Retired Jason Blake

[Kildonan]

Pos Number Player       Age    Games    Price          2009            2008            2007       
                        DT      SC       Played DT Avg    SC Avg    Played    DT Avg     SC Avg    Played    DT Avg     SC Avg
DEF 27 BLAKE, Jason    29    161    $320,600 $400,500 25    72.9    75.4    23    59.7    67.8    22    54.3    58.5

 

[Squizz]

Article on Blakey - not a bad read.

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/...he-goods-on-swans-superman-20100324-qwuh.html

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Jason Blake in action.

 

[bubblegoose]

I love that Jas came back and started to work really hard around at his game after GT was sacrificing him in the ruck. Geez he copped his far whack in those years - & usually rightly so. I still hold my breath a bit when you see him jostling one out in the oppo's forward line. Heart as big as Pharlap though!

Here's an article I was going to quote from, but I'll just off to it: http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/saints-versatile-veteran-could-have-the-goods-on-swans-superman-20100324-qwuh.html?skin=text-only
"If Adam Goodes is Sydney's superman, then Jason Blake might just be St Kilda's kryptonite."

Unrelated but a friend's FB status: "I'm not normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman!"

 

[Squizz]

http://www.saints.com.au/season2010/news/newsarticle/tabid/5315/newsid/93328/default.aspx

Playing in his eleventh season for the Saints.

He has managed to balance his time to be able to complete a degree in Civil Engineering. Taking him 10 years to finish.

“I’m set to pick up one of the key forwards tomorrow night, whether that is Nick Hahn, Barry Hall or Robert Murphy.”

 

[SaintsSeptember]

No mean feat.
An Engineering degree normally takes four years full time, ( mine took 5 ).
It's not one of the easier degree's either.

 

[stkildathunda]

The reliable and durable Jason Blake



Jason Blake was picked by St Kilda with the No. 24 selection in the 1999 National Draft and was 189 centimetres tall and weighed 87 kilograms when he was drafted as an 18 year old from Beaumaris and the Prahran Under-18s. Blake was recruited as a mobile defender, his strengths were his reading of the play and his leap. The profile for Blake in AFL 2000 said “Made the All-Australian team after the AFL National Under-18 Championships and was also named in the TAC Cup team of the year. Also played three games for Melbourne Reserves.”1


Blake commenced the 2000 season in the VFL and made his AFL debut in Round 9 against the Western Bulldogs. Blake had 16 possessions, laid 4 tackles and kicked a goal, despite leading by 31 points at three quarter time St Kilda were outscored six goals to one in the last quarter and lost by a point. Blake remained in the AFL side until he was dropped in Round 22 so he could qualify for the VFL finals. In 2000 Blake had an impressive debut season being used primarily as a defender and played 13 matches averaging 4.8 kicks, 4.9 handballs and 2.7 marks per game.

Read More: http://truesainters.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/the-reliable-and-durable-jason-blake/

 

[goodie23]

Apparently Blake is still yet to poll his first Brownlow vote. If he strikes out again this year he'll have the record for most games played without a vote.

Bit surprising, thought he would've polled for that game in Hobart where he used Sandilands as a stepladder all day.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

I thought he would have got one in that game against the Hawks 2008.

 

[Fehring]

Who cares. He was fantastic on Saturday night. Four quarters to go for a reward far better than a Brownlow. He's had another great year for us.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Re: 2011 Player Reviews

#27 Jason "Neil" Blake

A very slow beginning to 2011 for the Swiss Army Knife. Many argue Blake helped to cough up the points in the season opener against the Cats with a costly play on error that resulted in the winning goal with 19 seconds remaining. Blake was in and out of the side during 2011 playing a total of 12 games. He sustained a heavy knee injury in a friendly fire clash with Sean Dempster in the dying minutes of the Round 10 match against Fremantle. Ironically Blake didn't come back into the senior side until the return bout with Freo in Round 20. He was superb in amassing 27 possessions and taking 10 marks with many thinking he was unlucky not to register his first Brownlow vote. He remained in the team for the rest of the year and was very serviceable and was one of the few who could hold his head high in the losing EF effort against Sydney in taking 9 marks along with 14 kicks and 4 handballs. Blake will go again in 2012 and will be handy support for a weak ruck division and an experienced head down back as well as providing an excellent example of what is required to play at the highest level every week.

 

[stkildathunda]

Re: 2011 Player Reviews

Oops, sorry didnt realize you were doing one on Blakey Guide....


JASON BLAKE

Over the years, Jason Blake has been a quiet achiever, taking on a number of roles and positions within the team. 2011 was no different.

After receiving the honour of Life Membership at this years AGM, Blake set upon playing his 12th year with the Saints. Best known as a utility and a major part of the best backlines over the past couple of years, Blake was once again ready to tackle both big and small forwards. He also assisted in the ruck when required and had small cameos in the forward line.

While in 2010 he did not miss a game, this year provided a somewhat different season for him. He played only 12 games this season and spent some weeks in the VFL or on the sidelines recovering from a niggly knee.

He has yet to poll a brownlow vote throughout his career, despite finishing 5th in the AFL for marks and having a BOG against Freo with 27 disposals. He now holds the record for the most games played without receiving a vote (199 at the end of 2011).

Stats:
Games: 12
Kicks: 73
Marks: 50
Handballs: 77
Tackles: 32
Hitouts: 49
Goals: 2

2012 promises to be another interesting year for Blake. With age and bad knees not on his side, it could be his last. But with his ability to be so versatile this may be his saving grace. As always, the quiet achiever will give his all to the Club and will continue to be an excellent player for us.

 

[goodie23]

The man needs a Brownlow vote before he retires. How can we make that happen?

Maybe a start would be to give him a gig in the guts against WS (what's so great about them anyway?)

 

[Squizz]

Jason “Neil” Blake #27

Blakey’s 2012 season started awkwardly - stuck on 199 games, and needing to be delisted (and then re-drafted) to accommodate the move of Kosi onto the veterans list.

His 200th was spoiled by a relatively poor team performance against Port (Blake had 15 possessions, 8 marks, and a team high of nine 1%’s).

He showed good form in the early part of the year, but was called up to assume ruck duties following injuries to McEvoy (at training after round 5) and Stanley (in round 8).

His ability to step up and assume the role brought adulation from within the club (and external calls for his first Brownlow votes).

Blake "It's one of those things (not getting a Brownlow vote). It's certainly not a focus and as long as I can play my role within the team and win the respect of my peers and Saints supporters I'm happy."

Various comments from Watters:

"He shouldn't be able to do it, it's his heart that gets him across the line.”

"You sort of run out of the right type of commentary when you talk about Jason because he shouldn't be able to compete the way he competes."

''Years ago, he would have been described as a great clubman. 'He is the perfect example of a selfless team player. His passion for the club and his teammates is enormous.''

''Different players have different talents. Jason's strongest attribute might just be his capacity to adapt, show versatility and find a way to compete. He is an extremely competitive and very focused player who maintains composure no matter what the challenge is. He stays on task.''

“I have sung Blakey’s praises a number of times. He is an outstanding club man. Maybe it’s a challenge for Ben McEvoy to have a look at what Jason Blake has done over the last three or four weeks and elevate his performance as a ruckman and carry the ruck stocks.

Unfortunately Blakey’s season took another turn - this time his ankle in round 14.

Whilst initial scans indicated a high-level ankle sprain, he ended up having surgery. “Jason had a syndesmosis injury to the ankle; which is the ligament between the fibula and the tibia. This needed to be repaired surgically to restore normal function,” High Performance Manager Peter Burge.

Blake played out the season in the VFL (3 games), but indicated that he wanted to continue. “I still have a passion for the game and my body’s feeling good, before the injury I thought I was going pretty well so taking those things into consideration I hear it’s a long time retired so I’ll have to, sit down and go through those things.”

After the Saints were unsuccessful in finding a proven AFL defender in the trade period, the club had no hesitation in signing Blake.

Watters "But we've been able to inform him today that he'll remain on the list and he'll have a key role to play next year.”

Blakey averaged 14.2 possessions in his 13 AFL games in 2012, along with 4.6 marks, 3.1 tackles and 7.2 hitouts.

Probably the most telling stat was that, despite the limited number of games, he ranked third in total 1%’ers.

 

[aussierulesrules]

a nice article about Blake

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-02-27/the-call-that-saved-a-career

 

[Kildonan]

DoB: 15/03/81 Height: 191cm Weight: 91kg
Recruited from Prahran FC with pick #24 in the 1999 draft
Not blessed with serious talent or much acceleration, Blake worked hard on what he could offer. He made a career out of doing whatever was required to get a game. Blake wasn’t able to establish a specialist position or role; he became a utility who was not regarded as great at any one position but capable of playing almost any role that was required by the coach. He was very well liked and always regarded as one of the fittest players at the club. He played roles that were basically band aids over gaping holes in the St Kilda list. He played 13 matches in his debut season but wasn’t fully established until 2007 (his first full season) in which he passed his 100 match milestone.
Grant Thomas was Blake’s third coach and he famously didn’t regard specialist ruckmen highly (although this was a bit of a misunderstanding as Thomas actually highly valued ruckmen who contributed strongly in other areas and strove to lure Dean Cox to the club). Between 2003 and 2006 Blake and to a lesser extent “Goose” Maguire were called upon to carry much of the ruck load for the club. Blake was called upon to play as both a [short] ruckman and a [tall] midfielder and did neither particularly well. Two subsequent coaches also called upon Blake to help out in the ruck. One match comes to mind where he was pitted against Aaron Sandilands and to our great amusement he took the honours that day.
After the 2006 season St Kilda recruited Michael Gardiner and Matthew Clarke to assist Michael Rix in the ruck. In 2007 Blake was reborn as a defender. He played every match and finished in the top ten of the best and fairest for the first time. From 2007 to 2010 he played in 96 of 98 matches featuring in the top 10 B&F each year.
At the end of the 2011 season Blake was delisted and redrafted. He did this to help the club (to comply with draft rule obligations) and has been applauded as a great clubman since.
Blake played his 200th match Round 1 2012, totalling 13 for the year, then played just 7 matches in his final season: 2013. Interestingly he played in 3 wins out of those seven matches. His career spanned 14 years and he played a total of 219 matches. He holds the unenviable record of most number of matches without a Brownlow medal vote, an undeserved slight upon his name. Fans could name several matches where he deserved at least a vote. His first Brownlow vote was awarded in his 210th game for the club (194th home and away match) in his thirteenth season.


Jason Blake’s last four matches for the club showed that he could still contribute. I had him in the votes for two of those four matches [in the BigFooty St Kilda board Best and fairest votes threads].