Nathan van Berlo
| Nathan van Berlo | |||
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Nathan van Berlo
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Nathan van Berlo | ||
| Nickname(s) | VB | ||
| Date of birth | 6 June 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Perth, Western Australia | ||
| Original team(s) | Whitford West Perth (WAFL) |
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| Draft | No. 24, 2004 National Draft, Adelaide | ||
| Debut | Round 3, 2005, Adelaide vs. Port Adelaide, at AAMI Stadium |
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| Height / weight | 184 cm (6 ft 0 in) / 83 kg (13 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, tagger, small defender | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2005–2016 | Adelaide | 205 (68) | |
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1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2016.
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| Career highlights | |||
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Nathan van Berlo (born 6 June 1986) is a former professional Australian rules football player who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the club with pick 24 in the 2004 National Draft. He was the captain of the Adelaide Football Club from 2011 until 2014. His younger brother, Jay van Berlo, played 32 matches in four years for Fremantle. Van Berlo has Dutch heritage, and his parents were born in New Zealand.
Van Berlo made his debut in 2005 aged just 18, playing 11 games in the season and averaging just over seven disposals a game. He became a regular the following season, missing five matches due to a broken collarbone but returning to play out the season. In 2007, van Berlo cemented a place in the starting 22, averaging 19 disposals per game and coming equal seventh in the club Best and Fairest. By this stage van Berlo was a regular performer in Adelaide's young midfield noted for his high fitness level.
After the retirement of Simon Goodwin at the end of the 2010 season, van Berlo was selected to become the captain of the club from the 2011 season. He performed solidly in his first year as captain, finishing second in the Malcolm Blight Medal playing in defence and in the midfield.
In 2012, van Berlo spent most of the season as a tagger, laying more tackles than anyone else at the club while also still ranking fifth at Adelaide for total disposals. He reprised this role in 2013, shutting down some of the competition's most dangerous players such as Brent Harvey and Stephen Hill. He also re-signed with Adelaide until the end of 2016 during the year.
Van Berlo ruptured his right Achilles tendon in a freak training accident prior to the 2014 season. This meant he missed the entire season, although he came close to making a miraculous return in the last few weeks of the season. In January 2015, van Berlo was replaced as captain by Taylor Walker.
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