Jason Gram

[Ricky_15]

Hey everyone

just wanted to ask you all a question. Jason Gram had a ripper year last year and was one of your best players and generated alot of exciting plays running off half back which led to numerous amounts of goals.

This has not happened this year at all. Ive been to afew of your games this year and am i the only one noticing that gram is now playing as an actual defender and a player that is given a job on small forwards with the intent to shut them down completely and stick right on him the whole game.

From what ive seen Lyon isnt using him to the best of his abilities.
Dont know if this has been mentioned before ( sorry if it has)

what are your thoughts?

 

[Squizz]

Grammy's been mentioned in passing by most on Big Footy.

Hasn't been getting the numbers of previous year, and kicking is a little off.

But is still contributing and carries the ball when he gets it.

Think the opposition is paying him much more attention, and not letting his rebound. Gram (with Sam F) is the sort of player we need to give to and block for.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Got the Tuck medal in the NAB cup win.

 

[mg07]

lyons stop start sydney style game plan doesnt suit or allow the free run of gram let alone any of the backs eg sammy f. im not sure what ross wants to do about getting it out of the back line but the teams that are winning are running it out instead of spotting up targets. not sure if ross is trying to start a new trend, i believe we have the pace to play a bulldogs, cats type game but please correct me if im wrong.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

lyons stop start sydney style game plan doesnt suit or allow the free run of gram let alone any of the backs eg sammy f. im not sure what ross wants to do about getting it out of the back line but the teams that are winning are running it out instead of spotting up targets. not sure if ross is trying to start a new trend, i believe we have the pace to play a bulldogs, cats type game but please correct me if im wrong.

Completely agree. Gram and Sam F are both capable of making terrific headway up the ground. Sam in particuar can combine good run with a thumping big ( accurage ) kick. Even Gilbert, after a terrific year last year, dosn't seem to be coping with the game plan this year.

 

[mg07]

yeh it seems like someone has got into their heads and told them to hold it up, what it shows is no faith in their own ability to back themselves and run run run with the footy and get it down to our forwards who are struggling because it is coming in so slow!

 

[Darkhour]

I suppose no one at Sydney runs and carries the ball either then..

 

[Feerits Elf]

Very soft player, struggles to lay a tackle or put on a block or shepherd for a teammate. Very unaccountable as a backman. Schooled too much in a basketball background, he is more inclined to throw his hands up in the air and hop about to corral a player than he is to commit to a tackle, get his weight down, aim for the hips and drive someone into the turf. Loves to receive the soft footy and go for a canter but lets himself down with poor decision-making and an awkward kicking style whereby he hangs the ball out far too wide to the right, leading to helicopter punts and floaters into our forward fifty that Stewart Loewe himself would struggle to mark. More often than not, they fall short into the hands of an opposition backman and Gram is caught 50m away from his man on the rebound.

Apart from that, he's having a ripper year.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

I have adopted the #1 on the back of my jumper this year after Sammy Hamill officially called it quits last year.

So far, Grammy has not set the world on fire. No doubt opposition teams have done their homework on him and are trying to draw him out of the play. However he has been doing a few things which would be considered selfish, ie refusing to shepherd or blindly banging the ball into space.

He is definitely a player we need up and firing and is probably one of those rare few on our list that is capable of directly influencing a result with his run from the back half when he's on.

 

[stfan]

Gram had a magnificent 2006 anda good 2007.

However opposition coaches area wake up to him now and have sought to take advantage of his weaknesses. He is poor defensively and they tend to force match ups where he has to be accountable.

They know he is a "runner" and so their players are worded up on him now.


This has been compounded by Gram's disposal this year having declined.

He has been tried further up the ground this year in some games, but so far this has not worked further.

I am hoping that he is just out of form, rather than beinga "one year wonder".

Footy history is littered with players that have a great year or two , but who fall over once their strengths and weaknesses are analysed and strategised against.

With Gram, yes he can run and bounce and kick a long way. Zoning can limit this though.

However:

* his accuracy at goal or in passing is not good.
* spoling skills are almost non existant
* lousy tackler

These alst two mean thata swithched on coach can exploit him down back.

 

[Persevering Saint]

As an indication of the lack of run being given to Sammy (Fish), Grammy, the other Sammy (Gilbert), could one of our statsy posters tell us how many bounces Gram has taken this year? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say not too many. Under the old attacking game plan, Gram had the most bounces in the AFL, charging up the centre from the back line, bouncing 2 or 3 times.

As many have said, this might be because opposition have woken up to him, etc (because backman like him, in a team with midfields like Hayes and Dal, ALWAYS get a tag, don't they...?), but maybe it's to do with the coaching style as well?

 

[Feerits Elf]

Gram has had four bounces for the season and is ranked equal sixth at St Kilda behind Dal Santo (22), X Clarke (20), Montagna (9), Hayes (8) and Milne (5).

David Rodan leads the league with 39.

Incidentally Rhys Palmer is fourth with 30 after 14 against Melbourne.

 

[mettaz14]

Yeah just following on from Ricky_15, how does gram go from 2006 ranked #1 for running bounces in the league, 2nd in the bnf and narrowly missing All australian to selection to this? I expected to see him adopt his same style of gameplay but obviously thats not the case. has ross taken that away from him? i believe thats one of the areas we are lacking at the moment, is that run and carry across half back.

 

[Kildonan]

Name              G  B  Ave/match
Nick Dal Santo    7 22  3.1 
Xavier Clarke     7 20  2.9 
Jarryn Geary      3  4  1.3 
Leigh Montagna    7  9  1.3 
Lenny Hayes       7  8  1.1 
Aaron Fiora       4  4  1.0 
Adam Schneider    4  4  1.0 
Raphael Clarke    4  4  1.0 
Brendon Goddard   5  4  0.8 
Sean Dempster     4  3  0.8 
Stephen Milne     7  5  0.7 
Max Hudghton      6  4  0.7 
Robert Harvey     7  4  0.6 
Jason Gram        7  4  0.6 
Steven Baker      2  1  0.5 
Luke Ball         7  3  0.4 
Sam Fisher        7  3  0.4 
Clinton Jones     3  1  0.3 
Matthew Maguire   4  1  0.2 
Sam Gilbert       5  1  0.2 
Jason Blake       5  1  0.2 
Justin Koschitzke 7  1  0.1 
Shane Birss       2  0  0
David Armitage    3  0  0
Michael Gardiner  3  0  0
Charlie Gardiner  4  0  0
Fraser Gehrig     4  0  0
Steven King       5  0  0 
Leigh Fisher      6  0  0
Nick Riewoldt     7  0  0

 

[ChrisFooty]

Dissapointing year. Sam Gilbert (injured now) was another who was excellent last year, but looks all at sea in 2008. Second year blues?

 

[Embers]

Haha bounces is the most useless stat around. All it shows is that a player has poor decision making really.

Jason Gram is just being tagged now. He will need to deal with it like Lindsay Gilbee has. Hes ruining my dream team though at the present

 

[bomba4eva]

Been poor this season. Will need to lift his output. Important for St Kilda and provides much needed run off half back.

 

[Savatage]

Dissapointing year. Sam Gilbert (injured now) was another who was excellent last year, but looks all at sea in 2008. Second year blues?

Would have to be third year blues!

No, I'd say it's been the adjustment to being an accountable defender that has been Gilbert's issue this year. I have faith.

 

[Squizz]

Gilbo will be one of our better players in a couple of years. Coming from a rugby background, he has struggled a little with being thrown around different roles. His kicking (as with Grammy) has not been as good as it could be, and I think this affects both of them i.e. if you are kicking well you want the ball and everyone wants to give it to you. The reverse can apply if you are shanking them.

 

[paramore]

lyons stop start sydney style game plan doesnt suit or allow the free run of gram let alone any of the backs eg sammy f. im not sure what ross wants to do about getting it out of the back line but the teams that are winning are running it out instead of spotting up targets. not sure if ross is trying to start a new trend, i believe we have the pace to play a bulldogs, cats type game but please correct me if im wrong.

Sydney style game still allows run and carry - eg, Kennelly, Malceski

 

[mg07]

Sydney style game still allows run and carry - eg, Kennelly, Malceski

yes but they are well drilled and no what there doing with it..hence sydney style game..

 

[Fryman]

Grammy would make some decent trade bait at the end of the year. And lets face it, if theres one position we have covered it's the rebounding defender.

I just hope he puts in a better second half of the year so we can ship him out.

 

[makemytime]

Grammy would make some decent trade bait at the end of the year. And lets face it, if theres one position we have covered it's the rebounding defender.

I just hope he puts in a better second half of the year so we can ship him out.

who/ what would you trade him for? what do we need in our list?

Gram = s. fisher basically. gram had a great year last year, faded off this season but will come back

 

[eliiiiza]

Has re-signed for three years.

 

[mick13]

I heard two? Either way, great news for the club...once he gets some form back.