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Past #17: Nathan Grima

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roobear said:
Garlett, Wundke, Goldy and Adams were on the interchange. The first 2 never got on while I was there.
Warren and 2 others (sorry but nfi) were doing drills away from the main group. Obst was running the whole time, must have done a half marathon.
Patch made an immediate impact when he went on. Can find the footy :thumbsu:

I really struggled with who was who :eek: but:
-Wells was awesome (2 early fock ups, then all quality. Including a massive run and carry down the far wing for a long goal.)
-Hansen covered a LOT of ground. Exciting.
-i thought only one forward really dominated and I'm pretty sure it was Tarrant. good positioning, good hands.
-sinclair and boomer worked super hard
-turtle good pressure, everyone encouraged him and Haley very vocally

Very small crowd. PDR had a couple of young kids with him, and there were maybe 3 others.

Sorry for paucity of info, I struggled on so many levels:thumbsdown: If you ask for info I will try to remember, but I was only there for a little while and yeah, like I said, struggled.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that Roobear.

I was just wondering on how you thought Riggio went and also Greenwood.

And that key fwd you were talking about, are you pretty sure it was Tarrant or is it possible it could have been Smith
 
micky_11 said:
Thanks for that Roobear.

I was just wondering on how you thought Riggio went and also Greenwood.

And that key fwd you were talking about, are you pretty sure it was Tarrant or is it possible it could have been Smith
Click to expand...

Riggs got 2 touches while I was there, short passes both times. Didn't notice him much. He was one of a lot of players wearing caps which made id'ing even harder.

Levi has great balance, can break a tackle, and is a terrific field kick. Looks like a senior player.

Tarrant could have been Smith, but he did look like the older brother a bit in his gait. Way too far away to see his face properly and confirm. Sorry! :eek:
 
bee dee said:
Long yr for leigh Brown though what do u reckon, in 2 games yet to touch it as a glacier like leading fwd on quality defenders.
Click to expand...
Another non-believer? bee dee clearly 'first with da scoop' that Leigh Brown is a rubbish footballer. I take it all back.
 
thanks for the reports roobear.

its a shame for the kid to do his ACL, was pumped up by micky_11 and when it comes 2 tassie players, is a reliable source.

hope he works hard and gets another contract.
 

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Thanks for the reports roobear and beedee, one thing concerns me is that Wells is cutting it up, does it every preseason, I'd rather hear he's not getting near it.
 
age 22 knee inj and rookie listed by NM
great article p 29 Hun
I have scan to ms word but can't copy to post new thread
 
Good article - have to feel sorry for the young bloke.
 
Nathan faces Grima outlook
Mark Robinson | February 29, 2008 12:00am

0,,5913059,00.jpg

Tough break: Kangaroos rookie Nathan Grima rests at home in Evandale, Tasmania, after a season-ending knee reconstruction. Picture: Ross Marsden

FOOTY fans won't know Nathan Grima, yet his AFL career might be over before it began. The 22-year-old late bloomer was into his fifth week as a North Melbourne rookie when, after a regular lead and mark exercise at Trinity Grammar, he hyper-extended his knee on landing.

In the time it takes to snap an anterior cruciate ligament, a 15-year journey that began at junior club Longford, then took him to the Tassie Mariners, South Launceston, the Tassie Devils, Central Districts and finally to the Kangaroos, came to a painful, soul-shattering halt.

Drafted in December, he was on crutches by mid-January and in rehab by February.

Come September, he might never be heard of again.

"I knew straight away," Grima said yesterday. "I heard it go, and it was heartbreaking when I heard the noise."

For the first two minutes, all he felt was the throbbing discomfort of a wrecked knee. Then came the calm.

"The pain went away and I thought, maybe it's not as bad as I thought, but when the doc came out to check, he knew straight away. It was a pretty bad feeling."

Sydney's Nick Malceski and Fremantle's Paul Hasleby might get all the headlines, and more than likely get back to the highest level, but for Grima, the road is far more daunting.

He is 22 and has a one-year contract with the Kangaroos.

AFL rules won't allow Grima to be put back on the rookie list next year. Although the Roos will investigate Grima's position, it is possible his career might read: five weeks training, 0 games, 0 goals.

"The first initial heartbreak was I've worked so hard to get here and I've done my knee and it's all over," Grima said.

"Like, I'm 22 and I haven't played any AFL footy.

"It's not like the bloke who's done his knee, and who has played 100 games and he knows he can also play at the level and he knows he's a required player. I'm still at the bottom of the pecking order.

"So, yeah, my initial thought was I'm never going to play AFL footy."

Rookie is the buzz word in the Grima family. Nathan is the older brother of Todd, 21, who was delisted by Geelong at the end of last year, and Alex, 18, who was put on Hawthorn's rookie list in December. Indeed, his is a strong sporting family.

His dad, Monty, played at representative level in the competitive north v south contests and his older sister, Holly, plays basketball for the Opals. She is currently playing in Italy and has her sights on Beijing.

Grima grew up at Evandale, home to a 1000 people and 15 minutes from Launceston.

Like most footy-mad Tassie kids, he wanted to make it on the mainland. Overlooked for consecutive national drafts, and not over-enthused about a potential AFL career, Grima left the state with Liston Medallist Ian Cullinan and joined South Australia's Central Districts.

He played every game in 2007, which culminated in a premiership and SANFL Team of the Year selection at full-back.

In many ways, 2007 was his final shot at glory.

And so, when Kangaroos recruiting manager Neville Stibbard rang him before the December draft, Grima got the shivers again -- the AFL dream was upon him.

He flew to Melbourne the night of the rookie draft and trained at Arden St the next morning.

"I thought it was the start," he said. "And because I was 22, and had played at state level, it wasn't as daunting or intimidating as it would have been if I'd got picked a few years earlier."

The Kangaroos will ask the AFL at the end of the year to change the rules on mature-age eligibility. Grima will be 23 in August and too old for 2009.

"They have been fantastic to me," Grima said.

"Even though I'm only contracted for one year, they told me not to think about next year and get the knee right."

At the end of the year his fortunes lie with luck and a considerate AFL.

"I'd give my left leg to play a game," he said. "To come this far now and not get the opportunity would be very disappointing.

"If you get to the level and you've given it your all and you are not good enough to make it, you could probably hack that. But to not get an opportunity . . . you'd feel pretty empty.

"I guess if it doesn't work out you just move on, I'll have to accept I'm never going to play.

"But I'm going to work hard and we'll see what happens."

Level-headed and family-loving, he said the spotlight would fall on younger brother Alex.

"The funny thing is we all got to the rookie list, but Toddy didn't get a game and he was looking at me, so hopefully Alex can put his hand up and get a kick for all of us."
 
Feel sorry for Nathan. You never like seeing injury's like this & for him its even more difficult to get over.
 
I've got a feeling he'll still be on our list next year. Is it possible we may delist him, then pick him up with our last pick in the draft? I know i'm thinking far ahead but... we picked a fairly mature aged fb player, was he part of our future plans?
 

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Re: 18. Nathan Grima

Nathan faces Grima outlook
Mark Robinson | February 29, 2008 12:00am

FOOTY fans won't know Nathan Grima, yet his AFL career might be over before it began. The 22-year-old late bloomer was into his fifth week as a North Melbourne rookie when, after a regular lead and mark exercise at Trinity Grammar, he hyper-extended his knee on landing.

0,,5913059,00.jpg

Tough break: Kangaroos rookie Nathan Grima rests at home in Evandale, Tasmania, after a season-ending knee reconstruction.
Picture: Ross Marsden

In the time it takes to snap an anterior cruciate ligament, a 15-year journey that began at junior club Longford, then took him to the Tassie Mariners, South Launceston, the Tassie Devils, Central Districts and finally to the Kangaroos, came to a painful, soul-shattering halt.

Drafted in December, he was on crutches by mid-January and in rehab by February.

Come September, he might never be heard of again.

"I knew straight away," Grima said yesterday. "I heard it go, and it was heartbreaking when I heard the noise."

For the first two minutes, all he felt was the throbbing discomfort of a wrecked knee. Then came the calm.

"The pain went away and I thought, maybe it's not as bad as I thought, but when the doc came out to check, he knew straight away. It was a pretty bad feeling."

Sydney's Nick Malceski and Fremantle's Paul Hasleby might get all the headlines, and more than likely get back to the highest level, but for Grima, the road is far more daunting.

He is 22 and has a one-year contract with the Kangaroos.

AFL rules won't allow Grima to be put back on the rookie list next year. Although the Roos will investigate Grima's position, it is possible his career might read: five weeks training, 0 games, 0 goals.

"The first initial heartbreak was I've worked so hard to get here and I've done my knee and it's all over," Grima said.

"Like, I'm 22 and I haven't played any AFL footy.

"It's not like the bloke who's done his knee, and who has played 100 games and he knows he can also play at the level and he knows he's a required player. I'm still at the bottom of the pecking order.

"So, yeah, my initial thought was I'm never going to play AFL footy."

Rookie is the buzz word in the Grima family. Nathan is the older brother of Todd, 21, who was delisted by Geelong at the end of last year, and Alex, 18, who was put on Hawthorn's rookie list in December. Indeed, his is a strong sporting family.

His dad, Monty, played at representative level in the competitive north v south contests and his older sister, Holly, plays basketball for the Opals. She is currently playing in Italy and has her sights on Beijing.

Grima grew up at Evandale, home to a 1000 people and 15 minutes from Launceston.

Like most footy-mad Tassie kids, he wanted to make it on the mainland. Overlooked for consecutive national drafts, and not over-enthused about a potential AFL career, Grima left the state with Liston Medallist Ian Cullinan and joined South Australia's Central Districts.

He played every game in 2007, which culminated in a premiership and SANFL Team of the Year selection at full-back.

In many ways, 2007 was his final shot at glory.

And so, when Kangaroos recruiting manager Neville Stibbard rang him before the December draft, Grima got the shivers again -- the AFL dream was upon him.

He flew to Melbourne the night of the rookie draft and trained at Arden St the next morning.

"I thought it was the start," he said. "And because I was 22, and had played at state level, it wasn't as daunting or intimidating as it would have been if I'd got picked a few years earlier."

The Kangaroos will ask the AFL at the end of the year to change the rules on mature-age eligibility. Grima will be 23 in August and too old for 2009.

"They have been fantastic to me," Grima said.

"Even though I'm only contracted for one year, they told me not to think about next year and get the knee right."

At the end of the year his fortunes lie with luck and a considerate AFL.

"I'd give my left leg to play a game," he said. "To come this far now and not get the opportunity would be very disappointing.

"If you get to the level and you've given it your all and you are not good enough to make it, you could probably hack that. But to not get an opportunity . . . you'd feel pretty empty.

"I guess if it doesn't work out you just move on, I'll have to accept I'm never going to play.

"But I'm going to work hard and we'll see what happens."

Level-headed and family-loving, he said the spotlight would fall on younger brother Alex.

"The funny thing is we all got to the rookie list, but Toddy didn't get a game and he was looking at me, so hopefully Alex can put his hand up and get a kick for all of us."
 
The big ROObowski said:
The North Docs should look into what they're doing with Malceski(spelling) form Sydney, The word is he'll be over it by mid season because of some new form of knee surgery.
Click to expand...
The surgury is a new version of an old technique...


Really have to feel for the family, hope he atleast gets his health right and gets a kick! I would have him on crutches sitting on the bench before i played Brown this year.
 
The big ROObowski said:
The North Docs should look into what they're doing with Malceski(spelling) form Sydney, The word is he'll be over it by mid season because of some new form of knee surgery.
Click to expand...

Probably won't walk by the time he (Malceski) is 30 but at least he'll eek a few more games out of his body this year ;)
 
Re: 18. Nathan Grima

Is Nathan back in Victoria now or still down in Tassie? Anyone heard any news of how his rehab is going and if he is likely to be kept on next year?

He was but a wee lad in the U/18's when I left Tassie to come to the UK. Would be great to see him do well.
 
Re: 18. Nathan Grima

Hazey1977 said:
Is Nathan back in Victoria now or still down in Tassie? Anyone heard any news of how his rehab is going and if he is likely to be kept on next year?

He was but a wee lad in the U/18's when I left Tassie to come to the UK. Would be great to see him do well.
Click to expand...

I think the club will look for an exemption to give him another year as a rookie because he will be 23 and over the cut off point by jan 1 09 id assume.
 
Re: 18. Nathan Grima

rooboy_88 said:
I think the club will look for an exemption to give him another year as a rookie because he will be 23 and over the cut off point by jan 1 09 id assume.
Click to expand...

he is training non contact doing graduated runs jumps (both and left leg only ) sprints slalom (carefully on the right )
 

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Re: 18. Nathan Grima

He's worth keeping. Haven't seem him play at all but because he can hold down full back (which we need!) maybe an extra year wouldn't hurt. He's still relatively young.
 
Re: 18. Nathan Grima

Paddy_Mac said:
He's worth keeping. Haven't seem him play at all but because he can hold down full back (which we need!) maybe an extra year wouldn't hurt. He's still relatively young.
Click to expand...

l totally agree. This kid needs a chance to prove his worth. If we can hold onto Blake Grima (who l believe is a genuine player) and Jessie Smith with all his injury problems at least give the guy a chance to show what he can do. He would be a good choice for Full Back, and reward us with solid performances and loyalty .
 

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Past #17: Nathan Grima

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