Few would have believed that 18-year-old, 66kg Nathan Krakouer in his first (non-monsoonal) game against fully grown men could make an impact like he did on Friday night against St Kilda.

Krakouer, speaking exclusively to PortAdelaideFC.com.au after the NAB Challenge game, admits his three-goal, three-assist performance even surprised himself.

“Yeah I think I did (surprise myself) actually! It was great fun just getting out there and having a win for the first time and actually playing in some good weather to show what you can do is pretty good,” he said.

The 4,424 people at the game, all in the AAMI Stadium members’ stand, were perhaps treated to the start of something special.

Ever since drafting Krakouer at No. 39 in last year’s NAB AFL Draft, Power coach Mark Williams had been saying his club got a bargain and that Krakouer had been thrilling the squad with his unique skills at training.

From the first quarter of Friday night’s game, it was obvious to see why. Krakouer kicked the Power’s first two goals. Goal No. 1 was a classic crumbers goal – he was front and centre of a marking contest, grabbed the spilt ball and in the blink of an eye had snapped the goal round his body.

“I had to show Choco that I can crumb,” Krakouer said. “That was one of my goals to actually get some crumbs and to get a goal was great.”

Minutes later he used his speed (he only just missed out on breaking Danyle Pearce’s 20m sprint record at last year’s NAB AFL Draft Camp) to create a goal. He ran hard to be able to leap over an opponent and grab the intercepting mark, then hit the ground running and kicked at an open goal.

Krakouer kicked his third in the final term, but it was the goals he set-up as much as the ones he kicked himself which impressed. Two perfect passes to teammates by foot created goals and a deft knock on with his hand to Brett Ebert had the crowd gasping with excitement.

“When you go for the ball and start doing the team things and start putting the team first, things will just flow for you,” Krakouer said.

“When they (teammates) cheer you and make you feel good, it just makes you want to do more.”

Krakouer finished the night with 13 disposals, five marks, five inside 50s and three goals straight.

His profile on the official Port Adelaide website reads as though he is some way off playing for the Power. After all, until last weekend in the monsoon in Darwin, he had only played U18 football and even then he would have been just about the skinniest guy out there.

Yet Friday night’s performance will be hard to ignore for the Power.

“(I got) a lot of confidence (out of the game),” he said. “My goals are just to keep it up, be consistent, not just one week on and one week off, and try to get in the side. But I’ll let the coach do the picking!”

Krakouer said he knew the game was a golden opportunity.

“Tonight you had to show something. All the new blokes (were in the team) and none of the leaders were in there. No Mahns (Josh Mahoney), Tredders (Warren Tredrea), Whiters (Damon White). All of us younger blokes and less experienced blokes had to step up and show a bit of something of what we can do to make Choco happy,” he said.

So what did Choco say to you after the game?

“Just some quiet words, that was about it, just short and sharp. Not praise, just encouragement, ‘get on with the job’.”