The quiet 21-year-old defender is still finding his feet at Alberton after being selected by the Power in November and was thrilled to learn an AFL club thought him good enough to play at the elite level.
“I was ecstatic when I found out I was drafted,” said Blee.
“I couldn’t watch it [the draft], I was too nervous, I was actually playing video games in the other room and then I heard my mum start yelling that I had been drafted.
[ Related: Nathan's profile ]
Originally from the East Perth Football Club in WA, Blee is being groomed to complement the Power’s developing back six.
Blee’s transition from Perth to Adelaide has been assisted by the support of his new teammates and his girlfriend who moved with him to SA.
“Adelaide is very similar to Perth so the transition wasn’t too hard,” says Blee.
“The weather is good, although the beaches aren’t quite as good over here - it’s been great and I’m loving it so far.
“Alipate [Bobby] Carlile, Jackson Trengove and [development coach] Matthew Nicks have all really helped me as well -the boys have been really welcoming.
“Bobby has been helping me a lot in terms of the backline, so I’ve had a lot to do with him and I’ve started working a bit with Jackson as well.”
Blee was assigned to North Adelaide in the SANFL Mini Draft and has been working hard to develop into an elite backman at the Roosters, with a view to stepping into the Power’s first 22 in the coming years.
“Some of my defensive work isn’t up to scratch yet, so I’ve been working on being first to the ball,” he said.
“I have to be more aggressive to the ball and make early body contact - I’ve been working on those things for the last few weeks and hopefully they improve quickly.
“I’m working very hard to get my body and skills right so hopefully with all the right preparation and some luck I’ll get picked - but if not I’ll just continue to train hard and support the boys.”
At 192cm, Blee was runner-up in East Perth's club champion award and named at full back in the WAFL team of the year after averaging 14 disposals and 3.5 marks from 19 games in 2011.
Being a part of East Perth’s 2011 team also allowed him to play against AFL-listed forwards in the Foxtel Cup.
He suited up for the Power during its NAB Cup match against the West Coast Eagles in his home state earlier this year - a place which despite the massive popularity of the hometown Eagles, he revealed to have harboured his early love for Port Adelaide (no doubt garnered from the successes Port achieved between 2002 and 2004).
“When I was younger I did go for the Power,” he said.
“But when I started playing at a higher level, I just watched the game and enjoyed it for what it was.”
Although he has been at Alberton for half a year, Blee continues to improve in the SANFL and has performed as a solid League back man - with the Power’s football development staff encouraged by his improvement every week.
Could it only be a matter of time before another Sandgroper lines up in defence for the oldest club in South Australia?
Fast Facts About Nathan Blee:
His favourite colour is blue
If he wasn't at Port Adelaide he would love to still work in the sports industry. He has a degree in Sports Science so he reckons he would enjoy anything related to that field.
Nathan goes to the movies a lot - "like two times a week with the boys!"
Blee's favourite films are action flicks (but he doesn’t mind a bit of comedy either!) and his favourite actor is Denzel Washington.
Nathan played as a midfielder when coming through juniors despite playing as a defender at East Perth and Port Adelaide.
Being a part of East Perth’s 2011 team also allowed him to play against AFL-listed forwards in the Foxtel Cup.
He suited up for the Power during its NAB Cup match against the West Coast Eagles in his home state earlier this year - a place which despite the massive popularity of the hometown Eagles, he revealed to have harboured his early love for Port Adelaide (no doubt garnered from the successes Port achieved between 2002 and 2004).
“When I was younger I did go for the Power,” he said.
“But when I started playing at a higher level, I just watched the game and enjoyed it for what it was.”
Although he has been at Alberton for half a year, Blee continues to improve in the SANFL and has performed as a solid League back man - with the Power’s football development staff encouraged by his improvement every week.
Could it only be a matter of time before another Sandgroper lines up in defence for the oldest club in South Australia?
Fast Facts About Nathan Blee:
His favourite colour is blue
If he wasn't at Port Adelaide he would love to still work in the sports industry. He has a degree in Sports Science so he reckons he would enjoy anything related to that field.
Nathan goes to the movies a lot - "like two times a week with the boys!"
Blee's favourite films are action flicks (but he doesn’t mind a bit of comedy either!) and his favourite actor is Denzel Washington.
Nathan played as a midfielder when coming through juniors despite playing as a defender at East Perth and Port Adelaide.
His favourite player growing up was Chris Judd.
"Scream" by Usher is the song currently on high rotation on his iPod.
"Scream" by Usher is the song currently on high rotation on his iPod.
