A STINT in the coaches box for West Coast onballer Jack Graham has helped give the dual premiership player a different perspective on the game as he returns from a shoulder injury and looks to reinforce the Eagles' midfield in the final block of the season.

Graham missed 10 weeks after suffering a serious shoulder injury in Gather Round and undergoing surgery, returning against Carlton last Saturday with 23 disposals and seven score involvements in a typically hard-working performance from the blue-collar midfielder.

After playing 18 games in his first season at the Eagles and finishing fourth in the club champion award, the extended period on the sidelines this year was a challenge for the 28-year-old, whose physical presence was crucial early in the season.

However, a game day role in the coaches box sitting alongside head of football John Worsfold and watching for specific role changes and stoppage trends, helped him stay involved and provide support for the club's young players.

"It was good to see the game from up there on another level and then just be able to communicate with the boys at half-time or quarter-time, send out messages, and talk to them on the bench," Graham told AFL.com.au this week.

"That really helped me stay in the game and connected to the boys and how they were feeling.

"It wasn't too formal, I'd just keep an eye on a stoppage or yell out if opposition players were doing switches.

"'Mini' was coaching from the bench the whole time that I was up there, so it was interesting to see how the line coaches come together and deal with different scenarios.

"It gives you just a different perspective of how hard the game is that we play, but you also realise how much time we do have and how you can put yourself under pressure. It's about staying calm and composed, really."

Graham has a long history with shoulder injuries, famously dislocating his right shoulder in the first quarter of the 2019 preliminary final but selflessly playing out the game to help Richmond through to the Grand Final in an effort etched into club folklore.

The 2017 and 2020 premiership player has had both shoulders reconstructed, and feared he was heading for another season-ending surgery this year before receiving comparatively good news and undergoing surgery to reattach his rotator cuff.

"My first thought was 'I'm done again', but once I found out the timeframe, I got to work and tried to push as quickly as I could," Graham said.

"Once I found out it was a 10- to 12-week timeframe, I knew I could try and push that to eight or nine.

"The physio team and the surgeon wouldn't let me play before the bye, even though I thought I was up for it. But it was common sense to gain an extra two weeks of recovery and only miss one more game.

"Obviously, you want to be out there helping the boys, but they've been playing well and we were in some close games. Just to see the growth from last year is really exciting."

As well as his game day role in the coaches box, Graham focused on bringing energy to the group during his recovery, watching vision with young players and doing extra touch sessions with teammates including Bo Allan, Hamish Davis and Milan Murdock.

A member of the Eagles' leadership since his arrival as a free agent at the end of 2024, the 154-gamer said he had a strong relationship with the club's senior players but was also connecting well with the new breed.

"They call me 'unc' because I'm old, but these younger fellas are going to drive the club in the future," Graham said.  

"I've got to keep up with their terminology and they all speak on Snapchat, so I've had to get busier on there. If you send them a text, they won't reply, but if you Snapchat them, they reply within a second.

"It's just how the generation works now, so I'm trying to stay up to date with the younger fellas."

While he might be 'unc' to the Eagles' young stars, an excited Graham will also soon be a dad as he prepares to welcome his first child with wife Jordan in the next fortnight.

Away from football, Graham has also explored his love for farming since joining the Eagles, with plans to eventually move to the Eyre Peninsula after football, where Jordan's family have 20,000 acres of farmland.

Graham got a taste for the lifestyle when he spent an extended period with Jordan's family during the pandemic, helping during seeding on the farm, which includes wheat, barley, lentils and up to 1,000 sheep.

He has returned in recent off-seasons to help with harvest and looks forward to doing more when his AFL career eventually finishes.

For now he has settled for smaller-scale farming, with Graham and co-captain Liam Baker linking up with 1992 and 1994 premiership player Tony Evans to raise cattle on his farm in Chittering last year.

The premiership teammates are now on the lookout for their next venture, with Graham enjoying the escape from football it provides and the outlet to reset each week.

"We had the idea of getting some cows, and 'Pykey' (chief executive Don Pyke) helped us get in contact with his old teammate, Tony Evans," Graham said.

"So we bought 10 cows, fattened them up and sold them last year, but it was something to do on our day off and get out of the city.

"I don't know if we made it harder or easier for Tony, but we'd just be picking up sticks or logs, going along the fence line and having a few burn-offs and bringing the barbie out there.

"'Bakes' has got his farm only three hours from Perth, and there's plenty to explore. Even just having the cows to have that little break away from footy to reset and just have another hobby in your life was great."