.
Guest Character Profiles > Nathan Black Lyall Brooks

Nathan Black 2008-2009
Children: Ashley
Occupation: Talent Scout

During the Eastside Dingoes football team's final game of the season, talent scout Nathan Black watched from the sidelines, particularly interested in team captain Ringo Brown and Declan Napier who, desperate to impress and achieve his dream of playing professional football, wasn't playing at his best. During the second half, however, Declan pulled himself together and ended up scoring the goal that won the Grand Final for the Dingoes. Later, as the team celebrated in the bar, Nathan offered both Declan and Ringo a chance to come and train with the Carlton Blues, warning that they'd be competing against each other for one place on the team next year.

A couple of weeks later, the boys arrived at the Carlton training ground for their first session, where they met players and fans, and were put through their paces. When Ringo, who had once suffered from an eating disorder, seemed to be lagging behind a little, he admitted to Declan that he hadn't eaten that morning. And when Nathan then asked Ringo and Declan if there were any medical problems he should know about, Declan covered for his mate, though told Ringo that he wasn't about to make a habit of it. When Ringo then struggled during the next training session, Declan had to cover again, but told Ringo that he had to own up. After finding out the truth, Nathan was furious, and said that they'd both jeopardised their chances. He pitted them in a race against each other, and when Declan tripped, Ringo stopped to help him. Nathan was impressed, telling them that helping your teammates was the most important thing, and he announced that he'd be offering them both a place to train for the upcoming season.

However, when Declan found out that his girlfriend Bridget was pregnant, he panicked and ran away from his responsibilities, hopping in his car, planning a new life in Alice Springs. He left a message for Nathan, saying that he was going away, and Nathan immediately went to see Ringo, warning him to find Declan, and if he wasn't back at training by the end of the week, he could kiss his AFL career goodbye. When Declan did return, Nathan was sure to put him through a tough training session at the gym, warning him that he was on his final chance - miss any more sessions and he was out. Later in the week, Nathan continued to push Declan, explaining to him that he'd had the chance to be a professional football player when he was younger, and had always regretted messing it up. Declan assured him that he was 100% serious about it and wasn't going to let the chance slip from his hands.

But as Declan and Bridget's relationship suffered and he stopped to console her about the break-up of her parents' marriage when he was supposed to be headed to training, he lost his final chance. As he arrived at the training ground, Nathan told him that he was no longer part of the team, as he couldn't be relied on, and Declan was forced to abandon his dream of an AFL career. Meanwhile, Ringo attended his jumper presentation for the Portside Falcons, where he met older player Adam Clarke and soon found himself forced to make choices between his team and his old mates.

While Ringo chose to try and make a go of his football career, he foolishly got involved with groupie Ashley, unaware that she was the teenage daughter of Nathan. As Ashley took him back to her house, an irate Nathan stormed out, warning Ringo to stay away. Realising that Ringo could end his career, Ringo told Ashley he was ending the relationship, but she refused to take no for an answer and went to her dad claiming that Ringo had pressurised her. Nathan and Ashley then tracked Ringo down in the bar, where his friends and family defended him against the accusations, and Ashley was forced to admit that she'd made it up, and she accused her dad of always putting football first.

When Adam and Ringo were caught up in a car accident the following week, Ringo took the blame for Adam, who had been driving and already had points on his licence. Furious Nathan tried to get to the truth, but when Zeke Kinski overheard a conversation between Adam and Ringo, and broadcast the thinly-veiled truth on his radio show, Nathan told Ringo that he was sacked from the team.

Episodes Featured
5562, 5572, 5575, 5581, 5586, 5588, 5643, 5650, 5657, 5658, 5662

Biography by Steve

Back