Nablett Does An Interview

[carn_the_cattas]

Ablett in old territory
03 December 2005 Herald Sun
By Andrew Aloia, Alice Springs

THE burden of the Ablett name continues to weigh heavily on Nathan's shoulders.

The second son of Geelong great Gary Ablett continues to shy away from the media and questions about his father.

In Alice Springs yesterday, Nathan, 19, spoke to a scrum of Gillian Primary School students about how he got involved in the game.

But requests for an interview were met with a firm no.

No names were mentioned but he told the kids that his father "played a bit of football".

On a three-day development tour, Nathan joined fellow second-year players Brent Prismall, Tim Sheringham, Nick Batchelor and Cats assistant coach Leigh Tudor in the Red Centre.

Visiting indigenous children at the Nyangatjatjara College outside Yulara, the small township near Uluru, the Geelong players mixed with youngsters from the remote communities of Imanpa, Docker River and Mutitjulu.

Sheringham said the Territory visit had opened the players' eyes to another side of football -- a side he was wary of.

"You don't realise until you get out and make appearances that kids do idolise you," Sheringham said.

"It is kind of ridiculous. I'm nothing yet and they still love you. By the end of the week they are hugging you, it was amazing."

Sheringham said the trip to Yulara was a unique induction to the public side of AFL.

While only a tentative step, he can sympathise with Nathan Ablett, who has had to deal with attention since he first kicked a football.

"I'm the same as Nathan. I don't like the attention around football," he said.

"I'd say all of us (second-year players) are pretty shy. I would hate it if I was him. So I guess it's good that I'm not."

Nathan Ablett did give an interview on local radio but the announcers were warned off asking about his father.

It may have been a small step but Cats coach Leigh Tudor said Nathan did well to deal with the attention.

"As role models in their first year they may not understand that they should act like role models because they have come from simple club football and maybe a bit of under-18s.

"Nathan has been fantastic. He did his media piece like all the rest of them."

Sheringham said Ablett was starting to warm to football life.

"I can see it myself that in his second year he has opened up a bit and is starting to talk to players more.

"Even last year he was not calling players by their nicknames and he has now started to."

 

[Tweak Talent]

Good sign that he's starting to warm to the afl environment!

 

[cats2rise]

"Even last year he was not calling players by their nicknames and he has now started to."

thats abit wierd but shows he is warming to the life at GFC. Good on him

 

[Turbocat]

Anyone waiting for NA to be like everyone else is waiting in vain. I doubt he will ever be like everyone else. Is this that bad? I dont think so.
He is a talented forward who in his short time has shown enough to make one think he is probably the most talented key forward on our list, certainly the one who has shown in his few games things that others havent. This in itself will garner attention, on top of that is the obvious , the family link.
The remedy? Better get use to it cause if you want to dance you have to pay the band.

Id like to see him talk about the football of his old man, talk about the skills side of it, how he always encouraged the use of both sides of the body etc.100% footy issues.Anything else should be dealt with like a telephone sales person "No thank you"

I know its hard for him. My impression is that through his younger years he dealt with issue 2 by removing himself from an area that might result in question or attention, so I doubt he will ever be as natural as his brother in dealing with the media, he will more likely be more like his old man and stay as far away from them possible.The difference is that todays footy has so much more coverage, so much more competition from other sports that any player with talent will be under the microscope even more so than 80/90's.

I know give him time.Yes,yes, I agree.All I want is him to be as comfortable as possible and I see that as jumping the hurdle not being shy of it.

 

[Conan Troutman]

thats abit wierd but shows he is warming to the life at GFC. Good on him

I am a pretty quiet one myself, or used to be anyway, and I can understand where he's coming from. It can take time to feel like you belong or fit in to a group, and part of that being using nicknames that rest of the group has for someone.
But anyway, the thing I find weirdest is that they wrote a newspaper article about it. Since when do you read about a player because they did a radio interview?
That's the sort crap that makes me understand why he wants to avoid the media. Highlighting him for virtually no reason. I'd assume he aviods the media cause he doesn't want to be singled out or stand out, and this article is doing exactly that.

 

[Conan Troutman]

Anyone waiting for NA to be like everyone else is waiting in vain. I doubt he will ever be like everyone else. Is this that bad? I dont think so.

Spot on there man. Definitely nothing wrong it.

It'd good to see Bomber taking in the quiet/shy players, which them knowing Bomber doesn't care about it would help IMO. It might take time to be comfortable with the other players, but they'll get there, and who cares about the media, they can f**k off. Milburn and Scarlett are doing just fine without playing the media game. Hopefully they can keep off NA's back too.

 

[cats2rise]

Anyone waiting for NA to be like everyone else is waiting in vain. I doubt he will ever be like everyone else. Is this that bad? I dont think so.
He is a talented forward who in his short time has shown enough to make one think he is probably the most talented key forward on our list, certainly the one who has shown in his few games things that others havent. This in itself will garner attention, on top of that is the obvious , the family link.
The remedy? Better get use to it cause if you want to dance you have to pay the band.

Id like to see him talk about the football of his old man, talk about the skills side of it, how he always encouraged the use of both sides of the body etc.100% footy issues.Anything else should be dealt with like a telephone sales person "No thank you"

I know its hard for him. My impression is that through his younger years he dealt with issue 2 by removing himself from an area that might result in question or attention, so I doubt he will ever be as natural as his brother in dealing with the media, he will more likely be more like his old man and stay as far away from them possible.The difference is that todays footy has so much more coverage, so much more competition from other sports that any player with talent will be under the microscope even more so than 80/90's.

I know give him time.Yes,yes, I agree.All I want is him to be as comfortable as possible and I see that as jumping the hurdle not being shy of it.

We should get that stickied on this board by itself so when people are doubting him next year if he plays a bad game...

 

[cats2rise]

But anyway, the thing I find weirdest is that they wrote a newspaper article about it. Since when do you read about a player because they did a radio interview?

You're right, thats the wierdest thing i have ever read thinking about it. Shows the hype around him though doesnt it? Its sort of like a story within a story.

 

[scottydeewah]

Its sort of like a story within a story.

hehe we know what you meant but i think

Its sort of not like a story within a...WTF just happened?

would be more appropriate.

 

[Druid]

just a feeling i have, but i reckon that if young nathan is to achieve everything out of footy that he can he'll need to embrace his heritage learn to live with it and not allow it to become a stumbling block

at the moment i reckon he's still thinking too much about it coz it is affecting the way he deals with team-mates support staff media and the public hence it is an interruption to clear thinking about his game and how to improve it

he's still very young, so he'll probably come to terms with it all as he matures

 

[scottydeewah]

just a feeling i have, but i reckon that if young nathan is to achieve everything out of footy that he can he'll need to embrace his heritage learn to live with it and not allow it to become a stumbling block

Sort of like Luke Skywalker?

 

[catempire]

Sort of like Luke Skywalker?

LOL! Nice scotty.

 

[Druid]

Sort of like Luke Skywalker?

i suppose the force is strong in his family