Player Watch #22 Nick Blakey

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Nick Blakey
Nick Blakey is a prodigious talent with a laser-sharp left boot, an outstanding overhead ability and searing pace. The QBE Sydney Swans Academy product booted 21 goals in 19 games in a brilliant debut season en route to winning the club’s 2019 Rising Star award, and while he added a lively element to the forward line last year, he’s likely to play on a wing or in the midfield in 2020. Nick is the son of former Fitzroy and North Melbourne champion John Blakey, who’s had a variety of roles on the Swans’ coaching panel since 2006.

Nick Blakey
DOB: 27 February 2000
DEBUT: 2019
DRAFT: #10, 2018 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: University Of NSW-Eastern Suburbs (NSW)

 
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Jun 19, 2011
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He is a lot of better at spoiling than I thought, I thought he would get out marked a lot more. Learning a new role, just needs to work on the technique of killing the contests

I agree there. His prodigious leap and lack of fear for physical contact make him a really ideal candidate to help out in the air. As you say, he just needs to work on when to go, when to stay with his man on the ground, and when you do spoil it must be to clear the area and certainly not allowing it to get behind the pack.

This is all minutiae stuff which will make him a better player but to think of where he was in the Freo game and compare him to now, it's a stunning turnaround. Credit has to be paid to Longmire, the coaches, and Blakey himself for making this big of a change work in the middle of a lockdown year.
 

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ashep

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Jun 15, 2014
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Interpretation of that statement could go either way depending on one's view of Jones.
Exactly! That's what excites me and worries me at the same time.

I loved the way Jones played but he always seemed to cough it up at critical moments.
 
Jun 16, 2012
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hopefully when he gets to 100 games he can move from the spare drift around uncontested role

numbers improving is a tick

but kid is meant to be a star isnt he?

Still can be a star. He is a weapon off hb and teams are starting to be wary of his bursts through the middle, he’s unstoppable at pace, even seen him break through a tackle last night . The hard part will come soon tho, I won’t say he’s going to be tagged, but teams will put work into him and try and block that run off behind the ball
 
Jun 16, 2012
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I thought Blakey was poor defensively last night. Dropped marks and ineffective spoils that led to Saints goals. He still has work to do on the defensive side of his game. Gives great run and carry out of the back half.

He dropped one mark that cost us a goal, and he does spoil the ball into dangerous positions but that’s an experience thing, and he’s never played the role before so unfortunately that’s to be expected.

He’s exceeded my expectations down there, I really thought he’d be the weak link and his man would get off quite a bit but that hasn’t been the case
 
Feb 5, 2012
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Exactly! That's what excites me and worries me at the same time.

I loved the way Jones played but he always seemed to cough it up at critical moments.
I remember games where a free was paid against him and he struggled to return the ball on the full multiple times but didnt get a 50 against because he was trying to do the right thing.
 

CheapCharlie

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Jun 12, 2015
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Blakey would be a big out for us, and its looking like he will be out for the season.
Injury gods aren't always fair
 
Injury gods have played us like a fiddle. Been relativly injury free most of this season and suddenly Mills, Lloyd and Blakey in short successions
We really have nothing to complain about on the injury front, we've had a charmed run so far this year and whilst Blakey getting injured last night isn't ideal, we have no idea how bad his, Mills, Lloyd or Kennedy's injuries are and until we do I don't think we can complain too much.
 

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I'm not too concerned about the team's fate without Blakey as I think while he's been awesome, we've shown we can win and play outstanding footy with or without pretty much every player except Hickey and Heeney.

However I have everything crossed that it won't be too bad news for Blakey. I know it's not the be all that ends all, but I really want as many of our gun kids to be a part of this year's finals series as possible, particularly the ones like Blakey who have contributed beyond this year and haven't always had the luxury of being in a winning side.
 

the hypnotoad

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Mar 7, 2021
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one of blakey's plays against north got almost no mention, apart from the commentators (mostly friggin brereton, i think) guffawing at the correct call on deliberate out of bounds
he leapt late for a contested mark on the wing, got both hands to it at full stretch and off balance, couldn't hold it but as the ball spilled out he had the presence of mind to dive and knock it away from any opponents across the boundary ... i can see why it was called deliberate, although i thought at the time and still now that it was a harsh call, but i also thought it was a brilliant effort, physically and footy smarts-wise
blakey does everything at full tilt, so yes, sometimes what he attempts won't come off, but he continues to show potential genuine star quality
 

Kiama Chris

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May 10, 2016
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one of blakey's plays against north got almost no mention, apart from the commentators (mostly friggin brereton, i think) guffawing at the correct call on deliberate out of bounds
he leapt late for a contested mark on the wing, got both hands to it at full stretch and off balance, couldn't hold it but as the ball spilled out he had the presence of mind to dive and knock it away from any opponents across the boundary ... i can see why it was called deliberate, although i thought at the time and still now that it was a harsh call, but i also thought it was a brilliant effort, physically and footy smarts-wise
blakey does everything at full tilt, so yes, sometimes what he attempts won't come off, but he continues to show potential genuine star quality
If he had swiped sideways he might have gotten away with it. Stuff all defenders absorb with their breakfast.
He'll get there if he keeps playing in defence.
 
Apr 11, 2009
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Out for the season. Devastating.
I'm shattered for him. He has been going well and sad that it happened so late in the season. Hoping he recovers well.
 

Kiama Chris

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A few titanium screws and maybe a bolt or two and he should be ready to start preseason, certainly after Christmas.
I hope the club perseveres with him at HBF. It gives him the opportunity to express all his skills (even sneaking forward to kick the odd goal) and he doesn' need an enormous amount of work to put the final polish on the role (tackling, decision making).
When you look at what Carlton paid for Saad and realise how much better Blakey can be the future is very bright. 1😎
 

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