The Rating of Nathan

Turbocat

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Although critics quite often rate clubs list by looking at First Round draft picks,we have very few R1 picks on our list. However, it can be difficult to trully judge our lists true rating with our plethora of Father Sons.

Deledio and Griffen have stood out this year as they did thru junior football.Top young players but not KPP. Meanwhile we all know Nathans story shying away from attention, not even playing U18's and most clubs wouldnt have paid him much mind anyway as they knew he would qualify for FS.
Now although NA is not to D & G's level at the moment, he might just have more potential upside than most in the draft.

So, just a bit of a theroetical, now that we have seen him play, now that others have seen him play, now that we have seen Deledio and Tambling and Roughead etc. if anyone could have picked him where do we think he would have gone in the draft? R1?
 

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nananana catman

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#4
Hindsight is such a wonderfull thing. His name is ABlett and hes played a good game at senior level now yes, but to use a top 10 pick on him would be irresponsible by a club, given his reluctance to play Footy.
 

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#6
He was rated by another club's recruiter as being the best tall available, which puts him at number 2. The risk was always whether he'd play or not, but if he nominated for the draft, he obviously had the interest. My view of Nathan's situation is that he has always wanted to play footy, otherwise he'd never have played at any level, but only disliked the media attention. As a result of this, if you could offer him the chance to play and be protected, then you'd be a good chance to get him onside. Not sure that any other club would've been able to get him to play though, we have his brother, and based on reports, that's the main reason why he's playing.
 

Turbocat

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WestCat said:
He was rated by another club's recruiter as being the best tall available, which puts him at number 2. The risk was always whether he'd play or not, but if he nominated for the draft, he obviously had the interest. My view of Nathan's situation is that he has always wanted to play footy, otherwise he'd never have played at any level, but only disliked the media attention. As a result of this, if you could offer him the chance to play and be protected, then you'd be a good chance to get him onside. Not sure that any other club would've been able to get him to play though, we have his brother, and based on reports, that's the main reason why he's playing.
Comon Westy , name names!! Another clubs recruiter?....
 

Kegs44

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#8
Dont no if he woulda been top 10. If he wasnt an Ablett, he aint that quick, and his reluctance to play footy surely would have out all recruiters off.
 

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#9
Turbocat said:
Comon Westy , name names!! Another clubs recruiter?....

Sorry Turbo, this wasn't a genuine "inside scoop" merely an article from the HUN mentioned early this year a recruiter say that. I think they named the club, but can't be sure, it was from about May. I only get a bit of inside info on the Dockers and Eagles.
 
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#10
Mark Harvey (essendon assistant) rates him V highly. Earlier in the year (much earlier) he said (fox footy) he was in the top couple of KPP choices in the draft and he believed he would be an absolute gun. Said he had been told by a few recruiters that he was a freak too.
 
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#11
- no interstate side would have bothered at all I think.

- other Melbourne-based sides would have looked at his reluctance/lack of a track record to measure him by and opted (in the first round at least) to take players with known potential who were genuinely keen to play. What if he never played a game at senior level, you'd kick yourself for picking him over known talent.

- another question: if there wasn't a father/son rule, would Geelong have given up a top 10 pick for him based only on his name and his form with Moddewarre?
 

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#14
phk_71 said:
- no interstate side would have bothered at all I think.

- other Melbourne-based sides would have looked at his reluctance/lack of a track record to measure him by and opted (in the first round at least) to take players with known potential who were genuinely keen to play. What if he never played a game at senior level, you'd kick yourself for picking him over known talent.

- another question: if there wasn't a father/son rule, would Geelong have given up a top 10 pick for him based only on his name and his form with Moddewarre?

Probably wouldve gone later than what he'd be worth, but he'd still go high. West Coast have a habit of picking up players who are susceptible to injury and therefore getting them cheap, worked well in picking up some quick midfielder from Victoria with 2 dodgy shoulders (which I note one is once again covered in strapping).
 

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#15
his games of less than 10 possesions have still provided some good performances, this shows the natural ability and effectivness that he has.....once he gets some experience hes gonna be a champion of the club.
 

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#17
Rhombus said:
If he had all the same attributes but his name was John Smith then probably about Pick 40.

You can't be serious?

Are you taking into account the fact that if his name was John Smith then he'd have played for the Falcons and been ahead of where he is now? If not, I still think he'd go higher. Look at his first few games, he'd be at the minimum a second round, would not go past pick 20.
 

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#18
I can be serious. I often am.

I think he's got great hands and a good footy brain but recruiters look at numerous attributes including attitude, leadership skills, aerobic capacity, aggression.

If you watched him in the VFL all year would you have agreed that a Top 20 pick was a correct one? I doubt it.

I'm not doubting he's going to be a good player or even a great one merely answering the question.
 

Turbocat

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Rhombus said:
I can be serious. I often am.

I think he's got great hands and a good footy brain but recruiters look at numerous attributes including attitude, leadership skills, aerobic capacity, aggression.

If you watched him in the VFL all year would you have agreed that a Top 20 pick was a correct one? I doubt it.

I'm not doubting he's going to be a good player or even a great one merely answering the question.
I reckon thats fair enough,the one thing you might of had to take into account is once we get outside R1 a club might think a kid with talent,thats 6-4 etc. was worth a gamble in a weak draft.Take our R2 a couple of years ago Thurley he was a guy for the VFL, a bit of gamble really.On the other hand, watching the Saints tonight tha kid Gwilt who was picked up in the 60's was good. Its just so hard to judge what somebody thinks somebody else is worth.
 

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#21
He was playing local footy, he does not have all the screws right in his head and is still not sure if he wants to be a afl player for life, and he was 19.

Would have went pick 50 if not F/S and not picked up at all if name was not Ablett.

Has done good thow so far.
 
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If N. Ablett was Nathan Smith but had equally as much talent:

1. Wouldn't have had a warped childhood growing up with his father in the media spotlight and therefore wouldn't have developed this incredible aversion to the media and publicity; therfore

2. Would have played for the Falcons and honed his game up until the age of 17 or 18; and

3. At the age of 17 or 18 would have been better and further developed as a footballer than he actually is now, after a season of VFL football and a handfull of AFL games; therfore

4. Would have been drafted as a kid with truckloads of talent, more desire to play AFL footy than he does now, more confidence and a better ability to handle the spotlight.

I've got no doubt he would have gone first round.

That said, if he didn't go father son and was still an Ablett, I think he would have gone second round because one team would surely have been willing to risk the pick on a key position player whose father was one of the all time greats.
 

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catempire said:
If N. Ablett was Nathan Smith but had equally as much talent:

1. Wouldn't have had a warped childhood growing up with his father in the media spotlight and therefore wouldn't have developed this incredible aversion to the media and publicity; therfore

2. Would have played for the Falcons and honed his game up until the age of 17 or 18; and

3. At the age of 17 or 18 would have been better and further developed as a footballer than he actually is now, after a season of VFL football and a handfull of AFL games; therfore

4. Would have been drafted as a kid with truckloads of talent, more desire to play AFL footy than he does now, more confidence and a better ability to handle the spotlight.

I've got no doubt he would have gone first round.

That said, if he didn't go father son and was still an Ablett, I think he would have gone second round because one team would surely have been willing to risk the pick on a key position player whose father was one of the all time greats.
Well done Catempire , well thought out and I think you have killed the thread
 
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