Will N.Ablett start this year?

[chapmanmagic35]

Come Round 1 Vs Brisbane, will he be in the 22?

We all know what he can do. That Round 21 game against the Eagles last season was something to behold!

But I struggle to see him fitting in, especially when he's competing for spots with Lonergan, McCarthy and Spencer as another tall (Yes, I know some of these guys play at different ends of the ground).

As much as I loved seeing N.Ablett debut last season, I really thought Spencer deserved the place ahead of him due to his consistent form in the VFL. He's still very inexperienced in the AFL system and I just get the feeling that people (not saying BigFooty posters necessarily, just people in general) expect him to naturally take the next step.

Thoughts?

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

like you said, his game against the eagles was something special for a 2 game veteran of the AFL. In fact, he gave us something we hadn't seen since ronnie burns departed, and we only manage to get glimpses of from dog - x-factor. Spencer is an honest workhorse, and I like the way he goes about it, but Nathan brings something more to the table than guts. He may not play every game this year, but he'll play in a lot of them.

 

[scottydeewah]

Presence, the boy has it. There were a couple of marks others took in our forward 50 on the weekend that were taken uncontested cause a man left to help cover Nathan. Commands respect.

 

[JUBJUB]

But I struggle to see him fitting in, especially when he's competing for spots with Lonergan, McCarthy and Spencer as another tall (Yes, I know some of these guys play at different ends of the ground).

Competing with McCarthy ???
That's the funniest thing I've read.

McCarthy is injured [plus he's hopeless],so he's not competing with him.Spencer plays in defence,so he's not competing with him.Lonergan is the only one of those you listed that he is competing with.

If H and Ottens play round 1 [H might be the doubtful one of the two],then Nathan might miss out or play off the bench.

 

[scottydeewah]

Nathan has more to offer than Lonners.

I have spoken!

 

[catempire]

Got to agree with Jub here. There’s a chance he’ll miss out but it won’t be due to McCarthy, Spencer and Lonergan. It will be due to Playfair and Ottens coming back.

 

[Rosso]

Had a stinker on Saturday night but as I have said previously, he has lined up at FF or CHF in the intraclub games on Scarlett on both occasions. As long as he kicks a few over the remainder of our preseason games he'll be in the starting 22.

 

[Jack-Packenham]

He has got to get more busy and at least look half interested.

Maybe preseason games to him are not important, like the VFL last year. As soon as it gets to the real stuff he might just go BANG.

 

[thehoff]

Sorry to rain on your parade but Spencer is a not a very goodfootballer. Nathan is light years ahead of him.

He is another footballer that will be consistent at VFL level but will never play more than 20-30 AFL games for any club.

He is unable to take the next step and looks out of his league with the big boys. I've seen both of his Senior appearances now. Against Carlton, Telstra Dome, Friday night and against Essendon, Bendigo last season.

On both occassions he looked second rate & slow.

If i was on the selection panel, choosing Spencer before Nathan would be considered a crime that deserved the death penalty. As many people have mentioned. Nathan is a class act. Spencer is not.

 

[tusk]

If Nathan is to take the next step, surely we must play him as much as we can.

I can only see him getting better and playing stronger around Ottens, KK, his brother and co, when the season proper gets started.

 

[scottydeewah]

He has got to get more busy and at least look half interested.

I think he might be one of those players who will always look a bit like they are cruising even when they are not. He just has that slow lope about him when he doesnt have the ball. I agree though that he does have to do more of the pressuring etc but that will come as he gets fitter and more mature.

 

[kriso182]

We must play him from the Goal Sqaure. He gets lost when he moves outside 50. He seemed to be outside 50 almost all night on Saturday.

 

[nananana catman]

Ive got a lot of time for him, but Spencer is pants. He was woeful on Saturday.

 

[ezbian]

If Nathan is to take the next step, surely we must play him as much as we can.

I can only see him getting better and playing stronger around Ottens, KK, his brother and co, when the season proper gets started.

Exactly right. This guy will blossom being the third or fourth forward. He also needs to play out of the square, I think playing him up the ground on Saturday night was just an experiment. Come season proper he will stay closer to goal, just like last year.

The talent this kid has, was typified by a passage of play in the second quarter. Nathan up against the boundary on the 50, swung on to his left, and perfectly placed a ball on to Kelly's chest. Not too many blokes on our list look so natural on their opposite side, nor would they be able to float a ball 50m across the goal face onto a team mate's chest.

Nath @ FF T.Hawkins @ CHF. These next few years will be the start of a dynasty. This group will wash away the disappoinment of the 90's.

 

[della]

Nathan will play his fair share of games but i am not sure he is in our best 22, we have to be careful we don't loo9k to top heavy with players like Ottens, Playfair, Mooney, King, Egan all big blokes, we need to find room for bomber and tenace as they have pace something we lack in our midfield.

Agree Nathan needs to be played close to goal as he does seem to get lost up the ground, but i don't see playfair, ottens and Nathan all on the ground at once, not enough mobillty.

In saying that i believe in a few years we will see the best of Nathan, look how long it took mooney to come on, and when u look at the fact Nathan realy didn't come thru the right sort of junior program it's easy to see the kid must have alot of natural talent to do what he did on debut etc.

Still this isnt the year that Nathan will star, but his time will come.

 

[CatFanatic]

He has got to get more busy and at least look half interested.

Maybe preseason games to him are not important, like the VFL last year. As soon as it gets to the real stuff he might just go BANG.

I was privelidged enough to play a lot of footy and then umpire 400+ games.
Lots of the good footballers I saw were like NA and just seemed to do things so easy that they looked almost lazy. (like NA's centering kick on Sat Night)
I am hoping that he is in this category.

 

[chapmanmagic35]

Competing with McCarthy ???
That's the funniest thing I've read.

McCarthy is injured [plus he's hopeless],so he's not competing with him.Spencer plays in defence,so he's not competing with him.Lonergan is the only one of those you listed that he is competing with.

If H and Ottens play round 1 [H might be the doubtful one of the two],then Nathan might miss out or play off the bench.

Yes, as I posted earlier, I know they play different positions but they're still competing to become an extra tall.

I believe that Ablett has more talent than those players but it doesn't necessarily mean that he's ahead of them.

Spencer was incredibly unlucky not to get that game in Round 20 ahead of Ablett.

 

[Turbocat]

Nathan will play his fair share of games but i am not sure he is in our best 22, we have to be careful we don't loo9k to top heavy with players like Ottens, Playfair, Mooney, King, Egan all big blokes, we need to find room for bomber and tenace as they have pace something we lack in our midfield.

Agree Nathan needs to be played close to goal as he does seem to get lost up the ground, but i don't see playfair, ottens and Nathan all on the ground at once, not enough mobillty.

In saying that i believe in a few years we will see the best of Nathan, look how long it took mooney to come on, and when u look at the fact Nathan realy didn't come thru the right sort of junior program it's easy to see the kid must have alot of natural talent to do what he did on debut etc.

Still this isnt the year that Nathan will star, but his time will come.

So much of what youve said is spot on (at least to me)
He probably isnt in our best 22 , does this mean we dont play him? Id say if we had a close look at the history of Thomspon there have been several players that were in our best 22 and couldnt get a game because of our desire to advance of youth.Arnott for one,Mench for another. Nathan should be played as long as he is up for the challenge, and giving a rest in the V's against weeker opposition if his confiendence or form drops.
The top heavy thing is worth watching but its hard to judge without trying it. I remember on goal he got last year, (against Richmond?)he swung the ball over his shoulder in on of the Hickey/Wade pockets for a goal. I think he has more to offer with lose balls than KK. The forwardline looked good for the two quarters that Ottens lasted against Melbourne.
It may take till 2008 before he really is one of our key forwards but im sure he can stackup 30-50 games in a support role before he is really ready for it

 

[ezbian]

The forwardline looked good for the two quarters that Ottens lasted against Melbourne.
It may take till 2008 before he really is one of our key forwards but im sure he can stackup 30-50 games in a support role before he is really ready for it

Spot on Turbocat. Against Melbourne we looked as dangerous as we had done for some time. Ottens was up and about, and commanding not only the best defender, but because of his height and strength, also got the guy dropping off Nath and Kent to help cover. I remember sitting there watching the second quarter of that game, going wow, we are on here and they don't have enough talls to cover us.

I am a bit sceptical about the top heavy argument purely because the fact Kent is quick on foot, and Johnno, Gaz and Chappy are all class so it almost allows us to carry a fourth big guy because our smalls are so good.

 

[cats2rise]

Nath @ FF T.Hawkins @ CHF. These next few years will be the start of a dynasty. This group will wash away the disappoinment of the 90's.

I loved the sound of that

 

[finrod]

I don't know why so many of you are so optimistic about NA. Apart from the West Coast game, he has shown nothing to me to prove anything other than he is an average footballer...

 

[cats2rise]

I don't know why so many of you are so optimistic about NA. Apart from the West Coast game, he has shown nothing to me to prove anything other than he is an average footballer...

He is the son of the great man himself, their is always going to be hype.

Everyone said he played a shocker in the elimination, but i think his presence was fantastic. Melbourne were always trying to put a man in the hole in front of him so he made heaps of dumy leads.... Smart footballer

 

[Turbocat]

I don't know why so many of you are so optimistic about NA. Apart from the West Coast game, he has shown nothing to me to prove anything other than he is an average footballer...

OK, fine he hasn't shown you that anything other than he is an average footballer. Does that mean you think he will remain one. Does that mean you see more potential in some other tall on our list?
He is by no means a complete player, he is seemingly lathargic or appears to waddle(can remember another Ablett like that)at times but what I like is the stuff he does on auto.The stuff , thats very hard to teach and its not just the goals. Name another tall kid that we have brought in that has worried the defenders like him.Did you see the Melbourne final? The free kick he got was thru an up the ground lead, not a flank lead. Thru their fear he sucked another extra defender,got hit high and went back and kicked the goal.If the the ball spilled in that position,our small guys would have had a better chance of goaling. It would have been easier to lead wide, pick up only your own defender but you then pull the pass wide, get it and have harder shot or get totally ignored. His leads are generally good, too good for most of our guys.In another 50 games they will be very good because will learn select and waste less. His brother reads him better at the moment but the others will catch on.
Its the small things that impress me, and from small things big things grow.

 

[MeeSo]

He's a smart player but will drift in and out until he gains experience just like any other tall kid. Considering his complete lack of junior development he's already well in front of where I expected him to be.

 

[thehoff]

I don't know why so many of you are so optimistic about NA. Apart from the West Coast game, he has shown nothing to me to prove anything other than he is an average footballer...

Pal,

Please spare me of your crap.

How many other tall KPP players have averaged more than 2 goals a game after their first 4 games?

This guy is playing on nothing but natural talent.

He is looking better each time i see him. This year alone, he looks fitter, faster and is even starting to development some real muscle.

I have heard from one of the players themself that alot of the teams plans and structured around Nathan being a focal point.

Nathan commands respect. There are not too many forwards with 4 games experience that gain the type of attention. Even if he does not kick 2-3 goals a game, the opposition defenders will be wary of his precense based purely on his name and what he did against West Coast. Worst case scenario, he frees Kent or Otto to kick 5 goals a game.

Just remember that Gary Jnr did not burst onto the scene either and look at him now. Natural talent + a little hard work = Very good footballer.

IMO, this kid should be in our starting 22 and play in the magoo's randomly to gain some confidence and dominate defences.