- Nathan Krakouer
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Nathan Krakouer 
Nathan Krakouer playing for Port Adelaide
during the 2007 AFL SeasonPersonal information Full name Nathan Rhys Krakouer Date of birth 5 May 1988 Original team Claremont (WAFL) Draft #39, 2006 National Draft, Port Adelaide Height/Weight 182cm / 78kg Position(s) Midfielder / Defender Club information Current club Gold Coast Number 14 Playing career1 Years Club Games (Goals) 2007–2010
2011–
TotalPort Adelaide
Gold Coast40 (7)
13 (8)
53 (15)1 Playing statistics to end of 2011 season .Career highlights - Inaugural Gold Coast team
Nathan Krakouer (born 5 May 1988) is an Australian Rules Footballer and an Indigenous Australian. He is the nephew of former North Melbourne football players Jimmy Krakouer and Phil Krakouer and cousin of current Collingwood player Andrew Krakouer.
Contents
Early life
Krakouer began his junior football in Western Australia before playing senior football with the Claremont Football Club at a young age.
In 2006 he represented Australia's indigenous youth on tour to South Africa with the "Flying Boomerangs" to play against the South African national Australian rules team.[1]
He was invited to 2006 AFL Draft Camp where despite weighing just 61 kilograms he impressed scouts with both acceleration and standing jump for his height.
Port Adelaide career
2007
The slightly-built rookie teenager was recruited by AFL club Port Adelaide Power in the 2006 AFL Draft. He was the player the Power was most surprised to be able to pick when it grabbed him at No. 39. Krakouer shone at the 2006 AFL Draft camp in Canberra, setting a sizzling time in the 20 metre sprint on the second day of the camp. His time of 2.83 seconds puts his result in the top handful of all time, out of nearly a thirty players over the last 12 or 13 months. [1]
Wearing the number 29 guernsey, he has played 11 games for Port in his debut 2007 AFL Season, despite coach Mark Williams earlier predicting that he would not play for at least 2 years. As at the end of Round 7, he had an impressive total of 48 kicks, 24 marks, 18 handballs, 66 disposals and 4 goals. [2]
His explosive speed and raw talent has been progressively emerging throughout the season. Notably, he played a crucial role in securing a win over North Melbourne in Round 2, with a significant hand in 3 Port goals in 15 minutes; 3 such goals being in the last five minutes of the game. Krakouer was also the only Power player to take more than one inside-50 mark in Port's loss to the Crows in Showdown XXII.
As at the end of Round 7, Krakouer is ranked 6th among the AFL Rising Stars in total kicks and total marks, and 7th in total goals.[3]
2008
In 2008, Krakouer managed just 3 games for the Power due to recurring soft tissue injuries, and was granted permission by the club to return home to Western Australia after suffering a season-ending hamstring strain in round 15. This led to speculation that Krakouer would seek a potential trade to the Fremantle Football Club or West Coast Eagles, two West Australian based clubs. However this never happened, with Krakouer stating: "I had a talk to Choco (Williams) and I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t tell him I wanted to go back. I felt like I couldn’t just walk out and I’m glad I didn’t."[2]
2009, move to defence
In 2009, an improvement in fitness and bulk in Krakouer saw him move to the backlines playing as a "sweeper role" and essentially replacing Peter Burgoyne who returned to his original position as a midfielder. Krakouer was dominant in this role, averaging over 20 possessions in the 2009 NAB Cup, and being named in the Power's round 1 game of the season.
2010
In 2010, Krakouer was limited to 7 games with Port Adelaide due to injuries and Gold Coast or homesickness speculations.
Gold Coast career
On 1 September 2010, Krakouer signed a three-year deal with the Gold Coast Suns. He was the second uncontracted player to do so following Nathan Bock who left Adelaide. He left despite the disappointment of Port Adelaide who stated that given the commitment our football club has made to Nathan's development and welfare over the last four years, we are very disappointed at the way the matter has been handled in recent weeks. It was alluded to that Krakouer had already made the decision to leave Port Adelaide during the season, further highlighting criticism of the AFL's clause for the expansion teams ability recruit one uncontracter player from each of the 16 existing clubs.[3]
References
External links
- Official AFL Website of the Port Adelaide Football Club - Official Player Profile
- Nathan Krakouer's statistics from AFL Tables
Gold Coast Football Club – current squad 2 Smith · 3 Brennan · 4 Weller · 5 Harbrow · 6 Magin · 7 Hunt · 8 Russell · 9 Ablett (c) · 10 Moss · 13 Jolly · 14 Krakouer · 15 Flanagan · 16 Thompson · 17 Fraser · 18 McKenzie · 20 Toy · 22 Nicholls · 23 Dixon · 24 Swallow · 25 Stanley · 26 Shaw · 29 Hine · 30 Brown · 32 Matera · 33 Liddy · 34 Hutchins · 35 Rischitelli · 36 Iles · 37 Bennell · 38 Wilkinson · 39 Day · 40 Hickey · 41 Prestia · 42 Caddy · 43 Patrick · 44 Bock · 45 May · 46 Lynch · 47 Gorringe · 48 Tape · 49 Gillbee · 50 Taylor · tbd Allen · tbd Sexton · tbd Warnock
Coach: McKenna
* denotes Rookie Listed playersInaugural Gold Coast Football Club AFL team Full-back Campbell Brown • Nathan Bock • Seb TapeHalf-back Jarrod Harbrow • Karmichael Hunt • Nathan KrakouerCentre Trent McKenzie • Daniel Harris • Michael RischitelliHalf-forward Full-forward Jared Brennan • Zac Smith • Brandon MateraRuck Interchange Marc Lock • Alik Magin • Harley Bennell • Sub: Josh ToyCoach Gold Coast defeated by Carlton 7.10 (52) to 26.15 (171), Round 2, 2011, at The Gabba Categories:- 1988 births
- Australian rules footballers from Western Australia
- Living people
- Port Adelaide Football Club players
- Claremont Football Club players
- Gold Coast Football Club players
- Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football
- People from Mount Barker, Western Australia
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