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Past #17: Nathan Grima

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roos_fanatic08 said:
old evandale, used to fish a river close to there while at uni down there.

amazing place, people are incredibly friendly.
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Doesn't stop it from from being creepy. ;)

DANMAN said:
Unfortunately Narni won't make it back , I asked his father on Saturday how he was going (@ Evandale ) . His response is he won't play again . The back surgery was not a success . And he has had setbacks following the surgery . It's a shame , as his aim was to hopefully play 100 games for the club. He loves the place and was desperate to get to 100 games .
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You from around here?
 

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DANMAN said:
Yes mate , life member of the club . Nathan's father coached me . And get to most games . Spoke to Monty on Saturday about Nathan .
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Oh yeah. I'm from out at Cressy, not too far away. :)
 
The Big O said:
Narni was on ABC's the Huddle on Sunday. Pure gold as usual!
Some of the highlights were:

Opening line: "Sorry I'm a bit dusty, had a few last night"
Alex Rance and I are the best looking players in the game
Jeremy Mcgovern has skinfolds around 100, he's doing it his own way and I love it.
I wish I was Buddy. Still called Nathan Grima but everything else Buddy.
Buddy wouldn't even know who I am.
I pay a troll to get back at any twitter trolls for me.
If you are trolling players, Jesus Christ get a life.
Used to commentate the game while playing to keep him from drifting off in games.
Still sore and getting around like an old man.

Also all but confirmed he will retire, using phrases like: "when I finish up at the end of the year" and "hard to believe I won't play again"
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I liked how he said Cambell Brown caught him doing his out-loud commentary on the game one day. Very funny man.

Far more amusing than most of the ex-players and most of the comedians around footy - really hope he keeps bobbing up in the media after he retires, too soon.
 



After eight years on the North Melbourne list and 86 games, Nathan Grima has announced his retirement from the AFL, effective immediately.

The 29-year-old had a set-back in his recovery in recent weeks and received advice from specialists to undergo another operation, this time to fuse a disc in his spine to alleviate his pain and symptoms.

It will be Grima’s third back operation.

The key-defender was taken by North Melbourne with pick 14 in the 2008 Rookie Draft but had a horror run with injuries throughout his career.

Various operations on his knees, ankles, fingers, feet and hands over his journey kept him on the sidelines and caused him to miss around 100 games of football.

He missed the entire 2008 season with a knee injury before making his debut in 2009 against Geelong in Round 8.

Grima played 13 games that season and the following year, he managed a career high 17 games. A total he matched in 2013.

A formidable competitor, Grima was considered an elite runner when fit and often won North’s pre-season time-trials. His value on the field as a key defender was immense and despite being handed jobs on much bigger opponents, he always held his own.

A tremendous reader of the play, the Tasmanian was as an effective spoiler as any backman in the competition.

Grima was also a valued leader on and off the field and at one stage, he was in line to succeed Brent Harvey as captain of the club, but injury ultimately denied him the opportunity.

Grima’s most famous career highlight didn’t come in the back half but instead, when he briefly played as a forward late in a game in 2013. Playing with an injured foot against Essendon at Etihad Stadium, he slotted his first goal in 72 games after being sent to full-forward.
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More to come
 
Suffered further complications with his back injury.

A sad way to end his career.

All the best Narni.
 
Reportedly retired.
 
Via the AFL website:

NORTH Melbourne defender Nathan Grima has announced his retirement, effective immediately.

The 29-year-old backman has struggled with a serious back injury in recent times and has not played in 2015.

More to come.
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:(
 

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Very sad that his body let him down. I hope that the surgery he has is successful and wish him well into the future.

When fit he was a fantastic player and he's an absolutely cracking bloke.

All the best Narni.
 
Gun bloke and at his best was a very handy backman that would frequently make spoils when seemingly had no right to.

The boys are gonna really miss this bloke.

Me too.
 
Will never forget Narni kicking his 1st goal, hope he has a good result with the surgery, an A grade bloke, no doubt he has a future in the media somewhere down the track
 
Even though the writing has been on the wall for a while you can't understate what a bummer this is. Real shame just for Nathan's sake that he still requires more back surgery, shame that we never got him to 100 games and I think we really miss him in the side - currently don't have a defender in his mould that kills the ball as frequently as he did, career average 6.79 one percenters per game, compare this to Tarrant's 3.18 pg in 2015, Thompson's 4 and Hansen's 2.75.
 

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Damm shame..
 
I hope his retirement announcement to the players was spine tingling (no pun) for those listening as Narni pleaded with his fellow players to take nothing for granted and play every game as if it could be your last.
 
Injuries destroyed his career. We went thru a stage at the club where it was No Narni No North, such was his impact on the team.

Questionable to give him another contract last year but with the amount of heart he shows he earnt it. More so than some of his teammates getting games today.

All the best in retirement Narni.
 

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Past #17: Nathan Grima

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