Nick Blakey has long since established a reputation for being one of the most damaging loose men in the AFL... if you leave him loose in defence. His line-breaking runs and quality disposal by foot inside 50 are a cheat code for the Swans to set up score after score, especially effective after midfield turnovers when the opposition is not set up to counter him. It takes a player with a particular set of skills to have the discipline to stay on the Lizard even when scoring opportunities open up the other way. Only someone with the supreme endurance of Bradley Hill can go with him.
Nick Blakey has long since established a reputation for being one of the most damaging loose men in the AFL... if you leave him loose in defence. His line-breaking runs and quality disposal by foot inside 50 are a cheat code for the Swans to set up score after score, especially effective after midfield turnovers when the opposition is not set up to counter him. It takes a player with a particular set of skills to have the discipline to stay on the Lizard even when scoring opportunities open up the other way. Only someone with the supreme endurance of Bradley Hill can go with him.
Nick Blakey is called the Lizard due to his distinctive running style, more akin to a frillnecked lizard on its hind legs scurrying through the desert than a footballer. He has not always run to the right areas in his short AFL career so far, but starting on a half back flank seems to have unlocked his best game as he can use his dash to break lines through midfield. With Jordan Dawson off to Adelaide there was a spot available at Sydney for a run-and-carry type who could deliver the ball inside 50 with precision, and Blakey has put his hand up for John Longmire... and fantasy owners.
Nick Blakey has been in and out of the senior side for Sydney this season, perhaps surprisingly because he has all the attributes to be the prototype of the modern AFL footballer. His height means he can play key position and his speed means he can play outside midfield, though it it the latter he has been used as most often in 2021. As a fantasy player his role is contingent on supply from the inside whether he starts on a wing, flank or in the spine, so his numbers will rise and fall from week to week.
Nick Blakey came into 2020 as one of the most promising young key forwards in the league, and had the rather thankless task of carrying a Swans attack missing most of its stars for long periods in just his second season. The recent return of Sam Reid has allowed him to be released up the ground to play midfield in late-campaign junk time, which has put a higher floor on his fantasy scores but also hasn't led to any big numbers just yet. He has also copped in-game knocks the last two games, so he has a way to go to prove himself in the clinches.
Blakey chases baseline
Playing every game and kicking 19 goals with an impressive highlight reel in his first year, Nick Blakey showed us all why he was snared with a top 10 draft pick. Primarily used as a forward although not uncomfortable pushing up to the wing, his first campaign was good enough to be rewarded with a two-year contract extension. Blakey is a lock for a regular senior position, with ample ability to take it to the next level in a forward line that is going to be relying on him more and more as Lance Franklin's career winds down. He'll still be well below the baseline for noteworthy forwards, so wait another year before considering the former Academy product.
Buddy boy in Blakey
While Nick Blakey played predominantly as a forward in his junior years, thanks to his great endurance he can also push up into the midfield. He was the standout player in division 2 at the Championships for the last two years, best on ground in 2017 and runner up in 2018. Blakey boasts versatility and exceptional overhead ability, but he’ll take some time to develop in the reserves before he gets his first crack at the big leagues. Keep an eye on the Lance Franklin prodigy for the future, but let him slide into the draft pool in for season 2019.
