Quinton Narkle to get pre-season train-on gig at Richmond (West Aust.)

[one-eyed]

NARKLE “UNRECOGNISABLE” IN BID TO CONTINUE AFL CAREER AT RICHMOND

By Seb Mottram
SEN
13 January 2023

A slimmed-down Quinton Narkle is said to have lost nearly eight kilograms over the AFL players’ break as he attempts to reignite his career at the top level.

After six seasons at Geelong filled with promise and potential, Narkle largely fell out of favour in 2022 to manage just eight senior games.

But the 25-year-old continued to be on the edge of selection for the eventual premiers and consistently put up strong numbers as a goalkicking midfielder in the VFL.

Narkle has been training at Richmond since mid-December in the hopes of continuing his 41-game AFL career. His career-best performance came in 2021 when recording 34 disposals in a 34-point win over Gold Coast, including eight marks and six inside 50s.

On Thursday, cameras captured Narkle at Punt Road, with AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich noting the former Cat’s improved physique.

“He started in December, he’s auditioning for that rookie spot at Richmond right now and the difference in his body shape between December and January is quite stark,” Gabelich told AFL Media’s Footy Feed.

“He’s stripped off eight kilos during the break, he had a really strong block. He knows that he’s got one more chance left at AFL level and this could be it.”

Narkle has until February 15 to prove his worth to the Tigers, when the pre-season supplemental selection period ends.

He’s up against country footballer Kaelan Bradtke, who starred at Corowa in 2022, and overlooked draft prospect Luke Teal for the spot at Richmond.

But as SEN’s Sam Edmund noted, Narkle’s intent is a good sign for his prospects at Tigerland.

“The knock or query on him historically has been endurance, run and spread and the like,” he told SEN Breakfast.

“He was unrecognisable in the vision I saw… he’s one to watch because I think he can play the game.”

Narkle stands at 182 centimetres an his final playing weight was listed as 83 kilograms.

Narkle finished third in his two-kilometre time-time trial heat which featured Richmond’s younger players, according to Gabelich. That was taken out by Josh Gibcus in the fifth-fastest time of the day, while Tim Taranto claimed back-to-back time trials in a strong start to his career at Punt Road.



https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/01/12/narkle-unrecognisable-in-bid-to-continue-afl-career-at-richmond/

[MintOnLamb]

Where would he play??

[Assange Tiger 😎]

Honestly haven't seen enough of him to know whether or not I'm happy he's smashing out a good pre-season. We do need a key forward a lot more than another mid/forward, but he can obviously play a bit so who knows

[JP Tiger]

Can our VFL side find a place for him?  If they could then he would be at the club when the MSD is held.  If he proves his worth at VFL level use a MSD pick to put him on the list proper & he could then play AFL next year ... 

He has to be worth it though ... & other players (Bradtke) would have to fall away dramatically for us to list him with the VFL side & then upgrade him ...

Just a thought though ... 

[Assange Tiger 😎]

There's no spot for a MSD pick for us I believe. Someone would have to retire or be on the long term injury list was what someone was saying a while back. 

[Tiger Khosh]

There's no spot for a MSD pick for us I believe. Someone would have to retire or be on the long term injury list was what someone was saying a while back.

Only if we take one of narkle or bradtke in the SSP. I think JP is saying for us to put them both on our vfl list to prove themselves before the MSD.

[Assange Tiger 😎]

Ah yeah, gotchya. Disagree completely though, pick one of them before the season imo. Can never have enough depth, especially if we get injuries early on

[Hard Roar Tiger]

Where would he play??

In the 2’s. 7 years in the system to work out he needs to lose weight in order to be an elite athlete.
Dud, delist.

[Andyy]

Where would he play??

In the 2’s. 7 years in the system to work out he needs to lose weight in order to be an elite athlete.
Dud, delist.

Yep, and even without a big tank any good player would still show talent.

I think he's a B grade talent with C grade tank, possibly about to have a B grade tank.

Bradtke should be added to our list asap. If Lynch and Jack go down early we cannot afford to wait until MSD.

[The Machine]

Where would he play??

In the 2’s. 7 years in the system to work out he needs to lose weight in order to be an elite athlete.
Dud, delist.

Yep, and even without a big tank any good player would still show talent.

I think he's a B grade talent with C grade tank, possibly about to have a B grade tank.

Bradtke should be added to our list asap. If Lynch and Jack go down early we cannot afford to wait until MSD.

Bradtke being an option to replace Tom or Jack this year if they go down? He is coming from a long way back and wouldn't be considered. Yes he has the size but my goodness, he hasn't even shown he can play at the next level down. Dimma would flick the magnets around to find a solution with listed players.

[The Machine]

I would select Quinton, look to list Bradtke into the VFL program.

[TigerLand]

Narkle for me. I love a underdog story and anything and one that wants to give Geelong an up yours I'm all in. Cats shouldn't have let him go, with some ageing mugs on that list.

Asked for a trade end of last year after not being played in 1s and then Cats refused to trade only to not play him again. Has a point to prove. In good head space with weight loss and tank. Seen enough that he's worth of a list spot. To help rotate guys like Prestia and Cotch to manage them properly we could do far worse.

[Andyy]

Where would he play??

In the 2’s. 7 years in the system to work out he needs to lose weight in order to be an elite athlete.
Dud, delist.

Yep, and even without a big tank any good player would still show talent.

I think he's a B grade talent with C grade tank, possibly about to have a B grade tank.

Bradtke should be added to our list asap. If Lynch and Jack go down early we cannot afford to wait until MSD.

Bradtke being an option to replace Tom or Jack this year if they go down? He is coming from a long way back and wouldn't be considered. Yes he has the size but my goodness, he hasn't even shown he can play at the next level down. Dimma would flick the magnets around to find a solution with listed players.

It's not a stretch to imagine that both Tom & Lynch get injured. It would be pretty much season over if they missed a long period together.

Who does that leave us with to play forward? Miller would be my next option but then? Gibcus?
That would leave Tarrant, Grimes, Broad + Balta in the backline. I certainly don't want to try Balta forward again.

Anyway I get your point but obviously Bradtke isn't A grade like T&J but from a structural perspective I'd take him ten times before Narkle.

Let's see if I'm back for some humble pie but I doubt it.

[Andyy]

Narkle for me. I love a underdog story and anything and one that wants to give Geelong an up yours I'm all in. Cats shouldn't have let him go, with some ageing mugs on that list.

Asked for a trade end of last year after not being played in 1s and then Cats refused to trade only to not play him again. Has a point to prove. In good head space with weight loss and tank. Seen enough that he's worth of a list spot. To help rotate guys like Prestia and Cotch to manage them properly we could do far worse.

This would be the biggest factor for me haha.

If Prestia and Cotch are resting we will have Taranto, Hopper, Sonsie, Graham, then Bolton and Dusty maybe for a rotation. Ross on the outer surely. I really feel that we have addressed the midfield issue with our trade ins and Sonsie looking promising.

[the claw]

Bradtke for me. sometimes you have to look further than right now. As Machine said he is coming from a long way back. Thing is  at just 20 with little experience just a few vfl games the expectation would  be for him to develop further in the two,s. He imo would be more like a nd pick than  a player to come in and impact straight away.
He may lack experience but he sure looks to have most of the tools to play at afl level and imo if we don't take him we may not get another chance. Thats the tantalising bit we dont know what we have got with him.

Narkle well he may improve enough at afl level but lets be honest his career to date has been underwhelming 41 games in 6 seasons going at just 12.5 disposals a game low tackle numbers low c/p numbers low clearance numbers and goes at  under half a goal a game.

He may well help the reserves team as we lack afl  mids there but honestly he would be just another mid fighting for a spot with Graham Ross Dow Short Baker we have depth here we need a few genuine tall fwds in our system developing JR is just about gone and TL is already 30.

In most cases id say tall forwards take longer than any other type of player to develop we need to also be looking past right now and down the track a bit.