The media just can't stop writing about Foley.
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Tiger Foley loves centre stage
04 July 2007 Herald Sun
Mark Stevens
IT is the classic scene from Auskick at halftime, Mark Stevens writes.
Big, burly kid in tight shorts and even tighter jumper wins the ball at the centre bounce, runs away seemingly untouchable and unloads a wobbly punt through the sticks.
Such dominance is far less common among grown men -- and even more scarce in the heat of AFL battle.
It is no surprise, then, that studies show the most valuable players in the league are the ones who can win their own footy in the middle, charge forward bouncing it and then kick long and accurately.
Chris Judd immediately comes to mind as Mr Perfect.
Suddenly Judd has a rival in Nathan Foley.
The Richmond midfielder ticks the three big boxes.
Foley is No. 1 in the competition for running bounces, No. 1 for centre clearances and isn't too shabby in the long effective kick stakes either.
It was all on show for the Tigers against St Kilda at Telstra Dome on Saturday night.
In a contender for goal-of-the year, Foley won the ball at a centre bounce, weaved through thick traffic, bounced away and kicked a goal from 50m.
It didn't take long for the Saints to react to his potency, giving Luke Ball a stopping job on him.
Not only would Foley be ahead in Richmond's best-and-fairest, he might be sneaking into the thinking of All-Australian selectors as well.
It is a huge leap for a small man. At 177cm, Foley only made his way on to the list by being promoted as a hard-working rookie in 2005.
Foley started this season with 27 senior games and doubts about his finishing ability.
Last year, his kicking efficiency was tracked at just 61 per cent -- the worst in the competition.
This year, he is boasting a 75 per cent strike-rate -- average for an "inside" player so often caught in thick traffic.
His kicking is not yet at elite level, but his potential by foot was there for all to see against the Saints.
A week earlier against Melbourne he set up seven scoring shots.
You have to be clean and clinical for those numbers.
Although Foley has a lot of work ahead to catch Judd, the revered Eagle is only tracking at an accuracy rate of 75.1 per cent by foot.
However the forever-tagged Judd is invariably under more pressure than any other player in the competition when he wins it.
Foley's 71 running bounces puts him 10 ahead of the No. 2 in the competition, teammate Brett Deledio.
Tiger Andrew Raines is in eighth place on the bouncing list with 37.
The Tigers are No. 2 for running bounces with 360 -- behind the Western Bulldogs (368).
Sydney is on the bottom with 151 running bounces.
Foley has managed almost half that number on his own.
Despite Richmond being stretched in the ruck all year by injuries to Troy Simmonds and Trent Knobel, Foley has stamped himself as the master of the centre clearance.
He has won it out of the middle 42 times -- ahead of the 39 managed by the original "extractor" Sam Mitchell, at Hawthorn.
Foley's 42 clearances have come from 305 centre-bounce involvements -- a strike-rate of 13.8 per cent.
Hawk Jordan Lewis has the No. 1 strike-rate, clearing it 30 times in 192 involvements.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,22013597%255E19742,00.html
