Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

[Bornadog]

Re: Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

Against popular opinion I feel that Grant can play, he has goal sense and tends to get on the board in the game he plays. I'm not sure we value that ability enough, or we overlook it because his physical profile doesn't match the perception of a white knight KPF.

He's a weird cat. Very laconic. Surly. Not the sort of traits our club and the fans find endearing. We like hard nosed, workman like, honest players of varying ability. He is none of those. Yet, from what I observed last year he was working on a stronger defensive game and a more physically robust attack on the ball. Some weeks the stats reflected it, others the effort either waned or went unrewarded.

Id like to see him end up playing that forward pocket role in a similar vein to Milne at the Saints. Provided the work rate is up and there is a target making something happen he an mop up quite well.

I am with you on this, he isnot a KP player. He has showed us he can play football, he just needs to concentrate for 4 quarters and get involved.

[wimberga]

Re: Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

Whilst Grant does have the talent to be a player for us and we can argue his opportunities all day or all night, the fact is that if he is buying into BMac's mantra, we will find a spot for him. If he isn't, I fear this could be his last year with us.

The fact he has still not got a look in so far this year given our injuries to the forward line suggests that its more than what he is doing on the field. I'm trying to not make any character assumptions on Grant as I have never met nor had any experience with him. What I will say is that I am a firm believer that the culture and beliefs Macca is putting in place will make us a better team, but to be part of that on game day, you have to be part of it every other day too.

[ratsmac]

Re: Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

To me I haven't seen too much from Grant demanding to be a kp player. If that is the position he wants to play, he should play like he is in that position from the pocket. The way teams structure up these days, they virtually start down the spine anyhow.
With the comparison with Grant and Jones, since the departure of Barry Hall Jones has taken the oppositions best defender. This is something that Grant is definitely not up to. If he were, he would of been beating lesser defenders by now. Jones can at least make a contest in a 1 on 1.
Grant is clearly not a KPP imo, but he can be a useful third tall. Until Grant can bring consistency to his game he will be consistently overlooked I'm afraid. Macca likes a certain type of player and body shape and I think Grant doesn't fit the bill.
I'd love to see Grant come on as a quality AFL player, but his time is running out. It's the games where he goes completely missing is why is is still at VFL level.
It's good to see he still has support behind him though.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

Jones looking good so far tonight

[1eyedog]

Re: Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

Jones looking good so far tonight

Really? Flashy yes, good marking yes but his style of play is unsustainable. Sorry but I know most will disagree with me but he will do what he did last night 2-3 times a year, the rest of the time it simply will not work to try to take speccies all night. He needs to lead and position, he used his talent last night to clunk those marks but he has a lot to learn still about how to play a true forwards role before I'm convinced.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

Really? Flashy yes, good marking yes but his style of play is unsustainable. Sorry but I know most will disagree with me but he will do what he did last night 2-3 times a year, the rest of the time it simply will not work to try to take speccies all night. He needs to lead and position, he used his talent last night to clunk those marks but he has a lot to learn still about how to play a true forwards role before I'm convinced.

Your joking? Only thing he needed to improve on last night was his tank.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

I think the Grant situation is symptomatic of the way we have failed to develop players.

The guy has talent - good mark, pace and a pretty decent football brain. His application has been an issue from the start.....remember the Stingray?

I think also that there is a place for him in the team. He offers more I think than Cordy does (and I rate Cordy)as a forward. With Jones beginning to emerge, Murphy playing forward, I would sooner a guy like Grant in the forward line because he is genuinely difficult to match up.

People forget he has played 50 senior games and a fair few of them have been pretty good. He needs to be playing more though and I think that he wont be with us much longer. Shame.

[whythelongface]

Re: Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

I have not seen any improvement from Jones, actually there's a pretty good basis for me to argue that he has regressed from my visual observations. His most important lesson at this stage of his career is positioning and he simply has not grasped this.

I think that Jones has improved significantly this year. The mere fact that he has bagged two lots of four goal games is an improvement in itself, however there are many areas that I believe Jones has improved in, these being:

- forward pressure when he doesn't have the ball;
- his groundwork an example was on Saturday night where he had three Geelong players near the boundary line and managed to force the ball out for a throw in;
- he is starting to lead more towards the ball carrier.

Granted he still has plenty of improvement left in him in particular reading the flight of the ball, however I believe he has improved significantly already this year.

[Mofra]

Re: Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

I think also that there is a place for him in the team. He offers more I think than Cordy does (and I rate Cordy)as a forward. With Jones beginning to emerge, Murphy playing forward, I would sooner a guy like Grant in the forward line because he is genuinely difficult to match up.

TBH I prefer Cordy, simply because Ayce can impact a contest when he doesn't get a possession (which he often does.

Cordy is cake (well, lets be honest - he's batter and has a good 20-30 games before he's really going be an AFL player) but Grant is icing. Cordy allows Roughy to stay at FB and I believe he will make it as an R2 in time. Grant is at the crossroads at Willy.

Interesting that Vez gets so much heat for his lack of tank yet Grant's tank rarely rates a mention.

[EasternWest]

Re: Jarrad Grant - was he ever a chance as a KPP?

Interesting that Vez gets so much heat for his lack of tank yet Grant's tank rarely rates a mention.

I'm not sure that's true. I recall his lack of conditioning being mentioned quite a bit. The difference is that Vez's fitness is appalling for an AFL player.

My own personal opinion is that Grant gets some lenience because he has shown that he can play, whereas Vez, despite obvious talent, has shown nothing.