Nathan didn’t want to play because he had a growing faith and wanted to complete Bible study whilst playing only casually (lower leagues) not with the rigours and pressures of AFL footy and not with the added pressure of being Snr’s son. No amount of “support” would have changed that.
You are putting the blame on the clubs and i am saying that is unfair and that sometimes there are a lot of factors ion why things happen the way they do.
You want black and white when the situation will never fit under that due to a lot of factors.
People forget he is only 22. Did he not have several injuries during his junior years and the start of his senior career? I think the club took him as a longer term prospect, so they have to give him a bit more time than they would others.
I’m not saying it’s black and white, I’m saying clubs need to be covered for all eventualities.
I still think the right guidance could have got Nathan more focused on footy.
Localising it back to us for a second, boot mentioned 3 alternate circumstances why 3 kids didn’t go too have moderate success at AFL level.
While all those reasons are certainly true. I can tell you for a fact that 2 of those really struggled with the surname they had at the Essendon football club. Now revionist thinking says that maybe further investment into this specific area may helped made one of them get over that particular hump. In which case it could be a sound investment.
I actually know an interstate club that used an exit interview from a delisted FS as th catalyst to try and get the AFL to abolish the father son rule, and it ended being the catalyst for the player opt in by-law
Go find a ex player in this situation, you will find the common theme that the surname is fine when you’re playing well, but is a compounding factor when you’re stuggling.
Obviously mods felt it was antagonistic and removed it. As a law abiding citizen, I changed it to the current title, which I will soon become bored with, and change it to something which will probably get me banned…again!
Anyone that has seen our goal kicking will tell you, we definitely do not have a sports psychologist.
In the current climate, where a huge part of performance is about mental and psychological application… the fact a club like ours doesn’t have a sport psychologist is unbelievable.