Nathan Freeman.

[Bluthy]

Slight setback this week so I don't think you'll see him.

What sort of setback, T74? Of the hamstring variety? Hip? Awareness?

If Freezer can slowly keep getting 'awareness' of each part of his body, in a few years he should be totally aware of all his body and ready to string some games together. Looking forward to it.

Reckon you're dreaming. He's barely played any footy at all for three years. That alone, his injuries aside, has got to impact on his capacity to perform at the top level. Another few years?????
I reckon he's an injury bust. It's just one 'setback' after another.
Does he have a contract beyond this year?

I wasn't serious - poor attempt at humour. He's got one more year after this one I think. I don't stress about Mr Freeze - he's a project player for me. He has to get a lot of little duckies lined up to make it. Not impossible but he would be an outside chance to make it for me. Body needs to hold up so he can play consistently and need to see if he has that burst speed that made him go a high pick. Hammies are basically pieces of elastic and once they snap and you start sewing them back up they usually lose a fair bit of elasticity. Just hope he can play a fair bit of VFL this year and at least give himself some sort of shot. If he can't get on the field much this year then the future would look pretty dark. Our midfield train is pulling away from the station and he doesn't want to be standing on the platform waving.

[saintsRrising]

Last year was always going to be about getting his body ready to play, as he was not ready to play when he joined us.

So for me it is all about him making it this year. If by seasons end he has not played at least a run of seniors, then it will be a bust.

[prwilkinson]

Last year was always going to be about getting his body ready to play, as he was not ready to play when he joined us.

So for me it is all about him making it this year. If by seasons end he has not played at least a run of seniors, then it will be a bust.

Yep. What's a bit concerning as a supporter from the outside, the moment he seems ready to string games together... he's suddenly not ready. Bit of a red flag for me.

[saintspremiers]

If Nathan is a bust, can we merge it with a Tommy Walsh thread please?

[mightysainters]

Apparently hip is nothing and he isn't really injured.. being managed for a round 3 return..

[Wombat15]

I think ive mentioned this before in other threads.
Ive spoken to a former trainer of his and theyve mentioned to me Collingwood completetly overloaded and overtrained him in his first season and stuffed up his rehab plan during the next season. Which basically means we are undoing and rebuilding 2 years worth of damage the pies have caused. If you look at their injury list every season its a wonder they have a "fit" 22 every week.
I personally cant say he was a waste of a second round pick. Had to take a flyer on the kid. Lot of hard work stories at the saints atm. I.e Nathan Wright, Seb Ross etc. all struggled with injuries and now look at them. Im happy to be wrong about Freeman but the kid has elite pace and was a bargain considering we picked up Gresham and Carlisle for pick 5! Then got superman, Long & Battle in this draft for a packet of chips. In the grand scheme of things id still make the freeman trade even knowing what we know now.

[DJ Higgins]

If Nathan is a bust, can we merge it with a Tommy Walsh thread please?

I have written him off which is a shame. He hasn't played much at VFL level and was sub par in his development league games. He has trouble finding the ball and from what I have read is scared to sprint for obvious reasons. We would have had another second round draft pick last year which we could have been used to get either another speedster like Shai Bolton or possibly traded two second rounds for a first round pick. That is a lot of ifs and buts and Long and Battle may become stars but we really shouldn't have been gambling then. Not with the future starting to look bright.

[Con Gorozidis]

I think ive mentioned this before in other threads.
Ive spoken to a former trainer of his and theyve mentioned to me Collingwood completetly overloaded and overtrained him in his first season and stuffed up his rehab plan during the next season. Which basically means we are undoing and rebuilding 2 years worth of damage the pies have caused. If you look at their injury list every season its a wonder they have a "fit" 22 every week.
I personally cant say he was a waste of a second round pick. Had to take a flyer on the kid. Lot of hard work stories at the saints atm. I.e Nathan Wright, Seb Ross etc. all struggled with injuries and now look at them. Im happy to be wrong about Freeman but the kid has elite pace and was a bargain considering we picked up Gresham and Carlisle for pick 5! Then got superman, Long & Battle in this draft for a packet of chips. In the grand scheme of things id still make the freeman trade even knowing what we know now.

Bill Davoren has to be the worst of all.
Was bottom at the Dogs. Bottom for us. Now bottom for the Pies.
Cant be a coincidence.
The guy is an epic hack.
How he keeps his job is a mystery.

[SaintPav]

I think ive mentioned this before in other threads.
Ive spoken to a former trainer of his and theyve mentioned to me Collingwood completetly overloaded and overtrained him in his first season and stuffed up his rehab plan during the next season. Which basically means we are undoing and rebuilding 2 years worth of damage the pies have caused. If you look at their injury list every season its a wonder they have a "fit" 22 every week.
I personally cant say he was a waste of a second round pick. Had to take a flyer on the kid. Lot of hard work stories at the saints atm. I.e Nathan Wright, Seb Ross etc. all struggled with injuries and now look at them. Im happy to be wrong about Freeman but the kid has elite pace and was a bargain considering we picked up Gresham and Carlisle for pick 5! Then got superman, Long & Battle in this draft for a packet of chips. In the grand scheme of things id still make the freeman trade even knowing what we know now.

Like this.

Logic

[To the top]

Give the kid a chance!

Pre season at an AFL Club is most exacting and requires great discipline and resolve.

Freeman has completed the full pre season.

That in itself says something.

The kid himself has not pulled the plug, so why should some supporters?

The next step is playing, at full capacity and making his AFL debut, then cementing his position in the side.

[Bluthy]

Give the kid a chance!

Pre season at an AFL Club is most exacting and requires great discipline and resolve.

Freeman has completed the full pre season.

That in itself says something.

The kid himself has not pulled the plug, so why should some supporters?

The next step is playing, at full capacity and making his AFL debut, then cementing his position in the side.

People are giving him a chance Top - but a realistic chance. You keep talking about how "vital" he is to us and even including him in our best. Vital means indispensable, and he is not that as we may well have to do without him. He should be looked as a scratchie card - could pay off huge but decent odds at being just two little jackpot pictures with the third frustratingly missing - but hey it was fun to have our hopes up for a bit. If he can start playing consistently that's just swell, but the huge, huge, huge question is - does he have that burst speed that made him a top draft pick? Enquiring minds want to know this year preferably.

[st.byron]

Give the kid a chance!

Pre season at an AFL Club is most exacting and requires great discipline and resolve.

Freeman has completed the full pre season.

That in itself says something.

The kid himself has not pulled the plug, so why should some supporters?

The next step is playing, at full capacity and making his AFL debut, then cementing his position in the side.

If I was a young fella who loved footy, really wanted to play and realise my talent and was being paid a very healthy sum for a 21 year old I wouldn't be giving up either. I really wish him well and hope he can become a regular and play some great footy for us - however - the constant "setbacks" do have the ring of A.Hamill 2 weeks about them. We've heard numerous times that he's just about ready to go, only for it to amount to nothing. The recent "setback" is another example.
So it seems to me as it stands, more likely he's an injury bust than not. Hope I'm wrong.

[tony74]

For those interested back in full training. And hard at it.

[longtimesaint]

For those interested back in full training. And hard at it.

Great news -we would all love to see him string some Sandy matches together.

[WellardSaint]

For those interested back in full training. And hard at it.

I always read your posts with interest.
But lately, I take them with a grain of salt. Actually, a few kgs.
Not saying I don't believe you, but seems all sugar-coated nice happy kumbaya sit around the campfire singing hymns

[longtimesaint]

For those interested back in full training. And hard at it.

I always read your posts with interest.
But lately, I take them with a grain of salt. Actually, a few kgs.
Not saying I don't believe you, but seems all sugar-coated nice happy kumbaya sit around the campfire singing hymns

Are you totally negative in every aspect of your life or do you just reserve it for the poor suffering members of this site?

[saynta]

For those interested back in full training. And hard at it.

I always read your posts with interest.
But lately, I take them with a grain of salt. Actually, a few kgs.
Not saying I don't believe you, but seems all sugar-coated nice happy kumbaya sit around the campfire singing hymns

I think you need some happy pills

[saynta]

For those interested back in full training. And hard at it.

Good news mate.

I need some.

Think my holidays in two weeks time to Hamilton Is may be down the toilet.

What with the saints and the cricketers tossing in the towell as well, I need some cheering up.

[tony74]

Wel Roo was out there too. Just a walk.

He did lead in the singing however Wellard Saint.

[saynta]

Wel Roo was out there too. Just a walk.

He did lead in the singing however Wellard Saint.

All the experts, including some on here, claim that the saints only have one A grade footballer.

RUBBISH.

Roo is and allways has ben an A grade footballer.

The best saint in the past 50 years.

Hoping for a quick return Rooey

[Spinner]

For those interested back in full training. And hard at it.

Tony, your posting is one of the very few reasons I still visit this site. And im sure im not alone.

Post more!

[WellardSaint]

Wel Roo was out there too. Just a walk.

He did lead in the singing however Wellard Saint.

I spent a bit of time at an insurance company call centre.
Every single PC had several key phrases stuck to the top of the monitor, laminated;
these phrases were in the "team rules" to be used when speaking with customers.
I imagine you're the same.
"I can assure you the whole club is disappointed"
"we don't know why travel is an issue but I can assure you it's being addressed'
"nathan freeman is 2 weeks away"
"I can't give specifics, but Acres is working on some things, and he'll get there"

Put all of these into a Word Document so you can Ctrl-C to copy, and Ctrl-V to paste, into your posts. Will save time

[Bluthy]

Nathan Freeman in 2070 still "training the house down" - just two weeks away

[Wrote for Luck]

Wish they wouldn't train grandad Freeman along the Bay Trail, the South South Westerly is a nightmare on his hammies.

[saintsRrising]

Nathan Freeman in 2070 still "training the house down" - just two weeks away

Yes but that was after we traded him to GWS, and then later SOS at the Blues picked him up to add to his GWS collection.