Nathan "the Knife" Fyfe (born 18 September 1991) is an Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er for the Fremantle Football Club

Fremantle Football Club

The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...

 in the Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

. He was selected by the Dockers with the twentieth pick in the 2009 AFL Draft

2009 AFL Draft

The 2009 AFL Draft consists of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2009/10 Australian Football League off-season. These were the Trade Week , the National Draft , the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft .- Trades :In the lead up to the trade week many high profile players such as...

. Fyfe is a very natural player with a good mark and leap.

Background

Fyfe grew up at Lake Grace

Lake Grace, Western Australia

-Natural disasters:In late 2005 and early 2006, Lake Grace experienced two natural disasters. The first was a hail storm on 16 October 2005, which destroyed 500 hectares of wheat and barley crop and damaged a further 5,500 hectares, with some farmers reporting fields covered by up to...

, and went to school at Aquinas College

Aquinas College, Perth

Aquinas College is a Catholic independent, day and boarding school for boys, located in Salter Point, Western Australia. Its sister school is Santa Maria Ladies College located in Attadale...

. He played WAFL

West Australian Football League

The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...

 Colts for Claremont

Claremont Football Club

The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold....

, his highlight of the season being his eight goal, 34 possession effort in the Colts Grand Final. Fyfe was also selected in the WA Under 18's Championship squad and played four of the five games, kicking nine goals. His best return came in the game against Vic Metro in which he scored four goals.

AFL career

Fyfe made his debut in Fremantle's 39 point win over the Richmond Tigers in the annual Len Hall ANZAC Day game at Subiaco Oval

Subiaco Oval

Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...

. In doing so, Nathan became the 150th player to represent the Fremantle Dockers at AFL level.

He was awarded the AFL Rising Star nomination for Round 9 of the 2010 AFL season

2010 AFL season

-Premiership season:The draw for the 2010 AFL Premiership Season is not a random selection of matches, but rather is planned by the AFL. It is intended to produce a balanced draw while also providing the fans and television networks with blockbuster games. In a competition with 16 teams and 22...

 after performing very well in Fremantle's first victory over Sydney

Sydney Swans

The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...

 in Sydney since 1996. Fyfe collected 23 possessions, four clearances, five tackles and seven marks and played on senior Sydney player Ryan O'Keefe

Ryan O'Keefe

Ryan O'Keefe is an Australian Football League player with the Sydney Swans, and part of the Swans' 2005 premiership-winning side....

 for most of the game.

In 2011 he improved further and in July signed a contract extension to remain at Fremantle until the end of the 2014 season. His outstanding form led him to be considered as a potential All-Australian team

All-Australian Team

The All-Australian Team is an all star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including interchange players and a coach, of the best performed during the season....

 selection, Doig Medal

Doig Medal

The Doig Medal is the best and fairest award given out to the player considered best and fairest during a season for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL....

 chance and gained comparisons to past champion James Hird

James Hird

James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....

. Fyfe polled an equal team high 13 Brownlow Medal

Brownlow Medal

The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

votes, finished runner-up in the Doig Medal and was selected in the initial All-Australian squad of 40, but didn't make the final team.

External links

• Nathan Fyfe profile on fremantlefc.com.au