Article in this week’s local paper.
All credit to HAMS.
Includes a photo of him brushing aside St Francis in a TAC match last year…
Essendon midfielder Nash Holmes meets every challenge thrown his way during debut VFL season
Tim Michell, Moonee Valley Leader
THROW Nash Holmes a challenge and he will meet it head on.
The powerfully-built Essendon midfielder was one of the youngest players to make the Bombers’ VFL squad this year, but quickly earned a reputation as one of their most physically-imposing.
Holmes was persuaded to join Essendon by former Sale teammate Will Hams and never looked back after debuting in Round 8.
The 19-year-old finished his maiden VFL season with 12 games and 10 goals after becoming a regular member of Matthew Egan’s side.
“He’s a bull, he loves the physical contact,” Egan said of the draft prospect.
Holmes represented Vic Country at last year’s Under-18 National Championships and earned selection in the TAC Cup Team of the Year after impressing with Gippsland Power.
His form also attracted interest from AFL clubs including Essendon, Port Adelaide and Brisbane but was not enough to see him drafted.
“It was pretty disappointing when that never happened,” Holmes said.
“You’ve just got to keep working hard and never give up I guess.”
Brown said Holmes had been a key cog in the Bombers’ engine room and made a seamless transition to VFL level.
“I think he’s shown this year as a first-year player at VFL level, he just keeps rising to the level that he plays,” Brown said.
Holmes tossed up between joining Port Melbourne and Essendon after he was overlooked by AFL clubs.
His friendship with Hams was the decisive factor in his decision to join the Bombers.
“I went to school with him and used to play all my juniors with him at Sale so I’ve known him since I was young,” Holmes said.
Holmes, who lives in Newport, proved he is much more than a contested-ball magnet late in the season with prolific matches against Northern Blues and Geelong.
In the final round of the home-and-away season, he put the Blues to the sword with 27 disposals, six marks and four goals to seal Essendon’s top-eight spot.
A week later, in the cauldron of finals, Holmes slotted three majors to help Essendon score a come-from-behind win over the Cats.
“For a first-year player, he’s had a really big impact in the VFL this year,” Brown said.
Holmes has ferocious appetite for the contest, a trait Essendon was aware of before he donned the red and black jumper.
But he has become a more rounded player throughout 2016, ensuring he will be in the thoughts of AFL clubs again ahead of this year’s national and rookie drafts.
“You learn a lot in the VFL environment, the structure and method of what you’re doing instead of just ball chasing the whole time,” Holmes said.
"The coaches worked with me a lot on my kicking and just kind of how to play footy.
“Not just playing midfield and hunting the ball all day.”