By the end of 2005, Gram had spent two seasons on the periphery of a powerhouse Brisbane Lions team before two-injury riddled years at St Kilda, and realised he had to fight to save his career.
"I pretty much begged for a one-year contract to (former Saints coach) Grant Thomas at the end of '05," Gram said.
"He gave me that one year, and that pre-season I did everything I could to show I deserved to be here, (and) 2006 was my breakout season I guess. If I hadn't have done that, I probably wouldn't be sitting here right now."
Gram finished second in the Saints' 2006 club best and fairest, and since then has firmly established himself as a valuable part of a team that has played in eight of the last nine finals series.
Gram was in a reflective mood ahead of his 150th game this Saturday night, which comes against his former club at the ground where he played his first senior match against Richmond in 2003.
Selected with pick 19 in the 2001 National Draft, Gram arrived in Brisbane from Sale in eastern Victoria with the difficult task of cracking in to a Lions team that had just won its first premiership and was set to win the next two.
After two years in the sunshine state, there was no opening for a regular spot in the Lions' senior team. Gram sought a trade back to Victoria, and joined the team he had barracked for as a child.
"That was the reason I came back. I spent two years there and they were a powerhouse," Gram said.
"They had such a good team, even guys like Des Headland and Craig Bolton had to leave because they wanted opportunities and it was going to be so hard to get that opportunity up there. I asked for a trade back to Melbourne and I'm really grateful St Kilda gave me an opportunity."
Six years have passed since Thomas' departure from the Saints, but Gram said the faith his former coach showed in him was the reason he was able to recover from his patchy start to develop a solid AFL career.
"I guess he saw a bit in me. I probably didn't work hard enough and I had a few injuries at the start of my career as well," Gram said.
"I owe a fair bit to Grant Thomas just like I owe a lot to Ross Lyon and Scott Watters."
While Gram's career has come a long way since 2005, the 28-year-old is far from relaxed with his spot in the St Kilda line-up. While he is now an established senior player, Gram still has a similar mindset to the teenager that was battling to get a go all those years ago.
"My form hasn't been sensational over the last 12 months with the groins that have hampered me a bit. Getting towards the end of my career, we've got some young guys coming in who are really stepping up. You go out every week and you want to do your best and keep your spot," he said.
Gram knows he is closer to the end of his career than the start, but couldn't pinpoint when the time would come to call it quits.
"Probably two years, three years … one year, I don't know," he said.
"I'll do all I can to keep playing but when you get to this age and you see guys retire at 30 … I'm 28 now and I'm thinking I've only got two or three years to go."
Luke Holmesby covers St Kilda news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_Luke
