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Sport Nation
Will teams regret passing on Nate Caddy?
Jaiden Sciberras • May 30th, 2025 4:07 pm
Despite falling three goals short of the Lions, Essendon’s Thursday night performance in Brisbane certainly delivered an array of positives for the young side.
Fielding a side with an average age of just 24.5 years old against the reigning premiers up north, the Bombers took the lead as late as the seven-minute mark of the final term before falling short late in the contest.
Naming four players in their debut seasons, with an extensive injury list, Essendon put on a very strong display despite the loss.
One player that stood out to the SEN Fireball team was young key forward Nate Caddy.
The 19-year-old was a major standout for the Bombers, booting two goals from his 10 disposals, taking five marks and remaining dangerous throughout the game.
David King was particularly impressed with the key forward’s ability to cover the ground, involving himself in contests all over the Gabba.
“I think the game of Caddy is something that we’ve discussed many times this year,” King told SEN Fireball.
“Being out there in pre-season I kept saying I haven’t seen a young, big, key position, tall forward work as hard as what he does. He just continuously runs and makes a point of getting to every possible contest, session in, session out.
“This is not a gameday only exercise, he does this at training. He’s a special player to watch.
“I hope he gets the rewards; it doesn’t always work out that way, but he’s starting to get them anyway.”
Selected by the Bombers with pick 10 of the 2023 national draft, Fireball co-host Kane Cornes couldn’t help but consider the nine teams that passed up on the opportunity to select the key forward.
“The competitive nature, and his want to win (is infectious),” Cornes said.
“He’s not even 20 yet, he turns 20 in July. Everyone is looking for a key position forward, and he was pick 10.
“The teams that overlooked him for running types, even the Gold Coast with (Jed) Walter as the academy bid, who’s going to be better between Walter and Caddy?
“North with the running players in (Colby) McKercher and (Zane) Duursma that they went with. Hawthorn went with ‘The Wizard’ (Nick) Watson, Adelaide went with (Dan) Curtin but they’re probably okay in the key forward stakes.
“That one is going to be a draft to watch, where nine teams overlooked him.”
Speaking on those who passed on Caddy, King cited North Melbourne as one side that should have taken the punt to pair Nick Larkey with the dynamic key tall.
“I’ve mentioned this before, I think it’s probably the biggest error that the Kangaroos have made in the last five years,” King continued.
“To not draft someone to assist Nick Larkey has had flow-on effects. They’ve had to give up this year’s first rounder to reach at a player at 25 last year, and that effectively could be pick 3 or pick 2, who knows.
“This guy, where he was, would have been a steal in hindsight but you can’t do the draft in hindsight, I get that.”
Partnering Caddy with NGA product and best friend Isaac Kako, the Bombers have plenty of elite talent to work with for the future, with Kako showing signs of elite level potential in last night’s loss.
“Let’s just talk about what Essendon have got and what they can work with.
“Kako still shows signs, there’s little things there. There was a lead last night, he did a little stutter step which threw Dayne Zorko out immediately.
“He wasn’t sure if he was coming back at the ball or resetting, and he just got in behind him straight away, and I thought that’s a move of a player that has done that a thousand times and understands the situation.
“There are little things you see with these kids, and you think ‘yep, they are going places’.”
Despite a hearty performance from the young Bombers, their loss will leave the Bombers outside of the top eight through Round 12, with Carlton and Geelong to come.
