Nathan Krakouer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nathan Krakouer |
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Krakouer playing for Port Adelaide in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Nathan Rhys Krakouer | ||
| Nickname(s) | Krak | ||
| Date of birth | 5 May 1988 | ||
| Original team | Claremont (WAFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 39, 2006 national draft | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder/defender | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Nathan Krakouer (born 5 May 1988) is a former professional Australian rules football player. He played for two teams in the Australian Football League (AFL). These teams were the Port Adelaide Football Club and the Gold Coast Football Club.
Nathan comes from a family of famous footballers. His uncles, Jimmy Krakouer and Phil Krakouer, played for North Melbourne. His cousin, Andrew Krakouer, played for Richmond and Collingwood.
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Early Football Days
Nathan Krakouer started playing junior football in Western Australia. He then moved on to play senior football for the Claremont Football Club when he was still very young.
In 2006, Nathan was chosen for a special team. He represented Australia's Indigenous youth team, called the "Flying Boomerangs". They went on a tour to South Africa. There, they played against the South African national Australian rules team.
Later that year, he was invited to the 2006 AFL Draft Camp. Even though he was quite light at 61 kilograms, he impressed the scouts. He showed great speed and could jump very high for his size.
AFL Career Journey
Playing for Port Adelaide (2007–2010)
The Port Adelaide club picked Nathan in the 2006 AFL Draft. They were surprised to get him at pick number 39. Nathan had really stood out at the draft camp. He ran the 20-metre sprint in an amazing 2.83 seconds. This was one of the fastest times ever recorded at the camp.
Nathan wore the number 29 jersey for Port Adelaide. In his first AFL season in 2007, he played 11 games. His coach had thought he might not play for at least two years. Nathan showed his explosive speed and natural talent throughout the season.
He played a key part in a win against North Melbourne. He helped set up three goals in just 15 minutes. At one point, he was ranked among the top young players in the AFL for kicks, marks, and goals.
In 2008, Nathan played only three games. He had some muscle injuries. He went back home to Western Australia to recover. This led to talk that he might want to play for a team closer to home. But Nathan decided to stay with Port Adelaide.
In 2009, Nathan became stronger and fitter. He started playing in a new position, helping out in the backlines. He played very well in this role. He often got more than 20 possessions in games. The 2010 season was tough for Nathan. He played only seven games because of injuries and not being in his best form.
Time with Gold Coast (2011)
On 1 September 2010, Nathan signed a three-year deal with the Gold Coast Suns. He was one of the first players to join this new team. Port Adelaide was disappointed that he left.
In December 2011, Nathan left the Suns. He was released from his contract for personal reasons.
Back to Port Adelaide (2015–2017)
On 31 March, Nathan signed to play for the Port Adelaide Magpies. This was a chance for him to restart his AFL career. He played very well for the Magpies. Because of his great performance, Port Adelaide's AFL team drafted him again as a rookie.
In 2015, he started on the rookie list. But he impressed everyone in pre-season games. He was quickly moved to the main team. He played his first AFL game for Port Adelaide since 2010 in round 3. His accurate kicking and smooth movement were very helpful to the team. He played 14 games that season.
After the 2017 season ended, Nathan Krakouer announced his retirement from AFL football.
