NA23 and his No Play Contract

Turbocat

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There are persistant coments/rumours that the reluctant recruit is now a reluctant debutant. Apparently he holds the whip hand on when he steps up to play with the big boys.He has the final say!! Added to this is stuff like reported tonight on 3AW that he has tried to get scorers to change his goal scored tally from 5 to 2 goals.Now in general , forget the name, any kid that would have only played local footy would take a season or two of the V's before being ready to step to the A's but from what I've seen he will be pressing for selection far earlier than that as long as he is commited.
Question , how can you play to your potential if as a consequence of that play you place yourself in a position and under pressure to be elevated when you dont want to be elevated in the first place?
Has anybody got the real dope cause this stuff is worring for the now and the future?
 

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LongBomb

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#3
Sounds like absolute rubbish.

Could have been Leonmagic and Total package calling in for all we know.
 

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#4
What a complete and total load of C R A P !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3 Absolute Wankers are living up to their name again
 
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Admin #7
I'd put my money on him debuting in either rounds 13(in Brisbane) or 15(in Sydney), but being named emergency in about 4 matches leading up to it as well as the debut match itself.

As for the above story, was this the same bloke who said Nathan's mate from Modewarre would be picked as a rookie?
 

Turbocat

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Jim Boy said:
I'd put my money on him debuting in either rounds 13(in Brisbane) or 15(in Sydney), but being named emergency in about 4 matches leading up to it as well as the debut match itself.

As for the above story, was this the same bloke who said Nathan's mate from Modewarre would be picked as a rookie?
If you are infering that it was I who stated the so called info about the mate from Moddie, you are wrong.As I said , Its bit hard to see how anybody would be able to play well if at the same time your trying to aviod recognition and therefore promotion.I raised it only because I had heard refered to on AW, no not just DRussell , but others.
I would have played him Round 1 and got it over and done with against the team that finished last on the ladder in 04 but I'll leave to Bombers judgement when he feels its right.
 

JUBJUB

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#10
Turbocat said:
There are persistant coments/rumours that the reluctant recruit is now a reluctant debutant. Apparently he holds the whip hand on when he steps up to play with the big boys.He has the final say!! Added to this is stuff like reported tonight on 3AW that he has tried to get scorers to change his goal scored tally from 5 to 2 goals.
Turbo
Did someone ring in and say this crap or was it just the usual dribble from Dwayne Russell ?

I doubt Gerard Healy would've said it.
 

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#11
I don't see why Geelong would have him on the list if they knew he wouldn't play any games. If that was the case, why wouldn't they put him on the VFL top up list and then draft him next year? That way they could have used pick 45 (?) on another kid and another chance at a star.
 

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Turbocat

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JUBJUB said:
Turbo
Did someone ring in and say this crap or was it just the usual dribble from Dwayne Russell ?

I doubt Gerard Healy would've said it.
Jub , the first mention of it apparently was on the "rumour file" ,the title does speak for itself. Ross Stevenson stated something like that he believed that NA had a contract that would guarantee that he would not play a senior game this year. A morning or two after that when talking to that solid "Geelong Supporter", Jon Anderson RS repeated the same but Anderson disagreed and said he thought that NA would play a senior game at some time this year.
Well , I thought not much more than the usual bulltish coming from a radio show until listening to the Sports tonight prog when Russell,Heally and Dr Turf were talking amongst themselves. Eg.(parphrase , not the excact quote) "Dwayne, Ive heard that young Nathan has a special clause that enables him to specify when he plays seniors, have you heard anything etc"."Ive also heard that he has apparently been asking scorers to change the record of him kicking 5 goals into 2".It was more Turf and Healy than Russell but of course they might just be starting so he can talk without it looking like he brought it up.

The reason I started this thread was only that in a way NA is obviously far more like his father than GAJ. He seems to effortlessly draw attention but also he seems complex and may well be the toughest man management task Thompson and the rest of them have had in their time. I hope lessons from the past have been learnt and although some players are special , there are some lines no players should be allowed to cross for the greater good of our club. Has this started to happen, Ive got no idea but I hope not.

These days it must be dammed hard to accept the scrutany on them. Everytime they go to the shop,fill up the car,go for for a meal in a pub, they are under the gaze of the public. As much as Id like to sit down and have beer and talk footy to a player, I could just imagine how totally boring it would be for them to talk footy with Joe public.Id suspect the last thing they want to do is talk footy to somebody outside their inner core that has has inane comments like "Why dont you just kick it".

To help them put up with this attention, most player burn to play AFL.They want it bad,they dream it, they taste it, they are preocupied with it.They do the hard yards,play the state comps, put their name in the raffle that is draft day because they are focused and want it beyond all else.When picked and finally get on a list they usually have a fair period of VFL obsucirty before they start to get noticed.Someone like Sanderson whos been through the ringer would welcome attention,recognise it part of the"job" but also be mature enough to handle it,not letting it effect the private him.

This is why I worry about somone who we had to talk into playing for us, who was more than happy playing social footy.Does he want it bad enough to play by the rules , put up with crap? I really hope so but as I said I think we, "GFC", might be in for some challenges
 
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#15
I just dont think

A) Cook would be bullied around by a 19 year old kid no matter how good he was. Cook is a VERY smart man.
b) Hi bro would let him get away with that crap. Garry appears to have genuine love for the club, his brother and him grew up in the rooms.
c) Nathan would be this arrogant. I have heard he is more shy than arrogant. I cant really imagine the guy DEMANDING things like changing offical game records.

It just sounds stupid. Hopefully the guy can play well and Garry can have the spotlight for his acting career. The media write a lot now about Jnr but i dont see it as harrasment, this isnt Hollywood, they dont have paparazzi chasing them through tunnels, no I think they will be fine. Garry is confident now and I believe given time Nathan will either make the seniors, keep to himself and the media will write article on article about him or not make it and the media will write article and article about his bro.
 

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#16
Hang on a second, guys. If there were any truth to this then why would the club have gone to the AFL and asked about getting the number 1000 printed on his jumper? They obviously feel that he'll be debuting soon........ very soon.....
 

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#17
answerman said:
Hang on a second, guys. If there were any truth to this then why would the club have gone to the AFL and asked about getting the number 1000 printed on his jumper? They obviously feel that he'll be debuting soon........ very soon.....
It was the Herald Sun that made out Nablett would be the 1000th player.The club said "he's one of a few possibilities" [i.e Egan,Thurley,Blake ...etc].
 

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#18
I remember when Garry started they siad they wouldn't rush him into the side, but they played him round one. I'm not expecting them to rush him into the side that soon, but I reckon he may come in earlier than we think.

It's one big conspiracy :O
 

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#19
JUBJUB said:
It was the Herald Sun that made out Nablett would be the 1000th player.The club said "he's one of a few possibilities" [i.e Egan,Thurley,Blake ...etc].
Fair enough. :)

BTW, I heard Billy say on SEN this morning that N Ablett will be a 2-3 year player..... Uh-oh, I smell a rat. We might see him in the senior side by ROUND 2 or 3, not year 2 or 3.

Depends how his left knee is holding up, though.
 
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#20
It would also depend on how the team is going, injuries.

If we are winning with Kent, Ottens/King, Big H and the small forwards are making a contribution then why rush him?

If Kent and Big H both went down with injuries in round one...expect Nathan running around Subiaco rd2.

If we are winning, stick him in the Gym and let him towel a few VFL full backs to get his confidence up. I dont think anyone doubts his pedigree and natural talent but it will take more than a name and few bags in the VFL to make it in the big leagues.

I dont think the coaching stuff will have a set date. They wouldnt go, alright round 8 he debuts, sometime back in November last year when he signed up. They will play it "week by week" like the old cliche.

Gary also came into a team that was far weaker and he is a smaller forward pocket type. Nathan is a big KPP, they usually take a bit longer. He needs to get into the gym.
 

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#21
scottydeewah said:
It would also depend on how the team is going, injuries.

If we are winning with Kent, Ottens/King, Big H and the small forwards are making a contribution then why rush him?

If Kent and Big H both went down with injuries in round one...expect Nathan running around Subiaco rd2.

If we are winning, stick him in the Gym and let him towel a few VFL full backs to get his confidence up. I dont think anyone doubts his pedigree and natural talent but it will take more than a name and few bags in the VFL to make it in the big leagues.

(snip)

Gary also came into a team that was far weaker and he is a smaller forward pocket type. Nathan is a big KPP, they usually take a bit longer. He needs to get into the gym.
You think so? I've stood near him several times, once after training and he only in his shorts. The guy is big already. He's physically ready to play senior football NOW! But it's his mentality that is the real issue. Not his body or strength or skills or ability.
 
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#22
The guy is big already. He's physically ready to play senior football NOW! But it's his mentality that is the real issue. Not his body or strength or skills or ability.
He is big but check out how ripped the big boys are in the league, he still has a bit of puppy fat. I am not saying he isnt ready, but I would like to see him after a year of professional weights coaching!!

As i said, he will play when we need him
 

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Thread starter #23
IN TODAYS' HUN , March30 Pg74

AT THE BAR WITH JON ANDERSON AND MARK ROBINSON
...

JA - Terry Wallace is a savvy media performer but he stuffed with the criticism of Ottens and Geelong.All it did was gavanise them

MR - They look good your boys, very good and lets be honest when Nathan decides to play, the excitment factor will go further through the roof

JA - He played at Punt Rd on Sunday but left the ground early with one suggestion being he became uncomfortable when the crowd started to build up on the way to the MCG

MR - Serious? If it is, hell struggle to play a single game.Could become a major issue for Bomber

JA - In terms of playing AFL he was a basket case just eight months ago.So the club has done well to get him there.He's not ready for senior footy physically or mentally , despite some of the ludicrous asessments we have heard over summer
....

Does anyone know how much time he spent on the Punt Rd oval?Gee's this stuff just keeps coming up, ready or not if they played him it would settle down.
 

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#24
I think the best thing to happen in the Ablett saga is that Kingsley bagged 4 and H kicked a couple. At the moment we just don't need him, and with SJ and Charlie coming back, we probably won't need him for a while.
 
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WestCat said:
I think the best thing to happen in the Ablett saga is that Kingsley bagged 4 and H kicked a couple. At the moment we just don't need him, and with SJ and Charlie coming back, we probably won't need him for a while.
Absolutely. Let him adjust to life in the VFL and down the track when things are a bit more settled he'll be considered if things keep going the way they are.
 
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