AFLW Player Nat Grider (2018-)

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BrainOfMorbius

Norm Smith Medallist
Veteran
Jun 4, 2001
5,476
5,628
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
My daughter played with Nat in school footy under 18s. Nat was just a class above everybody in the comp.
 
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Stars Sign and the Future Looks Bright

A massive day of re-signings for the premiership side.
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Today flag winners Belle Dawes, Nat Grider, Tahlia Hickie, Taylor Smith all added an extra year to their existing deals.

Lions head of Women’s Football Bree Brock said it was a testament to what the Club was building that so many players were committed to sticking together to try and turn the breakthrough premiership into an era of sustained success.
 

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Nat Grider: From a premiership win to preliminary finals heartbreak

For newly-appointed Vice-Captain Nat Grider and the Lions, Season Seven marks redemption for the heartache that ended their Season Six campaign.
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It’s been a big twelve months for the Brisbane Lions in the AFLW competition. For newly appointed vice-captain Nat Grider and her teammates, Season Seven marks redemption for the heartache that ended their Season Six campaign earlier this year.

After going down to the Melbourne Demons in the first ever AFLW game to be held at the MCG, the Brisbane Lions ended their 2022 season at the preliminary final stage.

The short turnaround between the Season Six and Season Seven has helped the Lions, with the gap in between seasons focused around redemption rather than ruminating on past mistakes.

This is in stark contrast with the 2021 season (Season Five) which ended in a premiership win against their rivals, the Adelaide Crows, who had denied them the first ever AFLW premiership in 2017.

Their Round One match-up against the Fremantle Dockers on Sunday marks a new beginning for the team and one they hope will end better than the last season.

The Inner Sanctum spoke exclusively to young Lions star Nat Grider about their preparation ahead of their clash with the Dockers.

“It is exciting starting Round One this weekend,” Grider said.

“We’ve got two emotions locked away from the last twelve months which is a grand final win and then six months later a loss in a prelim.

“[That loss] obviously hurt the group pretty badly, so it is good to hold onto those memories and those feelings and use them to really drive us this season.

“Hopefully we don’t have the latter and the premiership would definitely be ideal, but it is just locking onto those emotions and remembering what it feels like to win and lose and really use that to drive us forward and put us in good stead for each game.”

Round One marks one of the best comeback stories circulating within the AFLW landscape. Suffering a season-ending ACL injury in Round Four of the 2021 season, young Lion Lily Postlethwaite has spent a lot of time away from the game, Grider insists that she is ready to go in Season Seven.

“She’s had quite a long time on the sidelines missing last season but I guess the season being brought forward is probably a good thing for her,” Grider explained.

“She’s done an incredible job in her rehab, she’s attacked it head-first and done absolutely above and beyond what she needed to.

“She’s definitely come back fitter, faster, stronger and being one of the most developed pre-season in training she’s just blown the house away and it will be really exciting to see what she can do for us come game time.

“She’s definitely one to look out for, she’s had an amazing rehab and everyone’s so excited to see her back out there again.”

When speaking to Grider about her side’s young stars, she has a few names to watch out for in the upcoming season.

“There is a few given the depth of our list, that have trained the house down over the last few weeks in pre-season but Lily (Postlethwaite) is probably one of the big ones just because she has been off the field for such a long time and she’s just tearing it up on the track,” she said.

“I guess a smokey might be someone like Belle Dawes, she just goes in constantly, head over the footy and crashes into the packs, so I think she will be a dominant figure for us in the midfield this year as one to look out for.”

Another exciting highlight of the upcoming clash between the Lions and the Dockers is the 50 game milestone of stalwart Shannon Campbell. Playing as a key component in a rock-solid defensive unit, Campbell is one of the toughest and most competitive players in the league.

Grider explains how important Campbell is to Brisbane and how much the milestone means to the club as a whole.

“It is really exciting and she’s such an amazing person as well,” Grider said.

“Shannon is the definition of ruthless, she really leads by example on the field, she throws her body on the line countless times and everyone really respects her for that.

“She’s such an amazing competitor, she really brings that fight that we need in the backline and she will constantly give 100% and she never gives in.

“For her to reach 50 games with the club when she does play her next game will be such an amazing milestone for her and she really does define our values at the club and everything she does on the field shows that too.”
 
New Gen of Lions Under Grider’s Watchful Eye

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Nat Grider is helping shape the next generation at the Brisbane Lions.

And as a two-time All-Australian, AFLW premiership player and Vice-Captain of the Brisbane Lions team she is well experienced to do so.

Grider officially took on a coaching role at the Lions in August last year after graduating from University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Sciences (Honours).

“I’m working within the academy as a strength and conditioning coach,” the Lions leader said.

“I finished off my university degree at the end of last year and then got the opportunity to work at the club, which I’m super grateful for.

“For me, it is a lot of learning along the way and using what I learnt at university to the best of my ability and trying to help the next crop of talent coming especially with the girls in the women’s space.”

A graduate of the Lions Academy herself, Grider is now a senior member of the Lions AFLW squad.

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The Lions defender believes she has an opportunity to give back to the Club and help mould the next crop of young talent.

“For me, coming through the academy when I got drafted, I knew a little bit about it, I knew how it operated, what I loved about and what I didn’t as a player.

“So, to then get the opportunity to go back and make little changes here has been awesome and to help the girls to be the best footballers they can be.

“Being able to give them the opportunity to hopefully get drafted to an AFLW team, whether that is with us at the Lions and potentially calling them teammates someday or if they go elsewhere but it has been awesome, and I’ve loved having that impact on the younger girls.

“It has been really exciting to be there to give advice and help out as much as I can.”

Grider is a young leader of her own team, a coach of the new generation and is beginning to truly understand the importance of mentoring.

Having been a player under the guidance of premiership captain Emma Zielke and now coaching alongside her, Grider is incredibly appreciative for her own mentor.

“When I first came into the AFLW program, Emma was our captain and I looked up to her a lot and I still do to this day.

“I think it has been a real eye-opening experience for me, just being able to work alongside her and learn as much as I have both in footy and coaching.

“She is really passionate about her job and I’m very lucky to call her my boss.

“We collaborate with each other really well with ideas, trust each in what we know about footy and then the commitment we have in making the girls the best football players they can be.”

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Taking her newfound skills and using them in a leadership setting amongst her teammates is something that Grider sees as an opportunity.

Through what she has learnt as a coach, Grider believes that her leadership style will be positively impacted.

“Leadership is such a massive part of footy and for me I’m constantly learning on the go,” she said.

“I’m surrounded by such amazing leaders in Bree Koenen and Emma Zielke but it is something that continues to change the more you’re involved in footy.

“The more you learn about yourself and the game, I hope that every year I become a better a leader because that is what you strive for when you’re in these positions.

“I think having that experience of being somebody who the under 18s girls look up to and listen to, you have that added bit of responsibility and I think it makes you mature as a person and will definitely corelate to my leadership skills.”

Embarking on her sixth season as a Brisbane Lion, Grider believes that there are learnings from her time coaching that will translate to her own game.

This may be a scary prospect for oppositions as Grider returns in 2023, a back-to-back All-Australian.

“My first few weeks running the under-18s program I’d get home after coaching and I was a like ‘wow’, you just learn so much about what the coaches go through to run our trainings sessions.

“Particularly being in this role, about how I present to the group and then I will go back to my own training sessions and I’ll watch how our strength and conditioning coach present to us.

“I’ve learnt so much engaging that little bit extra in what they are teaching us as players and how that correlates to what I teach as a coach to the under 18 girls.

“So many little things that you never really think appreciate to the extent that we probably should as players.”

Looking toward the 2023 AFLW Season, Grider is ready to start building with the group toward another successful campaign.

“The whole group is excited now that we know exactly when we are coming back,” Grider said.

“We can basically start to count down to round one now, it makes it all that little bit more real after having such a long period off.

“The team is super excited to get back into training and see what we can achieve for the next season.”
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Nat Grider: Breaking Barriers and Kicking Goals

Nat Grider doesn't just play footy for the fun of it.

She feels there's an additional layer to playing in the NAB AFLW competition than simply chasing a ball around an oval.

"It's probably that belief in yourself, and more broadly, across the competition. You've got so many people who commit so many hours and time and energy and money into the footy we're playing, and I guess getting AFLW up and running," Grider said.

"So you've got that added pressure and stress to put out the best brand of footy you can, to put out every home-and-away game, to put out a brand of footy that people watching are going to come back and watch again.

"I [wasn't] the most amazing player growing up, and I think that's something that stuck with me for my first few years at the club. One thing I definitely learnt early on, which was probably for the better, was that if you don't believe in yourself, how do you expect anyone else to?

"I think that's something I'm continuously working on as a player and a leader, but I guess having that self-confidence in what we're doing is actually incredible, and we're paving the way for so many young female athletes who might not be playing AFLW right now, but maybe one day they will be.

"And if they want to, then the opportunity is there."

The 22-year-old was named vice-captain of Brisbane last year, is already a premiership player, and was named All-Australian in both seasons last year.

"It's also hard. I was watching the Matildas doco that's out now, and you see Sam Kerr, who's just broken the record for kicking the most goals in the Australian jumper, and the headline was something like 'it's not the same', or 'it's not equal'," Grider said.

"I think that for me, I was like, god it's tough. But if people like Sam Kerr aren't breaking the barriers, then who is?

"So I think regardless of the potential lack of belief a lot of us may have in what we're doing and how important it is, it's almost like if we don't do it now, then we're just setting back that five or 10 years; where the competition could be growing if we continue to step forward.

"It's a lot more than [footy]. And I think that's the beauty of the game, you're not just necessarily trying to encourage people to barrack for the AFLW teams, but you're also trying to encourage them to barrack for women in general, women in sport, women in the workforce.

"There's so many things the AFLW competition is putting forward, and breaking down the barriers, which is amazing to be a part of."
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Introducing our 2023 AFLW Captains

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The Brisbane Lions are excited to announce Breanna Koenen will captain the Club for the 2023 NAB AFLW Season.

The 27-year-old premiership defender will be joined by Nat Grider who will reassume her position as vice-captain of the Lions AFLW side.

Koenen will lead the Lions for the third consecutive season following her first All-Australian selection in 2022 where she was named as vice-captain.

The defender became the first Lions’ captain to be named as an All-Australian since Jonathan Brown in 2009.

“It’s a huge honour to be backed by my teammates again this season,” Koenen said.

“I am very excited about this group and can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”

Koenen will be supported by vice-captain Grider who is also coming off an incredible 2022 where she was named as an All-Australian in both seasons.

Another of the Lions 2021 premiership players, the 22-year-old was also selected for the 2022 AFLPA 22under22 team capping off a stellar year.

Brisbane Lions AFLW coach Craig Starcevich believes that after two seasons both players are coming into their own as leaders.

“Bre had a great second season as captain in season 7, growing as a leader and earning All Australian selection,” Starcevich said.

“She has a really strong off-field connection with the playing group and is courageous and inspiring on match day, traits held in high regard by everyone at our club.

“Nat’s off-field professionalism and aggressive game style are behaviours her teammates admire and are drawn to.

“She too had an outstanding year earning All Australian honours alongside developing her leadership skills.

“With their complementary styles of leading we feel the playing group are in exceptional hands with Bre, Nat, and the extended leadership team for 2023.”

The Club will announce the leadership group in the coming days.
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Sarah Black's Top 30 AFLW players: 20-11

12. Nat Grider (Brisbane)

Grider's versatility as a defender sets her apart, one of the few who are equally strong in shut-down roles and as a rebounder.

The Lions' vice-captain averaged 12.3 touches at 67.5 per cent efficiency, 7.0 intercepts, 3.2 marks and 4.0 tackles.

Grider is a great user of the footy off half-back, was named All-Australian and finished third in Brisbane's best and fairest in season seven.
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AFLW Team of the Week, round four

DEFENDERS
Libby Birch (Melbourne), Jade Ellenger (Brisbane), Meara Girvan (Gold Coast), Nat Grider (Brisbane), Emma O’Driscoll (Fremantle)

Brisbane duo Nat Grider (18 touches, 12 intercepts) and Ellenger (21, four marks) were key in the comeback victory against North Melbourne.
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Milestone Weekend for Superstar Grider

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Brisbane Lions vice-captain Nat Grider is set to play her 50th game against Collingwood on Saturday evening.

The 22-year-old defender is coming off the back of her best year to date, where she was named in the All-Australian team for both season 6 and 7.

“I’m very fortunate to play at such an incredible club,” Grider said.

“I’m honoured to call this place home and rack up the 50 games with teammates that are like family to me at a club that I really love.

“It is really special and I’m looking forward to running out on the weekend.”

Drafted prior to the 2019 season, Grider had grown up a Lions supporter.

Debuting in round 4, 2019 against the Western Bulldogs, Grider only played one other game in her first season as a Lion.

However, in her second season Grider become an integral part of AFLW head coach, Craig Starcevich’s best 22.

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Since Round 1, 2020, Grider has missed only one game which has been key to her meteoric rise to AFLW stardom.

Named in the AFLPA 22under22 team in 2021 and twice in 2022 cemented her place as one of the stars of the AFLW.

Grider has since added strings to her bow, stepping into the coaching space in 2023.

Helping the future stars of the competition as the strength and conditioning coach for the Lions Academy.
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Grider: This club is like a family to me

From an 18 year old that didn't know how to kick a footy to a key defender and strong leader, the Brisbane Lions celebrate Nat Grider's 50th game in round 6
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AFLW Team of the Week, round nine

INTERCHANGE

Nat Grider (Brisbane), Megan Kauffman (Fremantle), Paxy Paxman (Melbourne), Georgie Prespakis (Geelong), Maddy Prespakis (Essendon)

Kauffman bobbed up to boot a career-high three goals in tricky conditions at Casey Fields, while Grider locks down the last defensive spot with 15 disposals, nine intercepts and seven tackles.
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Four Lions Named in AFLW All-Australian Squad

Vice-captain Nat Grider, Ally Anderson, Sophie Conway and Dakota Davidson are the quartet rewarded for their strong seasons.

It’s an extra impressive achievement for Grider with it being the third consecutive season she has been nominated after again being impressive down back.
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“Nat has had to deal some different challenges this season after we threw the captain into the midfield, she has done a great job to lead a young backline and continue to perform at a high level herself,” Lions AFLW senior coach Craig Starcevich said.
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GRIDIN’ IT OUT

The panel voted on only four players for the best player on the ground. Koenen was unanimous… earning three votes from each of the five judges. Garner deserved her plaudits as North’s best player on the ground.

The other two players were Belle Dawes and Nat Grider – the latter only received one vote, which I thought was a bit stiff but highlighted just how important one person saw her game.

She was the second-most important player on the ground for the Lions after Koenen.

I lost count by halftime. How many times did North Melbourne go forward, only to be stopped by Nat Grider marking it, spoiling it, tackling someone, or at least just affecting a potential North Melbourne scoring opportunity?

Her 16 intercept possessions were streets ahead of the following best player, Koenen, with nine for those playing at home. But she also came through with seven tackles and seven marks from 20 disposals and 11 contested possessions.

Grider has been an All-Australian in previous years and a key piece in defence since their re-rise in 2021, but this may have just been the best game we’ve seen from her.

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The Lion Queens - 2023 AFLW Premiers - The Mongrel Punt

The Brisbane Lions reign again, snagging their second AFLW flag over the Kangaroos. The Doc has all the details.
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Brisbane Lions AFLW Best and Fairest Recap

Vice-captain Nat Grider received the All For One Award in another outstanding season for the key defender who was named the 2023 All-Australian squad and played a pivotal role in the Lions 17-point win over North Melbourne in last Sunday’s Grand Final.
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