Player Watch Nathan Freeman

[JB1975]

Worthy thread. He's been up and running since September last year. Had a blistering pre season and can't feature a mention in the seconds. Second year on the list and can't get a touch playing 2nds footy. Top 10 pick in a really good draft might be wasted pick.

Not a worthy thread. Freeman has been discussed here so many times, and it has been pointed out that he didn't play any footy last year except for one pre-season match (in which he got injured), and that he needs time and games in which to adjust to the rhythm of top-level footy and to get confidence in his body again. He's a fast player, but he needs to be confident enough to hurl himself into the contests and to burst from congestion (almost sounds medical) like he did before he was drafted.

These things have been pointed out again and again, but you either don't care to hear them, disagree with them, or otherwise enjoy casting aspersions on the future of a kid who hasn't had his chance yet.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

Freeman would probably be playing in each of those sides except for maybe the Bulldogs. Also it's a bit of a stretch to say they're all playing consistent good footy, but that's nitpicking. Each of those players played a full year of footy last year and by no means did they come in straight away and make an impact. Freeman is basically a first year player, same with shaz.

If he's still playing this way this time next year then maybe we can be worried, but he's only played 4 VFL games so at this stage I'm not that worried. Strikes me as a guy who would benefit from the higher paced and cleaner AFL footy so hopefully gets a run in the back end of the year.

I accept the argument that he needs time to build up his confidence etc. But to suggest that a player who is not even making the best players in the VFL would be playing firsts at 3 other clubs is really stretching the truth. In his current form, Freeman would be playing VFL at any club.

 

[Pendles!]

I accept the argument that he needs time to build up his confidence etc. But to suggest that a player who is not even making the best players in the VFL would be playing firsts at 3 other clubs is really stretching the truth. In his current form, Freeman would be playing VFL at any club.

There's every chance he would be playing and who knows how he'd go. Those clubs just throw in the top draft picks so I think it's fair to say he'd probably be playing.

 

[Wayne Arnold]

Kelly was just dropped from GWS and Salem was taken before Freeman. The OP could at least get his shit together before stating inaccuracies in an attempt to suit his argument.

Freeman is really a first year player trying to get some confidence back in his body.

Seriously, **** this poster. About time the mods did something about it.

 

[Frankie23]

Probably the worst thread I've seen in my time here

 

[1eon]

Tbh I like THATSGOLD, his one of my favourite posters. Tells it how he sees it & I'm gathering that he's growing impatient with Freeman. It'd be handy to have him demanding Swanny's spot as it looks like the great man may be slowing a little.

With our VFL midfielders playing really well and still not getting games it shows that we've got the depth to carry Freeman and that the pressure won't be on for a while, which might help him have a breakout game a little later in the season.

I'd be more concerned about our lack of forward depth and zero excitement there.

 

[Pendles!]

Why does everyone feel the need to cut sick at thatsgold whenever he voices an opinion? It's pretty unnecessary.

I don't agree with much he says either but there's nothing wrong with just stating an argument without swearing and belittling him.

 

[THATSGOLD]

We all know the story, Scharenberg and Freeman both struck down with season ending injuries last year.

So this year was always going to be close to a write off too.

Freeman is coming from so far back, didn't have much of a pre season, missed so much running with those hamstring injuries last year that this season is all about building up his endurance base slowly.

With every extra game of VFL he plays he looks slightly better, showing patches of the player he will become.

I won't judge him at all until at least this time next year, when he hopefully has his first full pre season under his belt.

Freeman had a full pre season and was being talked about as the next big thing. Didn't he win all the time trails for the under 23s?

 

[76woodenspooners]

Seriously, **** this poster. About time the mods did something about it.

C'mon, you'd be like Jerry without Tom, or Road Runner without Wile e Cayote, or Bugs Bunny without Elma Fudd, or Kontrol without Kaos, or Batman without the Joker, or James Bond without that bloke with the fluffy white cat, or ..., or ..., or ..., or ...

 

[jmac70]

C'mon, you'd be like Jerry without Tom, or Road Runner without Wile e Cayote, or Bugs Bunny without Elma Fudd, or Kontrol without Kaos, or Batman without the Joker, or James Bond without that bloke with the fluffy white cat, or ..., or ..., or ..., or ...

Or Dora without Swiper.

 

[peter9789]

Other players from his draft are now shining. Dom Sheed is getting a regular game taken after him. Salem playing better taken after.
Billings and Bontempelli Kelly Boyd all playing regular footy not just regular but good footy now. Freeman can't even get in the best for the 2nds. Should we be now worried?

I don't think so. Ben Reid was on our list for 3 years before he really started to show something in his 4th season. All players develop differently and at different rate. I'm sure we would all love him to be showing the form of some of his fellow top 10 draft picks but given a shocking 1st year with injuries he's going to take some time.

I think he will debut this year probably toward the end of the season to give him a taste of it.


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[jmac70]

Love him or loathe him, THATSGOLD always stimulates discussion.

 

[peter9789]

Tbh I like THATSGOLD, his one of my favourite posters. Tells it how he sees it & I'm gathering that he's growing impatient with Freeman. It'd be handy to have him demanding Swanny's spot as it looks like the great man may be slowing a little.

With our VFL midfielders playing really well and still not getting games it shows that we've got the depth to carry Freeman and that the pressure won't be on for a while, which might help him have a breakout game a little later in the season.

I'd be more concerned about our lack of forward depth and zero excitement there.

Oh dear a TG devotee .... What's this board coming to [emoji12]


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[boxy99]

C'mon, you'd be like Jerry without Tom, or Road Runner without Wile e Cayote, or Bugs Bunny without Elma Fudd, or Kontrol without Kaos, or Batman without the Joker, or James Bond without that bloke with the fluffy white cat, or ..., or ..., or ..., or ...

Or collingwoodfc with out Eddie

 

[jmac70]

Or collingwoodfc with out Eddie

That's more a case of two things that cannot exist without each other. Like me and beer.

 

[rose jam]

Should see Freeman about round 15 I think

 

[popin]

Drafted pick 10. 2013.
Which round will this happen?
Will be make it?
So much talk in the off season that he was killing it. Now he seems further away from a debut. What's going on with him?

If you use common sense you would of worked out the club has told him not to sprint flat out in games and just get a good block of footy into him and just build into the season as he missed a hole year of footy so yeh did we really need another thread on him TG??
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/the-new-leaner-nathan-freeman.1093112/#post-37871160

 

[Pendles!]

If you use common sense you would of worked out the club has told him not to sprint flat out in games and just get a good block of footy into him and just build into the season as he missed a hole year of footy so yeh did we really need another thread on him TG??
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/the-new-leaner-nathan-freeman.1093112/#post-37871160

There's no way the club said to him don't sprint flat out in games...

 

[76woodenspooners]

Or Dora without Swiper.

 

[ksardog]

There's no way the club said to him don't sprint flat out in games...

Its not what the club said at all, never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

 

[popin]

There's no way the club said to him don't sprint flat out in games...

lol yep they don't tell players who are way faster than others who miss 12 months of footy with a bad hamstring injury to not put on the afterburners at top end speed. specially coming back to footy when he is still young and a club investment for the future
Nathan your not aloud to ease your self back into footy from a bad injury and you cant take your time and build into the season learning team structures and game plan

 

[Ketchup]

When he plays good footy in the 2's.

 

[nahnah]

If you can swear and be little our players then people should be able to do the same to you... sometimes he makes sense but most of the time its utter crap. We probably stuffed up this pick in the draft given the players taken after him but its not like Freeman is gonna be a complete bust that doesn't make it

 

[Pendles!]

lol yep they don't tell players who are way faster than others who miss 12 months of footy with a bad hamstring injury to not put on the afterburners at top end speed. specially coming back to footy when he is still young and a club investment for the future
Nathan your not aloud to ease your self back into footy from a bad injury and you cant take your time and build into the season learning team structures and game plan

Not sure why I'm even giving that a response, but it's pretty simple. If his body isn't right to go full on, then he wouldnt be playing. He's been over his hamstring since October last year and there would be absolutely 0 chance that the club would say "don't sprint full on". Just would not happen.

 

[Vankri]

It would be foolish to write him off considering what happened last year with his big injury but that doesn't mean we can't express concerns. One of them would be how much is he going to recover after his damaging hamstring and how much he's missed in his development, which there's nothing the club can do about. The other is what type of player he is meant to become, as with him it's been unclear even from his junior profiles.

Is he going to be a strong contested ball player a la Dangerfield breaking away from packs with speed? If so, we would hope to see some of this in the VFL as so far he's been pretty timid with his attack of the ball and hasn't shown a knack for finding the ball.

Is he going to be a speedy outsider that opens the play for us? If so, we should hope to see him using his speed to gain space at VFL level and showing more football smarts than he has so far as he seems to get caught in the play.

From 2013, McCarthy, Cripps, Dunstan, Merrett, Taylor have shown more than him while players like Acres and Sheed look to be more natural footballers (all taken after pick 10,leaving Sheed off as I'm pretty sure WC only gave us the pick upgrade with the understanding we weren't interested in Sheed).

This is Freeman's year to start showing promise and show he is a footballer and not just an athlete. If he doesn't show good, strong signs this year in the seconds then we should be worried. As one of our very few top draft picks in the past 8 years, we can't really afford for him to be a disappointment.