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Nathan Ablett

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we have given henry, charlie, etc heaps more time and they dont seem to have half the skill or potential that Nathan does. for one, he can kick better on his opposite foot than charlie or henry can on their good foot.

once he gets a bit of confidence he will be alright.
 
I thought he'd done alright in the two nab games. IIRC at half time against Port he had 4th highest possessions for us, and in the first week, he only kicked one goal, but had two hit the post, and shanked a couple of shots too.
He's at least doing better than Hank and Charlie in the Nab games so far I reckon.
 
I thought he'd done alright in the two nab games. IIRC at half time against Port he had 4th highest possessions for us, and in the first week, he only kicked one goal, but had two hit the post, and shanked a couple of shots too.
He's at least doing better than Hank and Charlie in the Nab games so far I reckon.
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Now I am confused again. Are you saying he is good or bad? Shheeessshhhh
 
i reckon its pretty simple really. think about exactly where he is in terms of his development, his background and even his personality.

for a guy who four years ago didnt even want to play AFL footy hes showing plenty. he may not be the second coming but given opportunities again this year hes going to be one of the most creative marking forwards in the comp.
 

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diablo14 said:
i reckon its pretty simple really. think about exactly where he is in terms of his development, his background and even his personality.

for a guy who four years ago didnt even want to play AFL footy hes showing plenty. he may not be the second coming but given opportunities again this year hes going to be one of the most creative marking forwards in the comp.
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Agreed,He will only get better &better with game time and self confidence. :thumbsu:
 
RememberMe said:
995 + 1 = 996
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WTF??:eek:


There are some of us with an innate desire to bag players if they don't live up to our expectations. Well I say screw you and the horse you rode in on because Nathan is going to become a very servicable player for our forward line. I am looking forward to the Hawkins/NAblett led revival we will have down the road.
 
CatmanForever said:
WTF??:eek:


There are some of us with an innate desire to bag players if they don't live up to our expectations. Well I say screw you and the horse you rode in on because Nathan is going to become a very servicable player for our forward line. I am looking forward to the Hawkins/NAblett led revival we will have down the road.
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Just getting a few cheap posts in so that I can get to 1000. This one is 998 by the way. :p
 
scottydeewah said:
Now I am confused again. Are you saying he is good or bad? Shheeessshhhh
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Definitely good :D
The Charlie and Hank thing was just trying to say even without considering NAbletts potential for improvement, that so far at the very least, he's doing better than them, which is also good. :thumbsu:
 

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The only way to compare Nathan is against his peers and against others that have come through the system. He should not be judged by his surname.

Most talented forwards would have approximately 4 years in TAC Cup development squads. They would be playing junior footy with the Falcons or equivalent since they were 15. Scott Lucas and Jonathon Brown are two names that certainly followed this path.

Nathan spent the majority of his junior days playing for a country side with his mates. He often would have the media attention thrust upon him, to which he would shy away and often remove himself from the ground.

So putting Nathan's development into perspective thus far:

He hasn't played any TAC football nor been involved at that level. He was reluctantly thrown into the AFL spotlight, and if what you hear is true was persuaded by the fact that if successful he would be able to provide a better life for not only himself but also his mother. He played much of his first year in the two's but took the world by storm with the first quarter performance against West Coast. I still believe to this day that once he kicked his fourth he deliberately went back into his shell for fear of the media spotlight that would follow should he kick anymore. He alledgedly withdrew himself from the Sydney final because he felt it was too early to be burdened by the finals pressure.

Last year he played more senior games and really had a special VFL finals series, where for the first time he played with sustained intent and dominance. Heck he even conducted an interview.

This year we again hear he continues to come out of his shell. The majority of us have seen vast improvements in his attitude and his acceptance of his talents.

Given all of this I think Nathan's first year was the equivalent of his first year of TAC Cup. It was the first time he had been in a strucutred footballing program. Last year was the equivalent of his top age TAC cup year where he became more use to the rigours of AFL and what was required at that level. He also at times dominated VFL competition. Therefore I see this year as his first real season of AFL. In his footballing development he is only marginally more advanced than Tom Hawkins.

With all of this in mind how would you rate a first year player if he had done what Nathan had done in the first two games of the NAB Cup?

The kid is going to be a star. He has more God given talent (pardon the punt) than any other tall on our list, and more talent than many other talls on other lists. He appears to be growing into the role of an AFL footballer and accepting how good he can be. Nathan will blossom over the next 1,2 and 3 years, and when he does I hope this thread is pulled back out of the archives.

As others have said if we can give H, Gardiner and others like McCarthy 4 & 5 years, Nathan deserves more because of the ability he has shown to date.

Looking forward to 2009 when GFC has the most dominant two twin towers since Lynch and Brown.
 
ezbian said:
The only way to compare Nathan is against his peers and against others that have come through the system. He should not be judged by his surname.

Most talented forwards would have approximately 4 years in TAC Cup development squads. They would be playing junior footy with the Falcons or equivalent since they were 15. Scott Lucas and Jonathon Brown are two names that certainly followed this path.

Nathan spent the majority of his junior days playing for a country side with his mates. He often would have the media attention thrust upon him, to which he would shy away and often remove himself from the ground.

So putting Nathan's development into perspective thus far:

He hasn't played any TAC football nor been involved at that level. He was reluctantly thrown into the AFL spotlight, and if what you hear is true was persuaded by the fact that if successful he would be able to provide a better life for not only himself but also his mother. He played much of his first year in the two's but took the world by storm with the first quarter performance against West Coast. I still believe to this day that once he kicked his fourth he deliberately went back into his shell for fear of the media spotlight that would follow should he kick anymore. He alledgedly withdrew himself from the Sydney final because he felt it was too early to be burdened by the finals pressure.

Last year he played more senior games and really had a special VFL finals series, where for the first time he played with sustained intent and dominance. Heck he even conducted an interview.

This year we again hear he continues to come out of his shell. The majority of us have seen vast improvements in his attitude and his acceptance of his talents.

Given all of this I think Nathan's first year was the equivalent of his first year of TAC Cup. It was the first time he had been in a strucutred footballing program. Last year was the equivalent of his top age TAC cup year where he became more use to the rigours of AFL and what was required at that level. He also at times dominated VFL competition. Therefore I see this year as his first real season of AFL. In his footballing development he is only marginally more advanced than Tom Hawkins.

With all of this in mind how would you rate a first year player if he had done what Nathan had done in the first two games of the NAB Cup?

The kid is going to be a star. He has more God given talent (pardon the punt) than any other tall on our list, and more talent than many other talls on other lists. He appears to be growing into the role of an AFL footballer and accepting how good he can be. Nathan will blossom over the next 1,2 and 3 years, and when he does I hope this thread is pulled back out of the archives.

As others have said if we can give H, Gardiner and others like McCarthy 4 & 5 years, Nathan deserves more because of the ability he has shown to date.

Looking forward to 2009 when GFC has the most dominant two twin towers since Lynch and Brown.
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This is just complete crap I reckon. He grew up with Gary snr & Jnr kicking the footy in the backyard and wondering around the Geelong Club rooms. He had plenty of opportunity to develop football nous. And 1 year in the AFL is easily worth several years of TAC Cup footy. He is 21 years old and should be treated as one.

In terms of athleticism he is pretty crap really; he is kind of slow, not that strong and doesn't seem to have a particularly big engine. Ottens has more talent in his little finger IMO. In saying that he has great timing, a good football brain and a great kick.

I think he will be a good/very good footballer but certainly not a superstar.
He does not have the aerobic capacity and Strength of a Brown/Carey or the speed and athleticism of a Pavlich/Reiwoldt.

All going well I reckon he could play at the level of Lance Whitnall .
 
DanA said:
This is just complete crap I reckon. He grew up with Gary snr & Jnr kicking the footy in the backyard and wondering around the Geelong Club rooms. He had plenty of opportunity to develop football nous. And 1 year in the AFL is easily worth several years of TAC Cup footy. He is 21 years old and should be treated as one.

In terms of athleticism he is pretty crap really; he is kind of slow, not that strong and doesn't seem to have a particularly big engine. Ottens has more talent in his little finger IMO. In saying that he has great timing, a good football brain and a great kick.

I think he will be a good/very good footballer but certainly not a superstar.
He does not have the aerobic capacity and Strength of a Brown/Carey or the speed and athleticism of a Pavlich/Reiwoldt.

All going well I reckon he could play at the level of Lance Whitnall .
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i disagree on your assessment of his athleticism. his endurance has been excellent the first couple of outings this year. hes been covering a stack of ground and hasnt been blowing a gale. i think his leg speed is deceptive because of his loping gait. he doesnt have jets like gary (either of them) but hes not a slowpoke either. hes also developed strength in the offseason, and will need time to learn how to use it. besides, hes already a great user of the body, and a strong mark, so i dont think he needs to be built like brown or carey. just remember tho, he is an ablett, so he does have the capacity to add a few more pounds.

i also think to suggest ottens is more talented than nate, but could end up as good as whitnall at best is an interesting one. especially considering whitnall has more runs on the board than ottens, weight problems and all.

i know youve dismissed this as a factor, but the fact hes only really switched on to playing league footy in the last three years is of huge importance. i would think that not coming through a junior system of any note, then fronting at a league club would be overwhelming for any young player, particularly someone as shy and retiring as nate. even if hes been around the club and around the players for years, its another thing to be pulling the jersey on yourself and learning the ins and outs of what it takes to be a player at the highest level.

the standout thing i have noticed about him tho is this. hes the only tall forward on the team, and one of only a few in the whole comp, who can create scores even when hes not getting a touch himself. ive seen us get at least three or four goals in these last two weeks from him using his body to create space, either by using his body to open a path or dragging his man away from a pack. he even seems to be able to help the ball fall in the right areas if he doesnt hold a mark. and if you think im seeing things, watch closely on friday night. we will get at least one goal from nate doing these very things.

some people are getting a bit carried away with him, some are a bit too harsh. but as ive said earlier in this thread, by the end of this season youll be seeing a quality player really starting to show what hes got, as long as he keeps working hard like he has been.
 
DanA said:
This is just complete crap I reckon. He grew up with Gary snr & Jnr kicking the footy in the backyard and wondering around the Geelong Club rooms. He had plenty of opportunity to develop football nous.
.
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So every kid who's father and or brother has played AFL can develop football nous by being around the club? How very naive. I can't see how people can compare kids who have had 3,4,5,6 years in a structured junior program can be compared to a kid who was having irregular games with his mates in a paddock outside of Geelong.

Heck Ken Hinkly was having kick to kick with his son before the Tigers game two weeks ago, I guess this is enough junior development he obviously doesn't need anything else.

Can you downplay the role of the TAC Cup and structured coaching programs any further? As I said to think about this RATIONALLY you need to forget about his surname and look at his development.
 
Mooney_d'King said:
I understand what you're getting at, but it's only the start of the guy's third season. Yes, he has a low-key approach, but his intensity at the ball, creativity and confidence are visibly improving, in my opinion. With any luck he'll be underestimated by the opposition, making him a dangerous and distracting player, and continue improving through the year. He's not up there with the best, but he's certainly showing signs of being a very good, long-term proposition for the club. Early days...
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MDK you are right there, look what happened against WCE two years ago, they underestimated him and he punished them. Sure most of the fantastic passes were from his brother, but still he looked ominous.

Look, these guys come along once in a blue moon, it takes time to develop, and I think he has come a long way from where he was. Remember he came from a country footy league, also he had an injury interupted first season which is to be expected from coming from this sort of league.

He will be a great player for us.
 

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sarah.13 said:
Agreed,He will only get better &better with game time and self confidence. :thumbsu:
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This is the big thing for me... confidence.
Most AFL players come through the ranks (i.e. local club, rep clubs, TAC etc), and along the way get talked up repeatedly (e.g. "that boy's the best in our side. He'll go a long way!"). Over the years, most AFL players have developed a fairly big head (an ingrained knowledge and attitude that they're ****-hot). They have grown up being the best player in their team, and as such being able to get out there and do as they wish on the field. This gives them the confidence (even in the AFL against other elite players) to keep doing that.
Nablett doesn't have that background so much. Sure, he was the best player probably in his little country league, but everyone always knew that he was not interested in playing AFL footy, so expectations were never the same as on others.
So, he enters pretty raw into the big boys AFL, and is expected to do as he pleases? Get real.

The more he gains confidence that he can actually play in this level, he'll begin to show the overall talent he has.
Did you see the mark he took in the wet last week? Clean hands (sure, he played on and missed the ball with his kick:p ), and a good footy mind.
Match those things with confidence, and he'll be a damn good player in years to come.:thumbsu:
 
One of the commentators (I think on SEN but for some reason had picked up the regional channel in the first qtr) said that Nathan has extrodinary skills at ground level for a big man and was just about the best in the league below his knees for a KPP.

A fairly interesting comment I thought as his ground level play wasn't anything that had stood out to me. After watching Saturdays replay though I am convinced. Whilst the Fox commentators developed a half mongrel at the Djerka one handed pick ups (and rightly so mind you) Nathan went about his business and scooped up the pill on numerous occasions in heavy traffic and then fed off a well weighted handball to a team mate. The boy has wonderful ground skills and will continue to grow as a player as he gains confidence in himself and his teammates gain confidence in him. I know it's early days but up until this year his brother was the only one who would honour his leads. Slowly but surely his team mates will develop the confidence required to kick the pill to him 1 on 1 and that's when he'll show us how good he can be.

Keep the faith Catters.
 
Rosso said:
One of the commentators (I think on SEN but for some reason had picked up the regional channel in the first qtr) said that Nathan has extrodinary skills at ground level for a big man and was just about the best in the league below his knees for a KPP.

A fairly interesting comment I thought as his ground level play wasn't anything that had stood out to me. After watching Saturdays replay though I am convinced. Whilst the Fox commentators developed a half mongrel at the Djerka one handed pick ups (and rightly so mind you) Nathan went about his business and scooped up the pill on numerous occasions in heavy traffic and then fed off a well weighted handball to a team mate. The boy has wonderful ground skills and will continue to grow as a player as he gains confidence in himself and his teammates gain confidence in him. I know it's early days but up until this year his brother was the only one who would honour his leads. Slowly but surely his team mates will develop the confidence required to kick the pill to him 1 on 1 and that's when he'll show us how good he can be.

Keep the faith Catters.
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I was listening to SEN after the game and one commentator said he looked Kouta-esk circa '96. If he becomes as good as Kouta, look out!
I still reckon he needs more time. This year to establish himself in the seniors, next to break out and show us what he's really made of.....
 
The thing is i am not 100% convinced (although i am dreaming ) that he will be a superstar. But I think he will be rather handy and at least be able to hold down a KP spot and have the ability to do it in a side that is having a go at flag.
 

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