Player Watch #22 Nick Blakey

[Kennedy Parker]

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)

Nick Blakey | AFL

Follow Nick Blakey's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[The King!]

Doubt he’s been carried because he’s guaranteed of being a future star. Perhaps the harsh reality that we’ve had a lot of injuries to our forward line. At times we’ve had no Franklin, Reid, McCartin and Sinclair. Hayward was struggling also prior to being injured.

The list only runs so deep.

yeah he has mostly been giving us nothing , especially as a forward, all good and well to be tall, but if you go no where near it who cares

he was better this week mind you, but fu** it, pick a smaller player if in form and make blakey earn the spot imo

 

[Olian]

Yet McLean was dropped ?

He’s average.

 

[The King!]

He’s average.

but so is Blakey
we all hope he will be a star, but he has been average so far, potentially better no doubt

 

[Olian]

yeah he has mostly been giving us nothing , especially as a forward, all good and well to be tall, but if you go no where near it who cares

he was better this week mind you, but fu** it, pick a smaller player if in form and make blakey earn the spot imo

Maybe there aren’t any smalls playing well enough. Ronke, Grey, Taylor all game in and out.

 

[caesar88]

He’s average.

Oh because Blakey's been awe inspiring

 

[The King!]

Maybe there aren’t any smalls playing well enough. Ronke, Grey, Taylor all game in and out.

it is a tough one, he is highly touted and you can see the pieces, and true re the guys named

 

[Olian]

but so is Blakey
we all hope he will be a star, but he has been average so far, potentially better no doubt

Blakey offers more, he played better against the Hawks. Kicked a goal which needed to be kicked in the last.

 

[The King!]

Blakey offers more, he played better against the Hawks. Kicked a goal which needed to be kicked in the last.

yep hopefully a nice building block

 

[Olian]

Oh because Blakey's been awe inspiring

Who would you replace with him?

 

[caesar88]

Who would you replace with him?

McLean and have Reid further up the ground

 

[Kapanis]

Doubt he’s been carried because he’s guaranteed of being a future star. Perhaps the harsh reality that we’ve had a lot of injuries to our forward line. At times we’ve had no Franklin, Reid, McCartin and Sinclair. Hayward was struggling also prior to being injured.

The list only runs so deep.

Correct, who else is there to play, injuries everywhere. Drop him for whom? It's like the coaches know more than the punters about the team, players development etc. I love the I'd play playerX this week without knowing literally anything about anything about that player.(eg Gould) Loved that tackle yesterday by Lizard, Low on form, not intent.

 

[Olian]

yep hopefully a nice building block

Hopefully he finds more consistent form and doesn’t drift out of games.

 

[Olian]

McLean and have Reid further up the ground

Blakey played a better game with McCartin and Reid.

To be fair most forwards are struggling this year you only have to look at the Coleman medal to see that. 19 goals after 8 games is low even with reduced quarters.

 

[caesar88]

Blakey played a better game with McCartin and Reid.

To be fair most forwards are struggling this year you only have to look at the Coleman medal to see that. 19 goals after 8 games is low even with reduced quarters.

Agreed, there's no shame in it. Just think you could argue McLean deserved the same faith after kicking two goals as a forward that Blakey has received.

 

[Kapanis]

You know better than coaches?

 

[dosser]

Agreed, there's no shame in it. Just think you could argue McLean deserved the same faith after kicking two goals as a forward that Blakey has received.

I just think that when we have other talls in the forward line Blakey provides us with a mobile target who comes down the ground and helps with our transition. I think McLean has some good potential, but he doesn't have that attribute. I'm guessing this is why he keeps getting a game, because the coaches see him as a Gunston type, not a Hawkins, but he has been playing the latter role because of necessity.
He isn't a key forward (and his games this season have shown that), he's a mobile third and yesterday was probably the first chance he had this season to play that. Now he just needs to get some confidence back.

 

[SeanM]

Agreed, there's no shame in it. Just think you could argue McLean deserved the same faith after kicking two goals as a forward that Blakey has received.

I am guessing they are really happy with Mclean. He got a run of games. They might be holding him in reserve in case Sinclair (or one of the other talls) needs a rest or gets injured.

 

[scaryness]

Equal 3rd for pressure acts this week

 

[scaryness]

Write off Blakey at your own peril. You could end up right when all is said and done or end up looking back at this thread in embarrassment.

Its far too early to be definitive in the slightest.

 

[caesar88]

Write off Blakey at your own peril. You could end up right when all is said and done or end up looking back at this thread in embarrassment.

Its far too early to be definitive in the slightest.

Who is writing him off?

 

[Deccas]

He gets games experience. He plays on and against better players and learns from them. He builds mental resilience to keep trying and putting in his all when things aren't going his way.

I don't know what benefit he gets from playing a few scratch matches.

Yes it could be a better plan. Or he just goes the whole season struggling. I'm really not sure how that would be productive at all.

On Nokia 7.1 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[The King!]

Write off Blakey at your own peril. You could end up right when all is said and done or end up looking back at this thread in embarrassment.

Its far too early to be definitive in the slightest.

Who are you actually talking to?

He hasn’t been written off anywhere

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Write off Blakey at your own peril. You could end up right when all is said and done or end up looking back at this thread in embarrassment.

Its far too early to be definitive in the slightest.

He'll be an extremely good player It's critical he plays every game this season, it's a developing year lets use it as such.

 

[scaryness]

Who are you actually talking to?

He hasn’t been written off anywhere

Oh I just know its coming

Always does

 

[The King!]

Oh I just know its coming

Always does

if he plays like he is currently then yeah in a year or 2 it is

but i think his worse case scenario will still be a good player and fan favourite