http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/ ... at-saints/
Former South Fremantle captain Jaymie Graham says the horrific knee injury that forced him into retirement ultimately set him on the path to coaching and accepting a new development role at St Kilda.
The 28-year-old yesterday confirmed he would be joining the Saints as part of the remodelled support panel under new coach Scott Watters.
He will work with a new internal development academy for the club's youngsters that Watters will create in one of his first official moves since his appointment.
Graham, who played 37 matches with West Coast in four seasons, had been forced to assess his future in recent months.
He had his leg trapped underneath an opponent playing for the Bulldogs in round seven this year, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament and badly dislocating a kneecap in the sickening incident.
The former Eagle officially retired last month as a result and had intended to become a development coach at South Fremantle along with a senior assistant to John Dimmer before the approach from St Kilda.
Graham said the opportunity had been "unexpected".
He will be allowed to continue his teaching studies under the arrangements, with the move to reunite him with WAFL premiership teammate Clint Jones. "You can't predict what actually happened earlier in the year with my knee injury," Graham said.
"At the time my partner's mother, my mother-in-law, said to me 'you've done it for a reason'.
"I had not really thought about coaching (before then), but I am doing a teaching degree and enjoy working with young adults and especially in the mentoring role.
"This development coaching role is perfectly down my alley. I do want to expand on my coaching experiences and progress those and hopefully one day get into a more senior role, an assistant role and look at being a coach in the future."
Graham met with Watters in Perth last weekend to discuss the offer and only accepted the position on Monday night. The pair has a shared link with the Bulldogs, where Graham played 105 matches and Watters 91.
"I did play under him in the State game and thoroughly enjoyed that experience and obviously he does know my family from many years back," Graham said of Watters.
"My uncle did play at South Fremantle with him, but I didn't know Scotty too well before this weekend.
"But I feel like I've built a strong relationship with him just over this weekend and I'm looking forward to working under him."
