NLM

[little_ripper]

Deserves a thread of his own. He is a dead set gun, in career best form(IMO). =D> =D>

A number of essendon fans here don't seem to rate him.
I do, I think he is in our best 5 players.

Unlike a number of players on the weekend, Natrats touches were generally quality, he provided plenty of run and is hard at the pill.

I reckon if we could clone him * 2 or * 3 we would win a few more games.

Thoughts? Are you a nat rat fan? Put your hand up.

cheers

little ripper.

[billyduckworth]

In my opinion, he's a real "trash and treasure" type player.

At one stage in the third quarter on Saturday, he was involved in absolutely every passage of play for us. TREASURE

At other times, he turns it over something shocking and/or gives away frees. TRASH

I don't think he is in our best 5, as you suggest, but he is in our best 22 (which probably doesn't say that much at the moment!).

[robrulz5]

Like most of the team he is very inconsistent, he has had 3 good games this year. He isn't a gun but a servicable player at best. He works very well with Paddy in the middle but when he is in the back half of the ground he sells teammates into trouble way too often. He is a big bodied player which we need around the packs with all the young players we have.

Some on here dislike him so much that they won't ever give him credit when he plays a good game.

[swoodley]

I'm a Natrat fan but I don't believe that he is one of our top five players.

He is however, a very important part of our current line up as he adds an element of aggression and flair that many others lack. His willingness to take the game on is very important in Knights game plan.

He has his "moments" when he makes mistakes but overall he adds value to the team and is one player that can always be counted on to give it a red hot go.

[Doctor Fish]

He's obviously loving being given a run in the middle. It's good to have another big body in there to help Jobe out from time to time. His second efforts at the ball this year have been what stands out the most. A major improvement on years gone by. Go Nat Rat!

[rockhole]

Big,strong body and hard at it. Will never be an out and out gun but at our current stage of development, a vital part of the team.

[Sismis]

I'm on board the NLM love train.

Has played 3 standout games (out of 5) this year and is showing himself to be an extremely potent midfeilder.

That 10 min period in the 3rd was pure dominance. Took the game by the scruff of the neck. With his pace and strength he could become an extremely important part of of our midfield and his height will make him very tough to match up on.

He is averaging 27 touches a game and over 6 tackles.

Far and away the most improved player on our list ATM.

Great effort Nathan.

[Gimps]

Don't let Robbie know this is thread is going

Robbie can kiss our collective hairy bean bags..

[Mrs Mercuri]

He's obviously loving being given a run in the middle. It's good to have another big body in there to help Jobe out from time to time. His second efforts at the ball this year have been what stands out the most. A major improvement on years gone by. Go Nat Rat!

I also think it was a great move by Knighta to move him into the midfield. Natrat can play anywhere but his big body and gut busting runs are really helping our midfield win possession of the ball. Has done wonders for my dream team over the past 2 weeks as well

Natrat is def one of my top 5 FAVE players at the club but he isnt in our top 5 BEST players yet.

[j-mac31]

Cannot be disputed that he is career-best form: he's just played 2 good games in a row.

I'm not really a fan though.

[DC2]

I love his run and hardness at the ball and man. Esp when he belts that turd Campbell Brown.

He has been very good for us this year. Had he not missed the first 3 games through suspension who knows were he would be in the B&F count.

[robbie67]

Don't let Robbie know this is thread is going

Robbie can kiss our collective hairy bean bags..

You really are on your way out of the closet arent you? Is that why you are not going to the footy much these days? Getting a bit of boy on the weekends? I can see you as a gay David Oldfield. When Pauline says "please explain", you can just say "Rock Hudson".

I have never seen anybody who professes no know so much who knows so little.........................about anything.

[robbie67]

This reminds me of a few other threads from seasons past. Now lets see, how did they go again? Oh yes, "those who have been bagging Bolts can kiss my arse". Oh I have another one, "those who have been bagging Welsh can kiss my arse". But wait, there's more, "I told you all McPhee was a gun".

But thats ok, I actually want him to play well. Gave him 5 votes the week before. Played well for 3 and half quarters this week as well. What did he do when it mattered? Yeah, thought so.

[BenDoolan]

I hardly ever comment about NLM, even when he cops a pasting in here. But now is the time.

I have respect for any footballer who works hard to get the best out of himself. Even those with limited ability. There is no doubt that NLM has improved as a footballer in the last 18 months - through sheer hard work. He has been asked to perform multiple tasks on match day, and generally goes about his business trying to perform these tasks to the best of his ability - even though some of these tasks are seemingly beyond him. There are times when he just stuffs things up. Big deal. He is busting his guts regardless.

It seems there are some around here who gauge his performances as if he has come from a high draft pick background i.e a Kepler Bradley or Mark Bolton type. We all know he made it to the AFL through the rookie system, so he is coming from a low expectation base IMO. For what it's worth, he is a serviceable footballer who sometimes plays above himself, and sometimes below. But when he does play above himself, he is quite influential in the result.

If every other player just lifted themselves and improved to the level NLM has in the last 18 months, we would be in much better shape as a team. Blaming NLM for losses is just laughable. He has become a scapegoat for other player's laziness and lack of effort when things don't go well for us as a team.

If only the rest of our players would demonstrated some of NLM's diligence to improve.

[jimmyc1985]

This reminds me of a few other threads from seasons past. Now lets see, how did they go again? Oh yes, "those who have been bagging Bolts can kiss my arse". Oh I have another one, "those who have been bagging Welsh can kiss my arse". But wait, there's more, "I told you all McPhee was a gun".

What about how Laycock was going to be the next Dean Cox, or Ben Haynes was going to be the next Mercuri, or Bradley was the next Fletcher (regrettably, i think i even said that at one stage...)?

I have been a long-time critic of NLM and am glad to see him contributing more regularly this year. This has been his best year by a fair way thus far. However, if he's even in our best 10 players (and to be fair, he probably has been this year), we are going absolutely nowhere, fast. The only other club where i'd definitively place him in the best 10 would be Richmond, and he'd go close at North.

[BenDoolan]

This reminds me of a few other threads from seasons past. Now lets see, how did they go again? Oh yes, "those who have been bagging Bolts can kiss my arse". Oh I have another one, "those who have been bagging Welsh can kiss my arse". But wait, there's more, "I told you all McPhee was a gun".

I have been a long-time critic of NLM and am glad to see him contributing more regularly this year. This has been his best year by a fair way thus far. However, if he's even in our best 10 players (and to be fair, he probably has been this year), we are going absolutely nowhere, fast. The only other club where i'd definitively place him in the best 10 would be Richmond, and he'd go close at North.

This is a good point. But that's what I was getting at in my post. It's the others around him who simply don't work hard enough to improve themselves as footballers, and therefore, improving us as a team.

[little_ripper]

What did he do when it mattered? Yeah, thought so.

picked up what 9 possies in the premiership quarter, involved in pretty much everything going forward and kicked a sausage roll. if some of his teammates had have shown the same conviction we might have won the game we should have.

hes got pace and a big body and shows leadership. exactly what we have been missing from winderlich, welsh, mcveigh all season.

[robbie67]

What did he do when it mattered? Yeah, thought so.

picked up what 9 possies in the premiership quarter, involved in pretty much everything going forward and kicked a sausage roll. if some of his teammates had have shown the same conviction we might have won the game we should have.

hes got pace and a big body and shows leadership. exactly what we have been missing from winderlich, welsh, mcveigh all season.

and exactly what we have been missing from him for most of his career.

I dont hate him, i just think he is ordinary. The fact that some of you think he is such a star is just an example of how your standards have dropped. He wouldnt have got a game in our last Premiership year.

[robrulz5]

He wouldnt have got a game in our last Premiership year.

Not many of our current players would have.

[Gimps]

Don't let Robbie know this is thread is going

Robbie can kiss our collective hairy bean bags..

You really are on your way out of the closet arent you? Is that why you are not going to the footy much these days? Getting a bit of boy on the weekends? I can see you as a gay David Oldfield. When Pauline says "please explain", you can just say "Rock Hudson".

I have never seen anybody who professes no know so much who knows so little.........................about anything.

F****** hilarious! Oh my little friend, you just sound like you would be jealous of anyone that gets any type of arse, male or female. You better get on another 'Desperate & Dateless' website, see if you can find anyone that will give you anything out of pity. Hang on, how bout you give a favourite aunt, uncle, cousin, brother or sister a call? It's quite clear that you come from a long line of in-breds.

How do I know so little? You based your argument on one passage of play in regards to NLM's game on the weekend. I watched the replay of the 3rd quarter, he DID rip port a new arsehole for the 1st half of that quarter, 'setting up' countless attacks and leading us to a handy 4 goal advantage. Oh, that's right, he f***** up when Pearce kicked a goal. How many other blokes f***** up during the game? Fair enough, he could have done better, but that shouldn't override the fact that he played a VERY good game. He had 30-odd touches and 12 tackles against Hawthorn, shit, that wasn't much of an effort That shows the fact that he is working hard to get the ball, and working hard when he doesn't have the ball. Isn't that what we want out of a footballer?

He wouldn't have got a game in our last premiership team? I'm not so sure. It was a different game back then, I'm tipping it would've suited him far more than todays' game.


Belt up old man..