Nate Caddy might not be the tallest key forward developing in the AFL system, but that hasn’t stopped him from being touted as a future superstar.
The 18-year-old, who stands 193 centimetres, showed plenty of signs of his potential last weekend against Collingwood, according to Essendon legend and former star key forward Matthew Lloyd.
Exciting prospect: Nate Caddy of the Bombers.Credit: AFL Photos
“He’s probably not as big as some of the key forwards getting around now, but just the way he launches for the footy is going to be a tricky match-up,” Lloyd said.
“And he can play high, he can play deep. So he’s as exciting a prospect that the Bombers have had in a long, long time.”
Caddy, the nephew of dual premiership Tiger Josh, was taken by the Bombers with pick 10 in last year’s draft, and impressed the club and outsiders with his athleticism and ability to take big marks during pre-season.
Lloyd said the Northern Knights product should be watching the likes of Jeremy Cameron (196 centimetres) and Charlie Curnow (194) to develop his craft, the way Lloyd studied Wayne Carey, Gary Ablett snr and Stephen Kernahan.
“Jeremy Cameron works as hard as any forward, getting up high, working hard back to goal and just [being] really difficult to stop ... Curnow also takes the ball at the highest point and launches at the footy. That’s sort of what Caddy has in his game,” Lloyd said.
“And then there was talk when he got drafted that he could play as a big midfielder as well. So interesting to see if that ever develops.”
Before he knew what club would draft him, Caddy told this masthead he didn’t mind if people didn’t call him a key forward; he’d be a power forward instead, someone difficult to match up on.
“Say they put someone taller on me. I can be quicker than them, but if they put someone smaller on me, then I’ll be able to out-body them with my height,” Caddy said.
“I’ve got a long wingspan, and a pretty good vertical [jump], so I feel like that adds a few centimetres.”
Essendon coach Brad Scott, speaking after the win over the Magpies, wasn’t shy about the excitement Caddy brought to the club.
“He is a point of a difference. It’s very rare that you see a first-year key forward who can have an impact on a game like he can,” Scott said.
Nate Caddy of the Bombers marks in front of Tiger Ben Miller.Credit: Getty Images
“He is just one of those players that has the intangible ... he wants the moment, the bigger the stage the better he performs … The big moments against big opposition, he doesn’t get overawed, he rises to the occasion.
“That was why we were so keen to draft him, because key forwards need that. It is a rare gun key forward who doesn’t want the moment, doesn’t want the ball kicked to him and ‘Cadz’ certainly wants the ball kicked to him.”
Essendon took a conservative approach to introducing Caddy, who has played three senior games. He made his debut in round 11 against Richmond in the Dreamtime at the ’G clash when Sam Draper was injured, then was a late inclusion against West Coast in round 15 and was prominent against Collingwood last Friday as veteran ruck Todd Goldstein was managed.
However, given Caddy impressed in those outings, Scott has the challenge of how to fit the youngster into the side when they opt to play two ruckmen, Goldstein and Draper, along with Peter Wright, Kyle Langford, Jake Stringer and Harry Jones.
Nate Caddy and Sam Draper of the Bombers.Credit: AFL Photos
Lloyd said Caddy has shown enough that he should feature at senior level for the rest of the season.
“He makes them a better side with him in the team. I think he adds to Langford and Peter Wright and Stringer to that forward line. So I think he’s shown enough that I would just keep playing him this year, and then it’s about getting fitter and stronger and that over the off-season, which everyone does.
“It is exciting … Because having that forward the club probably lacked for a period of time, that A-grade forward straight out of the draft, and a top-10 draft pick. The club’s hasn’t had that probably since Joe Daniher.”
As for Essendon’s form approaching the business end of the season?
“I think Sydney and Carlton are ahead of the Bombers at the moment, but I wouldn’t say there’s too many other teams that are, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t win their first final, and they shouldn’t win a couple of finals this year,” Lloyd said.
Although he did warn: “It’s that type of season. It’s open, it’s really open.”
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter