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Nathan Krakouer
	Nathan Krakouer
	; Nathan Krakouer playing for Port Adelaide during the 2007 AFL Season
Personal information
Full name	Nathan Rhys Krakouer
Date of birth	May 5, 1988 (age 21)
Recruited from	Claremont (WAFL)
Height/Weight	182cm / 78kg
Position(s)	midfield, half-back flank
Club information
Current club	Port Adelaide
Number	29
Playing career1
	1 Playing statistics to end of Round 3, 2009 season . ;

Nathan Krakouer (born 5 May 1988) is an Australian Rules Footballer and an Indigenous Australian. He is the nephew of the legendary North Melbourne football players Jimmy Krakouer and Phil Krakouer and cousin of former Richmond player Andrew Krakouer.

[edit] Early life

Krakouer began his junior football in Western Australia before playing senior football with the Claremont Football Club at a young age.

In 2006 he represented Australia's indigenous youth on tour to South Africa with the "Flying Boomerangs" to play against the South Africa's Buffaloes.^[1]

He was invited to 2006 AFL Draft Camp where despite weighing just 61 kilograms he impressed scouts with both excellent acceleration and standing jump for his height.

[edit] Port Adelaide career

[edit] 2007

The slightly-built rookie teenager was recruited by AFL club Port Adelaide Power in the 2006 AFL Draft. He was the player the Power was most surprised to be able to pick when it grabbed him at No. 39. Krakouer shone at the 2006 AFL Draft camp in Canberra, setting a sizzling time in the 20 metre sprint on the second day of the camp. His time of 2.83 seconds puts his result in the top handful of all time, out of nearly a thousand players over the last 12 or 13 years. [1]

Wearing the number 29 guernsey, he has played 11 games for Port in his debut 2007 AFL Season, despite coach Mark Williams earlier predicting that he would not play for at least 2 years. As at the end of Round 7, he had an impressive total of 48 kicks, 24 marks, 18 handballs, 66 disposals and 4 goals. [2]

His explosive speed and raw talent has been progressively emerging throughout the season. Notably, he played a crucial role in securing a win over North Melbourne in Round 2, with a significant hand in 3 Port goals in 15 minutes; 3 such goals being in the last five minutes of the game. Krakouer was also the only Power player to take more than one inside-50 mark in Port's loss to the Crows in Showdown XXII.

As at the end of Round 7, Krakouer is ranked 6th among the AFL Rising Stars in total kicks and total marks, and 7th in total goals.[3]

[edit] 2008

In 2008, Krakouer managed just 3 games for the Power due to recurring soft tissue injuries, and was granted permission by the club to return home to Western Australia after suffering a season-ending hamstring strain in round 15. This led to speculation that Krakouer would seek a potential trade to the Fremantle Football Club or West Coast Eagles, two West Australian based clubs. However this never happened, with Krakouer stating: "I had a talk to Choco (Williams) and I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t tell him I wanted to go back. I felt like I couldn’t just walk out and I’m glad I didn’t."^[2]

[edit] 2009, move to defense

In 2009, an improvement in fitness and bulk in Krakouer saw him move to the backlines playing as a "sweeper role" and essentially replacing Peter Burgoyne who returned to his original position as a midfielder. Krakouer was dominant in this role, averaging over 20 possessions in the 2009 NAB Cup, and being named in the Power's round 1 game of the season.

[edit] References

^ AFL Record. Round 9, 2008. pg 12
^ Junior Krakouer's reason to stay

[edit] External links

[0] AFL Record. Round 9, 2008. pg 12

[1] Junior Krakouer's reason to stay

[1]

[2]

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