TEARING a muscle off the bone never happens at a good time for a draft prospect. When Jack Graham faced that scenario last November, he had reason to be worried.
A torn quad meant he could complete only two weeks of pre-season training. It threatened to limit the form that he could show recruiters.
"The pressure hit me early. Doing my quad in the pre-season and thinking 'I'm going into my draft year with a quad injury, with not much fitness leading into (the championships), there was a lot of pressure and nerves going into (the season)," Graham said.
He needn't have worried. The South Australian captain at the NAB AFL National Under-18 Championships averaged 25 disposals and six clearances per game to be awarded the Larke Medal for the best player at the carnival, despite his state finishing second behind Vic Metro.
Unfortunately for the inside midfielder, he hadn't seen the last of the injury. He tore his right quad again in early September while playing in North Adelaide's reserves' first final.
"The first (quad injury), because it's the first real injury I've ever done, I was a bit shocked," he said.
"When I did it the second time I thought 'Oh no, is this going to be a continued thing?'"
Clubs have been asking about the quad, as would be expected, and he couldn't do any testing at last week's NAB AFL Draft Combine.
However, Graham won't have to spend much longer on the sidelines. He expects to be kicking in a little more than a week's time and will have been running for about a month by the time he is presumably drafted.
It's a reasonably safe assumption, as he is expected to be picked up in the second or third round.
Assuming the tough nut finds himself at an AFL club, he figures there should be plenty of room for improvement.
"I'm happy with what I could do with the limited pre-season I had, so I'm thinking about what I can do with a full pre-season under my belt," he said.
His impressive form against the pick of the under-18s crop around the country came about because of his competitive attitude.
"I was due it really. I was just hungry to play football, having been out for so long," he said.
The 183cm onballer is known for his hardness, power and ability to win clearances. He wanted to improve his disposal by foot, running and contested marking.
"The short, 45 kick, I think I can bring that more into my game, as I've always gone for a longer kick," he said.
"My (endurance) can always get better, with the work rate and two-way running."
Want more Draft Combine news?
• NAB AFL Draft Combine: latest news and video
• Inside the Combine: the tests and top performers
• Latest draft order: Which picks does your club taking to the draft?
