Nick Blakey

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Nick Blakey

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname = Nicholas Blakey

| nickname = Lizard,{{Cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/133001/weird-footy-nicknames-so-why-do-they-call-gov-brackets|title=Weird footy nicknames: So why do they call Gov 'Brackets'?|date=17 March 2019|access-date=31 January 2024|website=afl.com.au}} Liz

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|02|27|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = East Sydney Bulldogs/UNSW-Easts (AFL Sydney)/Sydney Swans Academy

| draftpick = No. 10, 2018 national draft

| height = 195 cm

| weight = 80 kg

| position = Defender

| currentclub = {{AFL Syd}}

| guernsey =

| statsend = round 7, 2025

| years1 = 2019–

| club1 = {{AFL Syd}}

| games_goals1 = 135 (43)

| careerhighlights =

AFL Rising Star nominee: 2019
All-Australian team: 2024

}}

Nick Blakey (born 27 February 2000) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life

Blakey was born in Melbourne. His father, John Blakey, was a Fitzroy player and dual premiership midfielder for North Melbourne.

He moved to Brisbane with his family at two years of age, due to his father assistant coaching at Brisbane Lions, before settling in Sydney as a six-year-old when his father joined Sydney Swans coaching panel. He grew up in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs and attended Waverley College.{{Cite web |last=Cramsie |first=Debbie |date=2018-03-15 |title=From Waverley College to the Sydney Swans |url=https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/waverley-college-sydney-swans/ |access-date=2023-09-01 |website=The Catholic Weekly}} Blakey participated in the Auskick program at East Sydney Bulldogs.AFL Record. Round 2, 2022. p. 44 In his final year of junior football, he scored 18 goals.{{cite news |title=Player Profile Nicholas Blakey |url=http://maps.sportingpulse.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=191202254&client=0-4015-66452-303234-20586829 |access-date=5 September 2020 |publisher=sportsTG |date=24 August 2016 }}

Blakey had a choice of three possible clubs, North Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions through the father-son rule, and the Sydney Swans as a member of the Swans' Development Academy. In early 2018, Blakey revealed his preference was to play for the Sydney Swans.{{cite news |last1=Niall |first1=Jake |title=Swans win battle for potential Kangaroos and Lions father-son Blakey |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/swans-win-battle-for-potential-kangaroos-and-lions-father-son-blakey-20180501-p4zcr2.html |access-date=23 November 2018 |newspaper=The Age|date=1 May 2018}}

He was recruited by the Sydney Swans with the 10th draft pick in the 2018 AFL Draft matching a bid from {{AFL GWS}}.{{cite news |last1=Sydney Swans Media |title=Pick 10: Nick Blakey |url=http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/2018-11-22/pick-10-nick-blakey |access-date=23 November 2018 |agency=Sydney Swans Media |publisher=AFL Media |date=22 November 2018}} Blakey received a 2019 AFL Rising Star nomination in round 14 of the 2019 AFL season, for his two goal effort against {{AFL Haw}}.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/sydney-rookie-blakey-awarded-rising-star-nomination-20190624-p520us.html|title=Sydney rookie Blakey awarded Rising Star nomination

|last=Rugari|first=Vince|newspaper=The Age|access-date=6 February 2024}}

AFL career

On 5 June 2023, Blakey became the first player contracted until the 2030s with a seven year contract extension handed to him by the Sydney Swans.

Statistics

Updated to the end of the 2022 season.{{cite web|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/N/Nick_Blakey.html|title=Nick Blakey|work=AFL Tables|access-date=6 August 2021}}

| 2019 || {{AFL Syd}} || 22

| 21 || 19 || 14 || 153 || 68 || 221 || 50 || 48 || 0.9 || 0.7 || 7.3 || 3.2 || 10.5 || 2.4 || 2.3

| 2020{{efn|The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.}} || {{AFL Syd}} || 22

| 16 || 8 || 13 || 126 || 36 || 162 || 36 || 36 || 0.5 || 0.8 || 7.9 || 2.3 || 10.1 || 2.3 || 2.3

| 2021 || {{AFL Syd}} || 22

| 17 || 3 || 6 || 138 || 75 || 213 || 65 || 28 || 0.2 || 0.4 || 8.1 || 4.4 || 12.5 || 3.8 || 1.6

| 2022 || {{AFL Syd}} || 22

| 24 || 2 || 3 || 350 || 118 || 468 || 104 || 50 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 14.6 || 4.9 || 19.5 || 4.3 || 2.1

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan=3 | Career

! 78 !! 32 !! 36 !! 767 !! 297 !! 1064 !! 255 !! 162 !! 0.4 !! 0.5 !! 9.8 !! 3.8 !! 13.6 !! 3.3 !! 2.1

Notes