Toast Sam "Frodo" Gray

[Holden Hillbilly]

Hang on, does a rookie upgrade count as a draft pick?

Yes.

 

[Nemisis]

Has to be promoted to the senior list now. Form has been sublime.

Yep, never seen a turn around in form quite like Sam's. It says something about 'rewarding SANFL form'.
I have defended him all year for his endeavour but last night he showed star quality that I never thought he had.

 

[Coobk001]

Yes.

Makes it even more interesting. Maybe we only take 2 pics to the draft. I'd be personally very happy to retain most of our list.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

The 2 rookie upgrades are going to be valuable if we trade out picks

 

[Smartys Power]

Had my doubts but he has now proven that he belongs at AFL level. After his last month, he has now got the confidence and understanding that he belongs here and I'm sure now we're going to see the real S. Gray for quite a long time.

 

[Shane_Mag]

Should never be played as a small forward again.

 

[cmpower]

Mitchell delist Sam Gray no2
Or no 18

 

[CrystalFissure]

The fact that he did this while playing Hawthorn is what makes his play so impressive. He made the most of almost every possession. Genuinely great to see from him. So glad he kicked the last goal too. Really the icing on the cake.

 

[Seanybruz]

Never been so wrong in my judgements before about a player before (even though the confident Sammy of the last month is a different beast to the one pigeonholed as a small forward) but more than happy to admit it.

Well played Sammy you've more than earned a place on the senior list next year.

Keeping with the LOTR theme

 

[Lawnchair Larry]

Even before this amazing Genesis, when he was really struggling with his disposal skills, there was this, "You fcuk it, you fix it", mentality about him.
It gave me some hope that he might develop into something more than an error prone laggard on the road to ultimately being expunged from the squad. A mistake was followed by a real effort to recover the situation.
Calls for anyone to be delisted after a handful of games need to be strenuously rebuffed. That's the education we as supporters need to pick up on.
P.S. Do not delist Young. There is a real talent there too, albeit without the miraculous transition of Sam Gray.

 

[Duck Farmer]

I was wrong. When played in position he's proven himself to be an AFL quality midfielder. Would be happy for him to sign his contract extension tonight.

Me too, but in my defence I judged him when our gameplan was structured around him as the stay-at-home forward while banging long balls in his general direction into 3-on-1 contests.

 

[Dalphonso]

He has certainly surprised most off us "experts" on here who thought he should never play for Port again especially after that game when he was kicking to voices out in the crowd. Unless a major injury it looks like both him and Krak should be upgraded next season.

 

[tribey]

Just watching the 'play, he didn't just get a shitload of ball (which will obviously be harder with extra attention), he laid out Gibson with a fair shepherd, ran hard and fast to present an option all night and used it unbelievably well at high tempo.

You'd think he was playing the Shoes just opposite the Collonades Focus Video at Shoebiaco.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Just watching the 'play, he didn't just get a shitload of ball (which will obviously be harder with extra attention), he laid out Gibson with a fair shepherd, ran hard and fast to present an option all night and used it unbelievably well at high tempo.

You'd think he was playing the Shoes just opposite the Collonades Focus Video at Shoebiaco.

Set up Matty White's goal with a good shepherd too.

 

[ClintEastwood]

 

[Janus]

The difference between Gray and guys like Moore/Young is that Sam is prepared to do the unrewarded running and team things to facilitate his teammates clearing the ball easier instead of gravitating toward it hoping for a cheap stat. I didn't notice one time during the whole game when I thought he was asking for the ball in a poor position but rather made sure he was in a good one so that when he received the ball he did something good with it. And that fed into the confidence of his teammates in him to do the right thing.

And when he starts getting attention, he'll willingly sacrifice his game and still do that unrewarded running so the guys that are freed up (Ebert, Hartlett etc) have the space and time to operate and make good decisions. He doesn't need to be the flag on top of the mast all the time.

That's a team player. A Port Adelaide player.

 

[Dylan8]

As if Moore doesn't do the team things. There has been many an instance, even at AFL level, where his work has significantly helped the likes of Boak get free at clearances.

Alas, he's first in line to be delisted. I wouldn't be surprised if Young was too.

 

[cmpower]

Yeah, the one thing you can't knock Moore for is not doing the team things. Unfortunately 'the team things' are pretty much the only thing he does.

Moore is gawn, trade or delist. Young's 2016 contract will probably save him, although his 13 disposal 0 goal game today won't do him any favours.

Neither will him burning half his disposals

 

[Janus]

As if Moore doesn't do the team things. There has been many an instance, even at AFL level, where his work has significantly helped the likes of Boak get free at clearances.

Alas, he's first in line to be delisted. I wouldn't be surprised if Young was too.

I didn't say he doesn't do the team things. I said Gray does the unrewarded running AND team things. It's no coincidence that once we play a player that is prepared to gut run all day in the midfield suddenly guys like R. Gray and Boak have better games. It's one thing to help them get free at clearances, but if you're not also running hard to provide an option so they can use that freedom, it's all pointless.

 

[Dylan8]

Well any way you frame it it's still in your post lol. At any rate, I think it's more down to Gray simply adjusting to the AFL midfield faster than Moore and Young, somehow. Those two always tend to look out of place.

 

[Seanybruz]

 

[achee acheeman]

Achee ...and now sam gray...

What a freakin midfield we could assemble simply by have these 2 come through..

 

[proman_x]

Great effort from Sam. My understanding is his mum is a diehard fan of our great club. She must be absolutely stoked with his effort!

Hope he blooms into a champ and handles the pressure.

 

[Powerstufff]

.... he'll willingly sacrifice his game and still do that unrewarded running ....

Thank you, you are exactly right there. He works to make sure his teammates have support and options.
I went to the Melbourne game in Alice Springs and loved his game. He ran and ran and ran, providing leads or shepherds that didn't generate stats but pressured Melbourne and freed up his teammates. By the 4th quarter he was exhausted and began getting caught, but the game was won by then.
When I got home he was copping vitriol on BF and I couldn't think why. Of course when I watched the replay Taylor and Richardson had just ignored him and blathered on for whole passages of play he was involved in. Until the 4th quarter when they delighted in the negative stuff.
I've been a Sammy fan from the beginning but that was the game that I knew he was going to make it.

 

[Powerstufff]

..... My understanding is his mum is a diehard fan of our great club ....

She is part of the Cheer Squad and goes to banner making. Sammy's parents have 3 sons at Port (Tommy Gray played with the Maggies again today) so no surprise she is a Port fan.