Remove this Banner Ad

Delisted Jade Gresham

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

The one, the only...

On April 14, 2015 I acted upon the word of my man grundog49 - whose ridiculously early PD had us taking him at Pick 19... Creepy - and anointed as #MyBoy a small indigenous midfielder from the Northern Knights and South Morang Football Club. Aside from his breathtaking TAC Cup stats, the kid had something, something that said to me this lad is going to be a star.

Then I saw him live rather than on a computer or TV screen, and it was love at first sight. Creative, classy, skilful; the kid was everything we needed in a draftee. His only knock? He was small. Small? So was Skilton... I said to Brett Anderson that this kid was plenty big enough, and IMO a potential Brownlow winner.

Then came the big day, 24 November 2015... The Saints entered the National Draft at Pick 18... I held my breath...

And it happened!

IMG_0418.JPG

Tony Elshaug says:

“Jade played for the Northern Knights. He played in defence last year at 177cm playing on the smaller types. This year he went forward and played in the midfield and had a very good year. Jade went on to be Vic Metro’s most valuable player and showed his quality there at winning the ball consistently setting up the play. He has good pace, good speed, good endurance, making good decisions by right and left hand and foot. He has shown a good capability to kick a goal and he finished off the year strongly as well. He is a very exciting player.”

I was ecstatic.

But this isn't about me, this is about a young fella who hit the ground running in his first season; 18 games including a Round 1 debut at the Adelaide Oval where he joined the coveted 'first kick first goal' club.

2016 Averages:
- 15.3 disposals
- 8.1 kicks
- 7.2 handballs
- 3 tackles
- 2.7 marks
- 0.6 goals

His stats were good without being outstanding, but it was the manner in which they impacted games that held the attention.

Moment 1: Round 10 saw a comfortable win against the abject Dockers at Etihad, but what stood out to many was a spearing 20m handball to space from the Gresh. Composure, class, instinct, it showed them all.

IMG_0419.JPG

Moment 2: Round 12, and an up and about Carlscum at Etihad. The Saints are comfortably strolling to victory when this happens...

giphy-downsized-large.gif


In the sound of Daisy Thomas' snapping ankles, a star is born.

IMG_0420.JPG

Moment 3: Round 14, again at Etihad on a chill Saturday night. The Saints are down by 9 points late in the game against the ladder-leading Cats, when...

giphy.gif


Time stood still... Tom Lonergan certainly did... And the crowd and wider footballing world went absolutely bananas.

It wasn't just the amazing goal itself, not the audacious baulk on 2016 Brownlow medalist Paddy Dangerfield earlier in the game, but the poise and guts shown by an 18yr old in his first season to calmly sidestep a 200-game premiership player, with everything on the line, and calmly slot a goal from the tightest of angles.

Madness.

Along with his 16 possessions and 8 I50s, the Gresh duly won the Rising Star nomination for the week and ended up finishing 6th behind Callum Mills.

IMG_0421.JPG

I'm not sure I've ever been prouder of a Saints draftee than I am of this kid. His number is even on my 2yr old's back.

IMG_0422.JPG

We will look back on 2016 as the 'birth' of a modern great, I have no doubt. Congrats on a fine season Jade.
 
#MyBoy becomes #TheMan...

Gresh inherits famous No. 4

Josh Gabelich - @GabelichJosh
30 November 2016 4:19 PM

Some of the greatest players in the history of St Kilda Football Club have worn the sacred No. 4 guernsey. And now budding star Jade Gresham will join an exclusive clique that includes Tony Lockett, Darrel Baldock, Barry Breen and Andrew Thompson.

After an eye-catching debut season by the 2015 first round pick, Gresham has shuffled down from the No. 22 he wore across 18 games in 2016.

Humbled by the club's decision to allocate him the famous guernsey, Gresham is excited to return to a number he has worn for most of his football life.

“I’m pretty honoured and humbled to be given the No. 4. Some special players have worn it, I’m looking forward to wearing it next year,” Gresham told saints.com.au on Wednesday.

“I’ve worn that number for a lot of my junior career, I wore it at the Northern Knights and I’m just pumped to get the opportunity to wear it again.”

After reporting back for training at the start of November, Gresham has rolled up his sleeves in the early part of the pre-season, where he has already experienced the benefits of added exposure to the program.

“It’s good to be back and being able to do everything now, unlike last year where I was pulled out of drills in my first pre-season, so I’m feeling a lot fitter and stronger. I’m looking to build on that working towards NAB one.

“My focus this pre-season is to just build up my fitness. I’m really trying to get my fitness up by doing extras for conditioning and spending more time in the gym getting stronger.

“By starting a couple of weeks earlier than the five plus boys you get a little bit of a head start to attack the pre-season which is good. You feel like you’re getting fitter each session and just build on that.”

http://m.saints.com.au/news/2016-11-30/gresham-inherits-famous-no-4
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

Started on the ball in the Intra and simply did Gresh things...

IMG_2081.JPG

It's going to be a tumescent year...
 
First genuine edition of #GreshWatch for 2017, and it was a ripper.

Held back until after half time to give Port a fighting chance, the Gresh entered the fray when the men in teal decided to pull their fingers out.

8 disposals in only limited game time, and every damn one of them contested, plus 5 tackles and 3 I50s against a Port midfield boasting Boak and Wines is nothing to sneeze at.

IMG_2225.jpg

The Jade Gresham Midfield Experience is go. :thumbsu:



*thanks to dsav for the shot.
 
13 touches, 3 tackles and a goal in what was - let's be honest - a pretty forgettable match against the Paperbaggers.

IMG_2399.JPG

There will be sterner tests.
 
Last edited:

Remove this Banner Ad

Not quite the runout Gresh might have hoped for, but monster tackles on JPK and Buddy were highlights.

IMG_2398.JPG

15 touches, 2 marks and a solid 6 tackles are statistically decent, but 0.3 in front of goal was disappointing.

8 score involvements and 2 clearances says he was busy without being up to his usual classy standard.
 
12 disposals at 91%, 6 score involvements, 4 marks, a tackle and 3 goals to be one of our best in what was a pretty abject night for the club.

IMG_2488.JPG

Round 2 probably can't come fast enough.
 
How come his goal of the day wasn't even nominated, close to goal of the year, knocks the ball back in , runs to goals , Membrey picks it up hand balls in hope back to Gresh who knocks it from a taller player , grabs it and kicks it over his head for a goal. Not even nominated, some crappy goal from a drug cheat gets nominated instead, wtf?

At the end of the season he will have his own highlight real, what a player , pure skill , we might not have a Fyfe but we have. Gresham.

Sent via HAL
 
11 disposals, 7 score involvements, 5 marks, 2 I50s, a tackle and a clearance is statistically reasonable from the little champ, on what was a heartbreaking night for the side.

IMG_2589.JPG

The downside was that his 1.3 made him one of the major culprits in our profligacy in front of goal, which was arguably more disappointing than the appalling umpiring display, and the final indignity was a tweaked knee that puts him in a spot of doubt for a must-win clash against Brisbane at Etihad.

A learning experience.
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Another week, another worrying 1.3 in front of goal for side-stepping supremo from Seaford... he's kicked 5.7 at 38% so far this season, but at least he's hitting the scoreboard I guess.

IMG_2632.JPG

That being said, he also registered 17 possessions - a healthy 9 of which (53%) were contested - 6 score involvements, 4 tackles, 4 clearances, 3 I50s and 2 marks, so he was certainly busy.

According to AFL.com.au, the Gresh also had 9 pressure acts and 256m gained, both of which are down right acceptable!

Needs to get his kicking boots on in front of goal, but seems he's relishing a bit of a higher role this year.

Still does at least one Gresh Thing per game regardless.
 
Last edited:
Wher
Barrels said:
Another week, another worrying 1.3 in front of goal for side-stepping supremo from Seaford... he's kicked 5.7 at 38% so far this season, but at least he's hitting the scoreboard I guess.

View attachment 356395

That being said, he also registered 17 possessions - a healthy 9 of which (53%) were contested - 6 score involvements, 4 tackles, 4 clearances, 3 I50s and 2 marks, so he was certainly busy.

According to AFL.com.au, the Gresh also had 9 pressure acts and 256m gained, both of which are down right acceptable!

Needs to get his kicking boots on in front of goal, but seems he's relishing a bit of a higher role this year.

Still does at least one Gresh Thing per game regardless.
Click to expand...
e find a players pressure acts and metres gained
 
Kicked a little better this week with the 1.1, to go with 14 touches (12 kicks!), 4 marks and 4 tackles.

IMG_2687.JPG

Interestingly for such a good user of the ball, he only went at 64% disposal efficiency and resgistered 2 direct turnovers, but had 13 pressure acts and 6 score involvements and 403m gained. Heat map is interesting...

IMG_2686.jpg

Clearly he's playing as a high half forward, which is a pretty spot on role for him at this stage in his development, but only gave one I50.

Did a couple of obligatory Gresh Things.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Delisted Jade Gresham

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top