Nathan Freeman, a former Collingwood top-10 draftee and St Kilda two-gamer, has accepted that his injury-ravaged AFL dream is finally over, but he hasn’t allowed himself to relax after a tumultuous football career.
The 27-year-old has played jumper for four clubs so far in 2022, each at a different competitive level, but he has been just as busy off the field, shifting gears to pursue a career in player management.
Before the AFL’s Supplemental Selection Period (SSP), Freeman traveled to the Sunshine State on a “train and trial” contract with the Gold Coast Suns, potentially providing his career with a lifeline in Queensland.
Freeman saw the Suns’ season-ending roster position as his final chance to revive his career, going head-to-head with fellow list contender James Tsitas. A result that, in the end, did not come to pass.
The Dingley product left Carrara and traveled west to South Australia, where he joined the Adelaide Crows’ COVID contingency list and linked up with the reserves in the SANFL.
However, Freeman was not immune to ailments at the lesser level; his time at West Lakes was prematurely ended by a setback to his shoulder, just as his stint with the Saints and Magpies.
While undergoing rehabilitation, Freeman went back to his native Victoria, where he changed his career goals to become a player manager at the prestigious athlete agency Connors Sports Management.
After completing the necessary paperwork to become an authorized AFL player agent, Freeman eventually made his way back to the football field, this time with the VFL team Frankston, which served as a launching pad for an AFL comeback attempt the previous season.
