Past #15: Nick Dal Santo - 62 NM/322 AFL games - delisted by NM end '16 - retired from AFL Nov '16

[Boomerfan99]

Surely its closer to 1 than 1171.

Unless slapping someone with a wet lettuce is equivalent to a tackle

Are you talking about his girth?

 

[Boomerfan99]

Talk of saints picking him on their board. Surely he's had his time.

 

[Roo Beauty]

Jeez, poor bloke hasn't received one thank you in his thread today.

Nick, you were a class act for the short time you were here. A good user with an excellent footy brain. Many thanks.

 

[trooroo4life]

Was exactly what we needed at the exact right time, class, polish and experience. Was crucial in a few finals in the past couple years. May have been a short stay but it was definitely a good one. Was one i enjoyed watching from afar while he was at the saints, and one i was fortunate enough to see pull on the blue and white for a fews good years. Congrats Dal, once a roo always a roo.

 

[tazaa]

Jeez, poor bloke hasn't received one thank you in his thread today.

Nick, you were a class act for the short time you were here. A good user with an excellent footy brain. Many thanks.

I praised his first goal for the club fwiw
Sadly the Boomer talk has taken mass precedence

 

[compact72]

Not sure why everybody picked on Dal Santo.

Great bloke and his not a bad player. Be interesting if he takes up coaching, I think he could be a good motivator and seems switched on

 

[The Nostradamus]

Yeah I'd like to see him as an assistant coach, good footy brain and communicator

 

[hilly]

Not sure why everybody picked on Dal Santo.

Great bloke and his not a bad player. Be interesting if he takes up coaching, I think he could be a good motivator and seems switched on

For some reasons we tend to be far harder on players recruited from opposition clubs.

Best game for us either the win over Hawthorn or Geelong in 2014.

 

[Winter]

An excellent free agency selection during a time of successive finals.

Really grateful for his contribution and would love for him to find his way into the North Melbourne coaches box, however I sense the media dollars will attract him.

 

[Roo Beauty]

*, I'd hate to be you.

 

[ViperR1]

People claim him as a "North person" on a few (ordinary) years, and now of course he wants to go on for $$ - will field all offers at end of season.

He's about as much as a "North Person" as the guy who says it's a genuine Rolex whilst selling for the company at $50

 

[chubbspeterson]

Dal is a class act. Think he's brought a fair bit to the club in terms of leadership and professionalism, lifted our poor standards.

 

[ViperR1]

Yeah pulling out of contests to chase the easy ball (hence a Saints discard), and refusing to play the Shinboner way is a "class act"

 

[Roo-Boy]

It looks like he will want to join his cousin next year especially after tonights win in Perth.

 

[ViperR1]

It looks like he will want to join his cousin next year especially after tonights win in Perth.

Who's his cousin at the Dogs?

 

[shinboner magic]

Who's his cousin at the Dogs?

Bonce

 

[King Corey]

Meh. Watched his game live vs GWS and there were several petulant defensive acts, played like a bloke on his last afternoon at work coming off a boozy lunch.

Hasn't exactly showered the club with any love or indicated he really bought in as a long term North Melbourne person.

That's his prerogative but something about him never convinced me he was fully invested. Hopefully we wins a Norm Smith in our premiership side and this can be bumped back on me.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Meh. Watched his game live vs GWS and there were several petulant defensive acts, played like a bloke on his last afternoon at work coming off a boozy lunch.

Hasn't exactly showered the club with any love or indicated he really bought in as a long term North Melbourne person.

That's his prerogative but something about him never convinced me he was fully invested. Hopefully we wins a Norm Smith in our premiership side and this can be bumped back on me.

Feel exactly the same way KC. I think he was given a pretty sweet ride by the coaches during his time at North. He played some solid footy, but he had some downright embarrassing moments too.

Going by the way he played I'm not really convinced he brought in to what North are really about.

 

[bendad]

Hopefully my recollection is good and I'm not making this up - didn't Sam Wright say that at half time in the 2014 Elimination Final that Dal spoke to the players and said it is now or never, do you want it or not. The second half of that game was our best win in years and years, one I'll remember forever. It really was our coming of age, and for the role he played in that I will love him forever.

Before Dal, we played one final and got belted. Since his addition we've made 2 prelims. I don't for a second think it was all on his shoulders, but I reckon he has done a bloody good job for us and I'm stoked we got him across. He is clearly hurt and wanted to go on - but has handled himself well given the circumstances.

Dal brought class to a team that was desperate for it, and played 3 years of good footy for us in my view. Our best footy has been with Dal in the team. So I for one think he has made a good contribution and am looking forward to Saturday. So thanks for your efforts Nick, hope you have a blinder on Saturday and have a few more games in the North jumper left.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Yeah pulling out of contests to chase the easy ball (hence a Saints discard), and refusing to play the Shinboner way is a "class act"

He was one of the players who said Brad had to be harsher on the group. I think he brought something to the group is all I'm saying.

 

[ViperR1]

He was one of the players who said Brad had to be harsher on the group. I think he brought something to the group is all I'm saying.

There is no doubt he brought some positives, professionalism being one of them.

But unfortunately I couldn't warm to him as a "North" player, mainly due to his lack of commitment on field.

 

[king rising]

Never been able to grow to like him to be honest. won't be considered a "North Melbourne' person in my book. Is the definition of a 'seagull' gaining cheap possies on the outside and isn't willing to work for his teammates. might sound scathing but gee sometimes you wish he had a bit of Andrew Swallow mongrel in him who tries his guts out. Swallow isn't a skilled player at all unlike Dal Santo, but i'd take Swallow's tackling, play for the jumper and back your mates type of game style any day of the week over a misleading '30 disposal' no influence game by Dal Santo.

 

[chubbspeterson]

There is no doubt he brought some positives, professionalism being one of them.

But unfortunately I couldn't warm to him as a "North" player, mainly due to his lack of commitment on field.

To be honest there hasn't been too many recruits that I would say are north lifers, probably depends more on how long they stay at the club.
Jess Sinclair, Leigh Colbert, Jason McCartney and Shannon Grant are the only few that spring to mine that are more "north men" recruits we've had.

 

[RobZombie]

Yeah pulling out of contests to chase the easy ball (hence a Saints discard), and refusing to play the Shinboner way is a "class act"

Mate "the shinboner way" before he arrived was going to water at the slightest opposition run-on.

 

[ViperR1]

Mate "the shinboner way" before he arrived was going to water at the slightest opposition run-on.

That's true Rob, but a mature team with a soft underbelly certainty didn't need Dal Santo in it. Think he epitomises the "we'll turn up when we feel like it" attitude we as a club too often display.