Adelaide Crows: 205 AFL games, 68 goals
Nathan van Berlo played for the Adelaide Crows in the AFL. He was the captain of the Crows from 2011 until 2014. 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.
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, unfortunately missing the entire season.
In 2015 he played his 200th match in round 23 against Geelong. In September 2016 he announced his immediate retirement from the AFL.
Dad’s family left Holland after the war. They moved to New Zealand and raised a big family there, working as dairy farmers. I travelled through Holland when I went to Europe a few years ago. I don’t know too much about by Dutch heritage, and it’s something I’d like to explore in the future.
Nathan van Berlo
