Player Watch #5 Jack Ross

No talking about the Port game this year over there.
From memory he got dropped after that game.

sorry thought you meant last year when we were missing everyone and he dominated
 
Mar 14, 2009
20,268
19,701
MCG
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Tottenham
I reckon he's porked back on a bit of size from earlier this year when he looked like Christian Bale in The Machinist. Definitely helped his contested game.

Looks like it. His best ability to release the arms free in most tackles and get clean possession away to advantage is back. Was getting caught a bit too much early in the year.
 
Worth mentioning that when Dimma was asked about RCD today he went on to talk up Jack Ross and how well he's been tracking this pre-season and that he looks like he'll be a great player for us going forward.
 

Grrr

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 16, 2009
11,559
26,240
mildura
AFL Club
Richmond
Worth mentioning that when Dimma was asked about RCD today he went on to talk up Jack Ross and how well he's been tracking this pre-season and that he looks like he'll be a great player for us going forward.
Just stumbled on a Jack Ross 1st year highlights again, I think we've forgotten how bloody good he was especially in the first few games. Super impressive, good speed especially over a short distance, great balance, never hurried, and bloody strong, he looks a captain in waiting one day.
 
Just stumbled on a Jack Ross 1st year highlights again, I think we've forgotten how bloody good he was especially in the first few games. Super impressive, good speed especially over a short distance, great balance, never hurried, and bloody strong, he looks a captain in waiting one day.

His debut vs port was amazing, doesnt get talked about enough
 
Oct 2, 2008
8,897
18,482
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Brothers of Destruction
Jack Ross seems like the type that kills it in the gym or on the track, but that dominance doesn't transition on the field.

However, doesn't mean he can't be a hell or a role player.
 

Grrr

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 16, 2009
11,559
26,240
mildura
AFL Club
Richmond
Jack Ross seems like the type that kills it in the gym or on the track, but that dominance doesn't transition on the field.

However, doesn't mean he can't be a hell or a role player.
What about his first and second games, 28 and 27 possessions and it looked about as comfortable as it gets. I think he a gun and a great Cotch replacement, far more upside than Graham who he will be competing with. So much time with the ball, all the class players have it.
 

Marcel Proust

"Oohh WADA ooga booga" {Jul 11 2013}
Sep 6, 2018
29,608
38,560
#BigBigSound
AFL Club
Richmond
What about his first and second games, 28 and 27 possessions and it looked about as comfortable as it gets. I think he a gun and a great Cotch replacement, far more upside than Graham who he will be competing with. So much time with the ball, all the class players have it.

Idk if ross can do the graham hff - playing as an extra mid role?

Graham's pace toughness skills etc. Are already good.

Ross hasn't looked at his best wing/fwd
 
Oct 2, 2008
8,897
18,482
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Brothers of Destruction
What about his first and second games, 28 and 27 possessions and it looked about as comfortable as it gets. I think he a gun and a great Cotch replacement, far more upside than Graham who he will be competing with. So much time with the ball, all the class players have it.
I hope you are right, I want him to become a gun, he has shown glimpses of excellence, but also shown to be completely overwhelmed in the heat of battle. Watching Richmond for 25 years, hoping players develop the ability to play well under immense pressure becomes a difficult ask.

We can't even fathom this young player being a Cotchin replacement. Cotchin is a general, Ross is a soldier.

If Ross csn find a way to impact a game without possession of the ball, he will be a start up 22. He has the fitness level to do this.
 

Grrr

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 16, 2009
11,559
26,240
mildura
AFL Club
Richmond
Idk if ross can do the graham hff - playing as an extra mid role?

Graham's pace toughness skills etc. Are already good.

Ross hasn't looked at his best wing/fwd
Graham 'pace'. He is a gut running monster, but easily our slowest mid. Ross is an accumulator and great distributor and surprisingly quick over short distances, something Graham has never been. He is also tough. Reckon Graham will be right up against it with RCD also in the mix, and both with great preseasons according to Dimma will be plenty fit enough.
 

Marcel Proust

"Oohh WADA ooga booga" {Jul 11 2013}
Sep 6, 2018
29,608
38,560
#BigBigSound
AFL Club
Richmond
Graham 'pace'. He is a gut running monster, but easily our slowest mid. Ross is an accumulator and great distributor and surprisingly quick over short distances, something Graham has never been. He is also tough. Reckon Graham will be right up against it with RCD also in the mix, and both with great preseasons according to Dimma will be plenty fit enough.

There was an article saying graham was the tigers fastest player. Watched him a bit more carefully after that and jack certainly has some toe at times.

Graham is tough too. Also a tackling machine so you might lose some of that if you give his spot to ross?

Ross seemed to lose a bit of momentum when the club told him to lose weight. And doesn't seem as effective outside of the guts.

Not easy to get a run there for the tigers
 

Grrr

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 16, 2009
11,559
26,240
mildura
AFL Club
Richmond
I hope you are right, I want him to become a gun, he has shown glimpses of excellence, but also shown to be completely overwhelmed in the heat of battle. Watching Richmond for 25 years, hoping players develop the ability to play well under immense pressure becomes a difficult ask.

We can't even fathom this young player being a Cotchin replacement. Cotchin is a general, Ross is a soldier.

If Ross csn find a way to impact a game without possession of the ball, he will be a start up 22. He has the fitness level to do this.
Completely overwhelmed? He shows great composure with the ball. He tailed off as he got more heat applied to him for sure in his first year, then got injured, and last year like a lot of young players did not improve, I think due to Covid circumstances.
Not sure what impact without possession means, because he is a noted tackler (watch his highlight and listen to Astbury talk about him). And he sticks his head over the ball. The way he plays and moves reminds me so much of Selwood, but bigger. Ross is no foot soldier.
 

Grrr

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 16, 2009
11,559
26,240
mildura
AFL Club
Richmond
There was an article saying graham was the tigers fastest player. Watched him a bit more carefully after that and jack certainly has some toe at times.

Graham is tough too. Also a tackling machine so you might lose some of that if you give his spot to ross?

Ross seemed to lose a bit of momentum when the club told him to lose weight. And doesn't seem as effective outside of the guts.

Not easy to get a run there for the tigers
Watch the clip of Graham trying to chase down MacIntosh at training last week and he is running up and down on the same spot in comparison. Pace has always been his problem, but eventually he wears them down due to his relentless no pain barrier gut running.

Great tackler no doubt, but Ross is no slouch at it either. Cotchin is a great tackler as well, but more intent on getting the ball, which is far more effective, a combination of both.

Ross is a centre square mid for sure, and maybe he will allow Martin to go forward more, which I reckon will be a good thing. Martin will kick bags if played up forward.
 
Feb 4, 2008
12,967
27,948
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
There was an article saying graham was the tigers fastest player. Watched him a bit more carefully after that and jack certainly has some toe at times.

Graham is tough too. Also a tackling machine so you might lose some of that if you give his spot to ross?

Ross seemed to lose a bit of momentum when the club told him to lose weight. And doesn't seem as effective outside of the guts.

Not easy to get a run there for the tigers

Ross had that shocking foot injury, as did Rioli, and both came back just not quite as damaging. Hopefully the sort of thing that gets better as time goes by.
 

Marcel Proust

"Oohh WADA ooga booga" {Jul 11 2013}
Sep 6, 2018
29,608
38,560
#BigBigSound
AFL Club
Richmond
Watch the clip of Graham trying to chase down MacIntosh at training last week and he is running up and down on the same spot in comparison. Pace has always been his problem, but eventually he wears them down due to his relentless no pain barrier gut running.

Great tackler no doubt, but Ross is no slouch at it either. Cotchin is a great tackler as well, but more intent on getting the ball, which is far more effective, a combination of both.

Ross is a centre square mid for sure, and maybe he will allow Martin to go forward more, which I reckon will be a good thing. Martin will kick bags if played up forward.

#caddyshack
View attachment 970855

Apparently the quickest tigers player recorded in 2020. Plus 34k..

Graham's surprising speed / fitness/ hardness and tackling etc. is important

If you look at the heat map he essentially plays as the extra mid iirc.

Maybe ross takes that spot but idk
 

Grrr

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 16, 2009
11,559
26,240
mildura
AFL Club
Richmond
#caddyshack
View attachment 970855

Apparently the quickest tigers player recorded in 2020. Plus 34k..

Graham's surprising speed / fitness/ hardness and tackling etc. is important

If you look at the heat map he essentially plays as the extra mid iirc.

Maybe ross takes that spot but idk
I can't believe that 34k stat. That is Markov/Menadue speed. Never once seen him show someone a clean set of heels.
Agree completely on his hardness and fitness, but he averages only 15 disposals. His gets games pretty well due to those defensive qualities.

If another player comes along that goes through the middle with more attributes like Bolton, then they leapfrog players like Graham. He was dropped for quite a few games from memory last season, so he is no walk up. He responded well and had a good last part of the year.

But if Ross and RCD come in and can do the defensive stuff and play a more rounded game, then I think Graham will have to play for his spot again. He is obviously the weakest link in that midfield of Martin, Cotchin, Edwards, Prestia and now Bolton, which is no slight on him, champioin midfield, but it makes it hard. Caddy faced and faces the same situation, again, it his lack of pace that makes him a player on the periphery these days. Higgins the same.
 

Grrr

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 16, 2009
11,559
26,240
mildura
AFL Club
Richmond
#caddyshack
View attachment 970855

Apparently the quickest tigers player recorded in 2020. Plus 34k..

Graham's surprising speed / fitness/ hardness and tackling etc. is important

If you look at the heat map he essentially plays as the extra mid iirc.

Maybe ross takes that spot but idk
Reckon Graham plays his best footy at half forward like Lambert. Same sort of gut runner, both cover enormous territory and both know where the goals are.
 
Jul 3, 2008
10,972
19,377
eastern-most tiger in the nation
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Abers
I hope you are right, I want him to become a gun, he has shown glimpses of excellence, but also shown to be completely overwhelmed in the heat of battle. Watching Richmond for 25 years, hoping players develop the ability to play well under immense pressure becomes a difficult ask.

We can't even fathom this young player being a Cotchin replacement. Cotchin is a general, Ross is a soldier.

If Ross csn find a way to impact a game without possession of the ball, he will be a start up 22. He has the fitness level to do this.
I'd be hoping that Ross could play Cotchins position without the captaincy. Develop into the midfield role. That way Ross and Graham play.
 
What about his first and second games, 28 and 27 possessions and it looked about as comfortable as it gets. I think he a gun and a great Cotch replacement, far more upside than Graham who he will be competing with. So much time with the ball, all the class players have it.

I see Graham as well in advance of Ross. Graham is probably the best defensive mid in the AFL. And he is really starting to get possessions as well. Plus he can score.

Ross is more your standard inside mid - accumulator.

I want both, why not both?
 
Jack Ross seems like the type that kills it in the gym or on the track, but that dominance doesn't transition on the field.

However, doesn't mean he can't be a hell or a role player.
Jack Ross is 20 years of age, trying to fit into a side thats won 3 of the last 4 flags and could easily have won them all. He will be fine, big future
 

Grrr

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 16, 2009
11,559
26,240
mildura
AFL Club
Richmond
I see Graham as well in advance of Ross. Graham is probably the best defensive mid in the AFL. And he is really starting to get possessions as well. Plus he can score.

Ross is more your standard inside mid - accumulator.

I want both, why not both?
Reckon he will close the gap big time this season. This is the problem with being such a dominant side, and not really starting to see some falling with age from many players, how to fit them in. Ross and RCD will have to be given games this year, at times in front of players who don't deserve to be dropped. If not they will be gone. Both of them could be stars, and you'll never know how good they will be until you have a real good look at them.

I see Ross very much like Prestia who I rate as about a top 10 mid in the league. An accumulator, but one who uses the ball so well, you make it sound so vanilla. Ross accumulates but stands up in tackles because he is so strong and distributes the ball with his head very still, picks attacking options and rarely seems hurried. Graham gets most of his ball running at top speed, linking, moving the ball on, as I mentioned before, a bit like Lambert. Two very different players. Graham is a very good defensive mid, whatever that really means because it seems a category almost for him, other than taggers. Name another quality defensive mid. Give me an attacking one any day, provided they can do both, He hit good form at the end of the year and if he can keep that up then he will be hard to displace.
Reckon RCD will be a bigger threat to Graham, because he likes the tough stuff as well and is a big aggressive player with great speed. Could be unstoppable one day.

Graham finished the season very well, and was a lot more attacking. He is only young so he is far from fully developed as a player, so you may be right. But until the last part of the season, I have always considered him to be pretty limited, Grand Final 2017 aside!
 
Back