The cruelty of the game

IN many ways the 2019 Richmond premiership was as much about the players who did not play as the ones who did.

For all of the talk about Dustin Martin, Tom Lynch, Trent Cotchin and debutant Marlion Pickett, the Tigers with medals around their necks could only talk about the likes of Jack Graham, Alex Rance, Jack Higgins and Shaun Grigg.

But while the latter three all had time to come to terms with the fact they would not be part of Richmond’s push for another flag in this era, Graham was cruelly struck down with a shoulder injury in last week’s preliminary final victory over Geelong.

The 21-year-old, who played in the grand final two years ago in just his fifth game, was told during the week by Damien Hardwick that the match committee had decided to go with Pickett ahead of him, but he said as difficult as that conversation was he could only smile for his teammates who missed out in 2017.

“It was hard to watch but I was so excited at the same time for the boys,” Graham said.

“Especially the boys who hadn’t had a medal. I was so excited for Jayden Short who missed out in 2017.

“To see him out there today and his smile, it was unbelievable … and Marlion was just incredible today.

“It was like he’s already played 50 games, and he’s going to get better as they go on.

“I’m absolutely rapt for him and his family. Dimma, he made the call and it paid off so it’s a fairytale, really.” Graham spoke to Pickett during the week about what to expect on grand final day, with the pair now forever linked despite never having played with each other.

The tougher conversation for Graham was the one he had with Hardwick, but the South Australian midfielder said he was accepting of the decision that ruled him out.

“I knew once (Hardwick) grabbed me, I said ‘Oh, this can’t really be good,’ because we hadn’t had the main training session,” Graham said.

“It was hard to swallow, but at the same time if there’s a bloke that’s 100 per cent fit and I’m going to be 90 per cent … it’d be silly to pick me and not the fit person so Marlion got his opportunity today and I couldn’t be happier for him.

“It’s been exciting, but also a bit sad at the same time. It was obviously pretty hard to swallow.

“But that’s football and I knew once I’d done it I was always going to be 50-50. In the end that’s football and I can’t be happier with the result today.”