NOW 24 and with 80 games to his credit, St Kilda's Jason Gram is no longer the shy teenager sitting quietly at team meetings.

But Gram, who arrived from the Brisbane Lions at the end of 2003 with the nickname Humphrey, says he is still a natural introvert.

"Normally I’m pretty quiet," he told saints.com.au. "On-field I think that’s where everyone lets loose.

"So I’ll chat away and do everything to help the team during the game. But off the field I’m a bit more laid-back and listen to what other people have to say.

"If I’ve got something to say I’ll say it, but otherwise I’m probably naturally quiet."

Instead, Gram has led the way with his actions and this season he tops the competition in entries inside 50.

Hoping to set an example for his teammates, Gram is working to improve his leadership skills.

"We want everybody to lead and I’m trying to break out to be a bit more of a leader, whether it be on-field or off-field," he said.

"That is something I need to put a bit more time and effort into and hopefully I can one day be a leader."

With a signature booming kick, Gram is often the Saints' go-to man for a running goal from outside the arc.

He has only managed two from seven scoring shots this season, but said the long goalkicking was a work in progress and he had closely studied other footballers playing his role.

"Last year I would always look at the running half-backs like Heath Shaw and Lindsay Gilbee," he said. "They are really beautiful kicks and I’d be out on the ground thinking about how they’d do things.

"I’ve spoken to (backline coach) Steve Silvagni a fair bit and he’s said all I have to do is try to relax and not try and kick the crap out of it."

Gram has no explanation for St Kilda's superb early-season form, particularly the hard tackling which has earned praise from other corners of the football world.

He said the side's approach to tackling had not come from any extra training over the summer, but rather a determination not to let each other down.

"In our reviews we’ve mentioned that we don’t want to be the person who didn’t get the tackle," he said.

"Everyone’s doing all they can to get a tackle. It’s what we value – our hardness. We want to be the hardest team in the league."

Coach Ross Lyon's plan for midfield depth has seen Gram spend more time in the centre this season but he still expects an occasional return to defence.

St Kilda's backline has been the league's miser, conceding just 198 points in three matches, but Gram said there was still room for Max Hudghton and Matt Maguire – long-time pillars who have had battles with injury.

"Max was nearly an All-Australian last year so you can’t rule him out," he said. "I’m sure when he gets right it is going to be hard to get back in if we keep playing the way we are.

"I’m sure we’ll make room for him and Goose (Maguire) is still putting in a few games in the twos. He is playing well and he’s going to be pushing up soon."