the shock and disappointment of having the second-biggest draft fall in a decade by a Larke Medallist — awarded to the best division one player at the AFL under-18 championships — to realise a childhood dream in just his fifth AFL game.
“To play in an AFL grand final is a dream come true,’’ said Graham, 19, who grew up barracking for the Crows and modelling his game on their star midfielder Rory Sloane.
“To be in this position now, I do have to pinch myself.’’
Powerfully-built onballer Graham, a product of SANFL club North Adelaide, slipped to No. 53 at last year’s national draft after eight of the previous 10 Larke Medallists had been selected in the top four. Only West Coast’s Dom Sheed (No. 11 in 2013) and former Western Bulldog Andrew Hooper (No. 35 at the 2009 rookie draft) fell outside the top four.
But Graham — renowned as a natural leader of men and powerful midfield force — kept waiting and waiting until Richmond finally called his name.
Ten months later he will be playing in the biggest game on the AFL calendar.
“It was pretty frustrating and a bit disappointing at the time but you just never know with the draft,’’ Graham told The Advertiser.
“One of my best mates Jonty Scharenberg (from Glenelg) was unfortunate to not get drafted at all so you never know what might happen. In the end I was just lucky enough to get drafted and when you get to a club it doesn't matter what pick you are, you just have to try to make the most of the opportunity you have been given.
“My draft number never gets mentioned at Richmond. I'm just a Richmond player who is motivated to help our team get a result each week.’’
Graham — the son of former West Torrens and Woodville-West Torrens utility Jeff Graham — took until round 22 against Fremantle to make his AFL debut after missing three months at the start of the season following a training mishap when he broke his ankle in a tackle by teammate Ben Griffiths.
“It was a pretty scary start to my (AFL) career,’’ he said.
STRONG VFL form was rewarded with an AFL debut against the Dockers in Perth five weeks ago and Graham hasn’t looked back, playing four consecutive games, including two finals, and failing to taste defeat. He has averaged 13.5 disposals and a whopping eight tackles, using his strong 180cm, 83kg physique to great effect.
“Damien (coach Damien Hardwick) has told me just to play my role and be the competitive beast that I got drafted as,’’ Graham said. “He wants me to be physical, to focus on my defence, my workrate and two-way running and understand that my offence will eventually come from that.’’
Graham described pressure as Richmond’s “one-wood’’ and the key to its stunning rise from 13th to a first grand final in 35 years. And he said he “pinches’’ himself when he is in the same centre square line-up as the club’s two Brownlow Medallists — Martin and captain Trent Cotchin.
“It’s pretty unreal because three-to-four years ago me and a couple of mates went to get ‘Dusty’ haircuts — the side of our heads shaved — because we liked him so much,’’ Graham said. “Now to be playing in the same side is a bit surreal, along with Trent because he’s such a great captain on and off the field.’’
GRAHAM’S parents, Jeff and Sue, arrived in Melbourne for the big game midweek while his grandparents, Trevor and Jan, and sister Keeley, 11, drove together yesterday.
“To have Jack play in a grand final in his first season in the AFL is unbelievable,’’ Trevor said.
“We’ll obviously all be supporting Jack but we're Crows supporters from way back so we’ll win either way.’’
As for trying to deny the club he grew up supporting a third premiership, Graham described the situation as “crazy’’.
“I’ve got a few messages from friends telling me they are not sure who they should barrack for — the Crows or me,’’ he said.