Amusing in hindsight what different people see in junior footballers. In 2003, Colin Wisbey saw Foley as the next Crawford whereas a watcher on the old Hawk Headquarters forum had him too slight to play anywhere more than a FP or wing in the AFL and a just a rookie at best:
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http://www.voy.com/51976/628.html Date Posted: 14:25:37 12/20/03 Sat
Author: Colin Wisbey
Subject: Profile: Nathan Foley
Nathan Foley (Geelong Falcons)
178/74 mid-age right foot (dual-sided) inside midfielder/flanker.
Very quick ball-magnet with great leap, ethic.
I have him 35 in my rankings but I think more highly of him than that indicates. When I first played around with putting the players in some order based purely on my liking for them (without referring to my notes) I actually had him earlier. However, the need to accommodate talls earlier in the list (9 moved ahead) and certain other types for whom there is more demand (eg taller midfielders and some more robust types), and a preference to elevate kids who are very young or who have had injury affected seasons, along with a couple of queries I have in my notes about Foley, saw him keep slip down the order.
Were we in 1993 instead of 2003, I would have him earlier than 35. However this era of scrumby places greater emphasis on big-bodied types and that's where Foley is likely to be at a disadvantage.
May well go even later than I have him. Might be ready year 2, subject to weight.
*STYLE LIKE: Crawford
*TRADEMARK:
- Burst from traffic then accurate feed or accurate uppish kick
- Quick accurate clever feed or tap-on from traffic to a team mate running past.
*SUMMARY ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATION:
Is not big but is a natural footballer.
A coach's delight - on and off field.
I compared his style to Crawford's but even though Crawford is 4cm shorter and currently in the same weight bracket as the barely 18yo Foley, I recall Crawford even at Foley's age being more robust and better balanced inside traffic.
Moves well, poise under pressure, balance.
Excellent pace and ethic, uses well, smart.
Quick thinker & good user under pressure.
With more weight/strength I still think he could be more than handy AFL. Main query with his size and lack of strength is what role?
*DISPOSAL, DECISION-MAKING, SMARTS:
- Natural footballer. Highly creative. Reads ball well, reads play well. Especially consistent at roving the pack at stop plays. Has serious smarts, vision. Ball magnet midfielder who often receives but does also sit under fall of ball at stop plays and does get plenty of hard-ball. Good traffic management. Except for a lack of strength, is very good in close. Also roves the pack well.
- Excellent user by hand and accurate by foot.
- Terrific hands. Very clever and reliable at quick, accurate clever feed (including look-away) or tap-on / tap-over from traffic to a team mate running past.
- Is seriously dual-sided.
- Kicks are generally accurate but my problem with them is hang-time - they tend to float and put his team mate under pressure in doing so. Were it not for this and his physical strength, I would have him earlier. Having said that, he can regularly do a worm-burner pin-point pass over about 30m - even on his non-preferred foot.
- Good depth.
- Dangerous around goal but not super reliable. Adept at reflex snaps from in and around the goal-square. Snaps well but can also score from outside 50.
- Occasionally has a momentary lapse of concentration that can see an opponent slip him when he is man on the mark or watching elsewhere.
*HANDS:
- Clean handler, clean feeder.
*OVERHEAD MARKING:
- He plays small but is reliable when he goes for it 1-1. Great leap, sure hands.
*ATHLETICISM, INTENSITY, ETHIC, CONSISTENCY:
- Often plays art a "comfortable" pace around the ground below top gear but he is has lightning speed when he wants to use it, both off the mark and over ground. Terrific closing speed in a chase and ability to find another gear when being chased.
- Huge leap. I can't emphasis this enough. One of the factors against Foley is that he is only 178cm. He also has a 4cm reach disadvantage compared to the average player of his height. However, his leap more than compensates. I have noted this on many occasions throughout the year and his DC/SS result confirms it (beat95% of the 168 attendees). Sometimes a player has better or worse results in a DC test than they show in a game. Not Foley. The best single example probably came from the VC vs SA '03 U18 Champs game where he jumped high naturally, without any real run-up, to spoil an overhead marking attempt by the 201cm Dubieniecki, who was in good position in front of Foley.
- Great ethic, intensity. Is desperate. Throws himself under packs, chases, blocks, other 1%ers. Covers heap of ground. Runs and runs. Prolific tackler. (3rd in TAC comp).
- Lacks strength. Lays a heap of tackles, often with quite good technique, but quite a few don't stick. He currently lacks the strength to impede the opponent often enough. May improve in time with strength but is a problem against a strong opponent at the moment. Similarly, lack of strength sees him brought down and/or stripped too often.
- Has good evasion skills and should display them more often. Tends to mainly rely on his great pace at this stage.
- Courageous.
*SCI (SCOPE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT):
- Nothing special.
*AFL VERSATILITY:
- 178cm is an awkward height but especially for a slim guy. With extra strength he could play midfield in time. Meantime I see AFL potential as HFF, FP or even BP. Has a great combination of speed, acceleration, courage, disposal, smarts, leap.
*QUERY:
- Strength.
- Hang-time of kicks.
*SOME STATS:
- TAC: Averaged 30 disposals in 17 TAC games (3rd in comp). 3.7 marks, 6.6 tackles (3rd in comp), total 12 goals-11. 67% of disposals are kicks. 12% of his possessions are marks. At least 30 disposals in 10 games, including a 43. 2nd quietest game was 21D. Ast least 8 tackles in 8 games, including a 10 and an 11.
- Mid-way trend .. % change in disposals was 7%. % change in marks was -50%. % change in tackles was 15%.
- Stats summary '03 U18 Champs:
Averaged 15 disposals and 2.0 marks in 3 U18 Rep games.
Kicks vs feeds: approc ratio 2:1 favouring kicks (same as his TAC pattern).
Tackles: 5
S.P. clearances: 7 incl 2 cbc
Gets own ball?: 16/45 TD were HR. 6 HBG
Kicks long vs short: even
Kicking accuracy: 9/29 were ineff/clang incl 2 clang
Handball accuracy: 3/16 were ineff/clang incl 1 clang
Marking: 6 (incl 0 contested)
*OTHER STUFF:
- TAC Team Of Year TY: ROV.
- Won '03 club B&F.
