Patrick Naish
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Patrick Naish (born 15 January 1999) is an
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
er who plays for the
Box Hill Hawks The Box Hill Hawks Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Box Hill, currently competing in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the VFL Women's (VFLW). Since 2000, Box Hill has had a reserves a ...
in the
Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...
(VFL). Naish previously played for the
West Coast Eagles The West Coast Eagles are a professional Australian rules football club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and first competed in 1987 as one of two expansion teams in the Australian Football League (AFL), then known ...
and
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
in the
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...
(AFL). He was drafted by Richmond with the 34th pick in the 2017 AFL national draft and made his debut for the club in round 12 of the 2019 season. He is the son of former and forward
Chris Naish Chris Naish (born 27 September 1971) is a former Australian rules football player who played in the Australian Football League (AFL), for Richmond Football Club from 1990 to 1997 and Port Adelaide from 1998 to 1999. AFL career Richmond career ...
and was drafted to Richmond under the
father–son rule The father–son rule is a rule that allows clubs preferential recruiting access to the sons of players who have made a major past contribution to the club in Australian rules football, most notably in the Australian Football League. The rule ...
. Naish was delisted by Richmond at the end of the 2021 season after failing to break into playing group. He was signed by West Coast as a Supplementary Selection Period (SSP) during the 2022 AFL pre-season.


Early life and junior football

Born in January 1999, Naish is son to former and forward
Chris Naish Chris Naish (born 27 September 1971) is a former Australian rules football player who played in the Australian Football League (AFL), for Richmond Football Club from 1990 to 1997 and Port Adelaide from 1998 to 1999. AFL career Richmond career ...
who was playing his final AFL season at the time of Patrick's birth. Naish grew up in the northern suburbs of
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
and first represented Victoria at the Under 16 AFL championships in 2015. In 2016 Naish began playing representative football with the Northern Knights in the
TAC Cup The Talent League (also known as the Coates Talent League under naming rights and previously as the NAB League and TAC Cup) is an under-19 Australian rules football representative competition based in Melbourne and run by the Australian Foot ...
. While attending high school at
Ivanhoe Grammar School Ivanhoe Grammar School is a private, co-educational, Anglican, day school, located in Ivanhoe (Buckley House and The Ridgeway Campus) and Doreen (Plenty Campus), both located in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Foun ...
he played for the school's representative side and local football with the school's lower division alumni sides. That year he earned selection the Victorian Metropolitan squad, but did not manage selection to the final team at the
2016 AFL Under 18 Championships The 2016 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships was the 21st edition of the AFL Under 18 Championships. A new format saw nine teams compete in the championships with four teams competing in division two; Northern Territory, NSW/ACT, Queensland, and Tasm ...
. Naish was a member of the AFL Academy in 2016 before becoming just one of 30 players in his age group to join the more advanced program in 2017. Under that program he traveled to the
USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
on a training trip with his Academy classmates and trained for two weeks with Richmond's senior AFL team during the 2015/16 and 2016/17 off-seasons. Naish spent significant additional time around the club in his junior years, completing weights training and receiving coaching due to his
father–son rule The father–son rule is a rule that allows clubs preferential recruiting access to the sons of players who have made a major past contribution to the club in Australian rules football, most notably in the Australian Football League. The rule ...
draft eligibility. He earned selection to the Victorian Metro side at the
2017 AFL Under 18 Championships The 2017 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships was the 22nd edition of the AFL Under 18 Championships. For the previous two decades, the Under-18 Championships had been split into two divisions – with traditional football regions Vic Metro, Vic Cou ...
and was named in Metro's best players in three of his four matches, including against Victoria Country in June where he was among his side's best players with two goals, nine marks and 24 disposals. He held an average of 21.8 disposals per game and led all players for average metres gained (519 per game) while playing wing and half-back. For his performances, Naish earned selection in the under 18 All-Australian team. In school football that year Naish kicked three goals for Ivanhoe in a losing Associated Grammar Schools grand final loss to Marcellin College. At the end of 2017 Naish played in an under 18s all-star match on the
MCG The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as the 'G, is a sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the el ...
as curtain-raiser to that year's AFL grand final.


AFL recruitment

Naish was noted pre-draft for his running ability and his kicking skills. He completed only limited testing at the 2017 AFL draft combine after suffering a back spasm. At various stages of his draft year Naish was projected by media outlets including ESPN as a top 20 pick in the 2017 draft.is a spud In the days immediately prior to the draft, ''AFL Media'' projected him to be selected with the 27th pick while ESPN forecast him to be drafted 25th overall.


Junior statistics

TAC Cup , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
, Northern Knights , 6 , , 9 , , 2 , , — , , 95 , , 62 , , 157 , , 34 , , 18 , , 0.2 , , — , , 10.6 , , 6.9 , , 17.4 , , 3.8 , , 2.0 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, Northern Knights , 6 , , 8 , , 13 , , — , , 82 , , 70 , , 152 , , 31 , , 21 , , 1.6 , , — , , 10.3 , , 8.8 , , 19.0 , , 3.9 , , 2.6 , - , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3, Career ! 17 ! 15 ! — ! 177 ! 132 ! 309 ! 65 ! 39 ! 0.9 ! — ! 10.4 ! 7.8 ! 18.2 ! 3.8 ! 2.3 Under 18 National Championships , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, Vic Metro , 5 , , 4 , , 3 , , — , , 52 , , 33 , , 85 , , 20 , , 13 , , 0.8 , , — , , 13.0 , , 8.3 , , 21.3 , , 5.0 , , 3.3 , - , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3, Career ! 4 ! 3 ! — ! 52 ! 33 ! 85 ! 20 ! 13 ! 0.8 ! — ! 13.0 ! 8.3 ! 21.3 ! 5.0 ! 3.3


AFL career


2018 season

Naish was drafted by with the club's fourth pick and the 34th selection overall in the 2017 AFL national draft after the club used its
father–son rule The father–son rule is a rule that allows clubs preferential recruiting access to the sons of players who have made a major past contribution to the club in Australian rules football, most notably in the Australian Football League. The rule ...
rights to match a bid by . He spent the early months of his AFL career building muscle to add to his slender frame. Naish's first matches at Richmond were played with the club's reserves side in the VFL where he immediately impressed with his kicking skills. While lauded for his offensive abilities, VFL head coach
Craig McRae Craig McRae (born 22 September 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer and the current senior coach of the Collingwood Football Club. Playing career Glenelg Football Club McRae played for Glenelg Football Club in the SANFL from 1993 unti ...
demanded Naish develop his defensive capabilities by playing primarily in a half back role at that level. He showed considerable defensive progress in early July, taking seven marks and contributing 21 disposals in a VFL match against . Naish backed that up with a goal and 26 disposals the following week and a further 32 disposals the next match after that, earning selection as an AFL-level emergency in round 19. Though he could not earn final AFL team selection, Naish continued his impressive VFL form that weekend, collecting 26 disposals in a win over . He was again an AFL emergency in round 20 and again went unselected, but saw his VFL form drop off in early August. After finishing the VFL season as minor premiers, Richmond's reserves side lined up a home qualifying final against Williamstown. After a loss in that match, Richmond's reserves side suffered a knock-out loss the following week which saw the team and Naish's season come to a close. Naish finished 2018 having failed to earn an AFL debut and instead played 20 games and kicked six goals with the club's reserves side in the VFL.


2019 season

After adding nearly eight kilograms of muscle in the off-season, Naish began 2019 again with the club's reserves side, earning immediate praise from VFL assistant coach Ryan Ferguson for his defensive improvements in early April. He was consistently among the club's best players at VFL level in the opening month of the season, regularly recording more than 25 disposals a game in his role at half-back and the wing. In early May he kicked four goals in a VFL win over , with Ferguson saying he was ready for an opportunity at AFL level. Continued strong performances with high disposal counts over the next month and a further two goals and 28 disposals in early June saw Naish in line for an AFL debut. He was at that time averaging 25.9 disposals per match in the VFL. After winger
Brandon Ellis Brandon Ellis (born 3 August 1993) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club and Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played 176 matches over eight seasons ...
was ruled unfit to play due to a groin injury, Naish was called up to AFL level to make his debut in round 12 of the 2019 season. He was impressive in the role, kicking a goal and recording 20 disposals, five marks and five inside-50s. Naish earned one more match at senior level, collecting 19 disposals in a performance ''AFL Media'' labelled admirable, before being dropped back to VFL level following the injury return of many of the club's veteran leaders after the mid-season bye. At reserves level, Naish turned in middling performances while developing his defensive prowess over three weeks as a half-back, before switching back to the wing in the last week of July and putting in a best-on-ground performance with 33 disposals, nine marks and a goal. He continued to excel in that role through the end of the home and away season, finishing the regular season as the reserves team's leader in total disposals, uncontested possessions and inside-50s and placing seventh in the VFL's league best and fairest count. To that point he held averages of 25 disposals, five marks and 4.5 inside-50s per game in 15 reserves grade matches. In the opening round of the VFL finals series, Naish contributed 11 disposals in a come-from-behind qualifying final win over the reserves. He added a two-goal haul in the preliminary final a fortnight later, as Richmond's reserves won through to that league's grand final. Naish kicked one more goal in the Richmond VFL side that defeated the following week, as the club won its first reserves grade premiership since 1997. Naish finished 2019 having played two matches at AFL level, as well as winning a VFL premiership after 18 matches and 13 goals with the club's reserves side.


2020 season

In the 2019/20 off-season, Naish switched guernsey numbers, adopting the number six previously worn by his father
Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name * Chris Abani (born 1966), Nigerian autho ...
and recently vacated by the retiring
Shaun Grigg Shaun Grigg (born 19 April 1988) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played 171 games for and 43 games for over a 13-year AFL career. He was a premiership player with Richmond in 2017, an Under 18 All Australian and twice ...
. He was named by ''AFL Media'' as a potential replacement for the wing role left by the off-season departure of Brandon Ellis, and assumed the role in the club's first pre-season series match. He missed out on the second and final match however, and instead participated in a VFL practice match in the first week of March. It was to be his final competitive match in many months though, as the following week's reserves match was cancelled due to safety concerns as a result of the rapid progression of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
into Australia. Though the AFL season would start on schedule later that month, just one round of matches was played of the reduced 17-round season before the imposition of state border restrictions saw the season suspended for an indefinite hiatus. Naish was a non-playing emergency when the season resumed after an 11-week hiatus, playing an unofficial scratch match against 's reserves that same week due to AFL clubs' withdrawal from the VFL season. After three more scratch matches at reserves level including a three-goal haul against , Naish moved with the main playing group when the club was relocated to the Gold Coast in response to a virus outbreak in Melbourne. Three matches into that stay, Naish was recalled to AFL level as a replacement for injured winger
Josh Caddy Joshua Nicholas Caddy (born 28 September 1992) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who last played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Gold Coast Football Club fr ...
in round 8's match against . As with all matches that year, it was held with playing time reduced by one fifth, owing to the possibility of further pandemic-induced fixture changes and the need to play multiple games on short breaks later in the year. He recorded nine disposals in the match, and was subsequently dropped from the senior side for round 9. Following that, Naish spent the remaining three months of the season at reserves level, where he featured mainly as a half-back. Naish played one AFL match that year, in what was another premiership-winning season for the club.


2021 season

Naish began the 2021 season playing reserves grade football in VFL pre-season practice matches in March and into the start of the season proper in April. After recording 33 and 28 disposals in the first two matches of the reserves season, Naish earned elevation to AFL level as the designated medical substitute for the club's round 7 match against the . He recorded one disposal in five percent game time (coming on to replace
Trent Cotchin Trent William Cotchin (born 7 April 1990) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is an All-Australian, a three-time Jack Dyer Medal, Richmond be ...
in the fourth quarter) and then another one disposal in 12 percent game time in the same role in round 8, replacing the injured
Shane Edwards Shane Edwards (born 25 October 1988) is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a three-time premiership player, an All-Australian and has three times ...
. Naish was elevated to the starting 22 for round 9, and was listed by ''AFL Media'' as one of Richmond's best players after recording 15 disposals in that come-from-behind win over . He remained in the senior side for one further match, before a hamstring injury saw him left out of the round 11 team. Naish returned to fitness through the VFL in June, before being recalled to the senior side for a round 16 match against the . He held his place for one further match but was dropped once again from the club's senior side at the conclusion of round 17. Naish remained at the lower level for the remainder of the year, finishing the season having played six AFL matches. Naish was delisted by Richmond at season's end, after a four-year stint at the club that included nine AFL matches and three goals.


2022 season: West Coast

In March 2022, Naish signed with as part of the supplemental selection period, after unsuccessfully training for a list spot at . Naish made his Eagles debut in round 1 of the
2022 AFL season The 2022 AFL season was the 126th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest-level senior men's Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season featur ...
. Naish was delisted by West Coast at the conclusion of the season.


Playing style

Naish plays as a wing and half-back, notable for his running ability and long kicking. His offensive game is advanced, with Naish described by Richmond's VFL coaches in 2019 as having elite ball-use skills, but still developing his ability to win contested possession and to play defensively.


AFL statistics

: ''Statistics are correct to the end of the 2021 season'' , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
, , 45 , , 0 , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, , 45 , , 2 , , 1 , , 0 , , 25 , , 14 , , 39 , , 9 , , 4 , , 0.5 , , 0.0 , , 12.5 , , 7.0 , , 19.5 , , 4.5 , , 2.0 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
, , 6 , , 1 , , 0 , , 0 , , 3 , , 6 , , 9 , , 0 , , 3 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 3.0 , , 6.0 , , 9.0 , , 0.0 , , 3.0 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
, , 6 , , 6 , , 2 , , 0 , , 27 , , 22 , , 49 , , 9 , , 10 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 4.5 , , 3.7 , , 8.2 , , 1.5 , , 1.7 , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3, Career ! 9 ! 3 ! 0 ! 55 ! 42 ! 97 ! 18 ! 17 ! 0.3 ! 0.0 ! 6.1 ! 4.7 ! 10.8 ! 2.0 ! 1.9 Notes


Honours and achievements

VFL * VFL premiership player:
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
Junior *Under 18 national premiership player:
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
*Under 18 All-Australian:
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...


References


External links

*
Patrick Naish's profile
at AFL Draft Central {{DEFAULTSORT:Naish, Patrick Living people 1999 births Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Northern Knights players Richmond Football Club players West Coast Eagles players People educated at Ivanhoe Grammar School 21st-century Australian sportsmen Box Hill Football Club players