Nathan Van Berlo Biography

After serving as Crows skipper for four years, Nathan Van Berlo will return to Adelaide as their midfield coach for 2021. He will continue to coach out the 2020 season as the Eagles' midfield coach before returning to South Australia.

West Coast adds former Eagle Matt Rosa and Hawthorn premiership player Chance Bateman to its coaching panel.

Rosa will be in charge of stoppages and structures, while Bateman will be the forward line development coach.

Nathan van Berlo, who previously held the role Rosa has taken up, has become the midfield coach.

Nathan Van Berlo joins the Eagles as a midfield and stoppages coach.

"We’re excited to have someone of Nathan’s quality join us," West Coast football manager Craig Vozzo said on the club's website.

"His extensive experience as a club leader, both as a player and more recently as a coach, adds another dimension to our coaching group and leadership program."

Nathan Van Berlo signs with Adelaide as a development coach for 2017.

"Coaching is a fresh challenge and I'm excited for the opportunity to continue to learn and develop in an elite environment," Van Belo said.

"I have great respect for the group of coaches at the club led by Don Pyke and can't wait to start working with them.

"We have a really exciting group of young players at the Crows and I look forward to being able to help them get the best out of themselves."

Former Adelaide skipper Nathan van Berlo announces his retirement from AFL football.

"I probably made the decision (to retire) in July this year," van Berlo said.

"l spoke to some people in the footy world that I trust and had some strong opinions from in the past.

"They helped give me that clarity and in the end it was a pretty easy decision."

Van Berlo became the first non-South Australian to captain the club when he was appointed to the top job in 2010.

A freak training accident where he tore his Achilles during pre-season training forced him to miss the entire 2014 season.

"There were times where I was thinking, 'why me?' and elements of frustration, but at the end of the day, I had to try and get on with it as best I could," he said about the incident.

"I was a bit of a mess sometimes and that's culminated in the past 12 months.

"I've struggled to find the form I've expected of myself and that some of my teammates have come to expect of me over the years."

Nathan Van Berlo is dropped from the Crows' side but Adelaide coach Don Pyke says the former skipper isn't on the outer.

"I don't think it's ruthlessness, it's more just a reality of selection," Pyke said.

"For Nathan it's more about just going back (to the SANFL) and playing his role and playing the way we know he's capable."

Nathan van Berlo appears back to his fittest, leading the club's return to training.

The veteran Crow struggled to find his form in 2015 after his 2014 season was wiped due to a ruptured Achilles and van Berlo was subsequently given a rest in the SANFL.

Teammate Brodie Smith backed van Berlo to play a key role in 2016.

"VB got knocked off last year so he was keen to get his crown back," Smith said.

"Somehow he's come back even fitter than he normally looks – I don't know how he's done that.

"He just keeps getting better and better, I'm looking forward to seeing what he puts on the park this year.

"With his Achilles, he took a bit to come back. For him to come back to pre-season the way he is and really firing on the track - he's going to put in a good year I reckon."

Crows caretaker coach Scott Camporeale is backing former Crows skipper Nathan van Berlo to return to his best after being dropped to the SANFL for the first time in almost a decade.

Van Berlo last played in the SANFL in round 21, 2005 for South Adelaide – his debut season in the AFL.

The 29-year-old had played every game this season but has struggled to recover his form after a 2014 campaign ruined by a ruptured Achilles tendon in the pre-season.

His average number of possessions has dropped to fewer than 15 a game this year, in contrast to the 17, 18 and 24 a game he'd averaged in 2013, 2012 and 2011.

"Nathan's coming off a long-term injury, he's missed a lot of footy. So in my time there are sometimes issues with consistency getting back into form. I mean, 12 months out of the game is a long time," Camporeale said.

"Unfortunately in this industry you've got to be able to hold your spot in the team and produce consistency of form and effort.

"His effort's been outstanding ... but we just need more from him in that two hours."

After missing the whole of the 2014 season with a ruptured Achille, Nathan van Berlo made his return to AFL football last weekend against North Melbourne, tallying 17 touches and four tackles in Adelaide's 2015 season opener.

"I was pretty nervous before the game to be honest, it had been a long time since my last game of footy and I hadn't played at Adelaide Oval, so that was really exciting," van Berlo said.

"It certainly felt like it was my first game again, similar sort of nerves, but I was pretty lucky to be able to have the three warm-up games and three pre-season games before round one.

I pulled up well from the game … I'll keep touching base with the physios and medicos and we'll keep looking after [the Achilles].

"[Maintenance will] be ongoing for me, I think, probably for the remainder of my career at least, it's just a series of calf raises and a few strengthening exercises every second day."

Patrick Dangerfield says former Adelaide skipper Nathan Van Berlo was highly underrated as a captain of the Crows.

"He has done an unbelievable job and the disappointing thing for me is that he's been reported in a negative way quite often throughout his captaincy," Dangerfield said.

"But I'll tell you what, within the four walls of the Adelaide Football Club, there's no one more highly regarded than Nathan and the job that he's done."

Former Adelaide captain Nathan Van Berlo says being replaced as skipper of the Crows by Taylor Walker won't change his approach to football.

"I was always keen to do what's best for this football club and what's best for this footy club at the moment is that Taylor Walker's the captain," van Berlo said.

"I'm really supportive of Tex, I love him as a leader and he's such an influential person and player.

"I don't think it's going to affect my role within the team – it's business as usual for me."

Sam Kerridge topples endurance king Nathan van Berlo for the first time in the Crows' 2km time trial.

Kerridge had been challenging Van Berlo for his crown since he joined Adelaide via pick No.27 in the 2011 NAB AFL draft.

Now the 21-year-old running machine has finally claimed bragging rights after he edged out the skipper as the Crows returned to pre-season training at the Adelaide University Loop.

"He's finally been knocked off – that's the first time I've seen him go down," teammate Brodie Smith said.

"I know Kedge is pretty pumped and VB will be a bit filthy. Kedge has come back really well, and all the boys ran really well and pushed him to the line."

Nathan van Berlo leads the Crows in both of the club's 2km time trials and says he just about over the Achilles that wrecked his 2014 season.

"Obviously I didn't have the niggles and soreness from playing games last year, so I was able to get a bit of work in over the off-season as well as continuing to condition my Achilles and make sure that's holding up well," he said.

"It's getting there. I'd be able to play footy, there's no question about that now."

Nathan van Berlo will train on day one of the club's pre-season, having recovered from his ruptured Achilles.

"If we'd made finals, we might have seen 'VB' play before the end of the season. In the end, he missed out by a couple of weeks," physical performance manager Nick Poulos said.

"He'll be jumping out of his skin."

Nathan van Berlo has moved to allay fears of a splintered playing group at the club in the wake of the sudden sacking of coach Brenton Sanderson.

"As a group, as a collective, we are 100 per cent united behind this board decision," Van Berlo said.

"Over the last two years our results haven't been up to expectations ... of ourselves internally and certainly the results our fans expect of us.

"At the end of the day, the board is put in place to make decisions in the best interest of the footy club and at times these tough decisions have to be made."

After being co-captains for Adelaide in 2014, Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane back Nathan van Berlo to return as skipper in 2015.

"The work he's done this season without playing a game and while also managing the disappointment of knowing that the chances of him playing were really low – I couldn't speak more highly of him," Dangerfield said.

"He's a terrific guy, but an unbelievable leader. While you read and hear the external calls from outside the footy club, internally there is no doubt about who is the best person to lead the Adelaide Football Club.

"It would just be nice if people (outside the club) can follow the same line as the players, because we firmly believe Nathan is the right man for the job."

After missing the entire 2014 with a ruptured Achilles, Nathan Van Berlo says his focus now is firmly on 2015.

"I guess I'll have an 18-month pre-season now to get myself up and going for 2015," he said.

"I've tried to be optimistic about what 2014's given me and it's the freshest I've ever felt going into an off-season."

Nathan van Berlo will spend his time on the sidelines in the club's coaching box, helping to fill strategy and innovation coach Dean Bailey's indefinitely vacated position.

"Nathan's going to quickly become an integral part of our coaching group particularly while we don't have Dean Bailey with us," Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson said.

"It's the perfect fit for us that Nathan can come in, he's just so well schooled with our game plan and how we play, he's going to be another valuable set of eyes on match day.

"We've already got him busy conducting training sessions and spending a lot of time, as he already does, with our younger group."

The Crows are hopeful of skipper Nathan Van Berlo returning to the side this year despite club doctor Andrew Potter claiming he'll be sidelined for at least six months with an Achilles injury.

"If he progresses really well then I think this year's certainly a goal – I wouldn't put a line through this year at all," Potter said.

"This year's realistic, we keep an open mind, we like to be very positive and we give him a goal to aim for.

"He'll be in some sort of immobilizing device for between two and three months, then he'll start moving with some low-impact type activities and then we expect him to be able to get back to full football training around about six months."

Nathan van Berlo has had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered at training on Monday.

Van Berlo ruptured his Achilles at training in a freak accident where he was struck on the back of the heel by a weighted training sled and was sent for surgery immediately.

"Nathan suffered an injury to his right Achilles tendon at training today. At exploratory surgery, the Achilles tendon was found to be completely ruptured and has been surgically repaired. The recovery time for the injury will be at least three months," Crows club doctor Andrew Potter said.

Nathan Van Berlo says media articles suggesting Patrick Dangerfield would be better suited as Crows captain does not faze him.

"To be honest it doesn't affect me whatsoever – people are entitled to their opinions and it's been like that for me the whole way through," van Berlo said.

"It's probably made me grow a thicker skin and realise that it's the people around the footy club, my teammates that matter most."

Nathan Van Berlo has struggled with form this year and Crows coach Brenton Sanderson believes this is due to the Adelaide skipper being used in a variety of roles.

"He's probably been a bit disadvantaged because we have thrown him around a little bit too much," Sanderson said.

"At times we've played him just as a pure wingman, at times he's tagged the opposition's best midfielder, we've used him as a forward."

Crows skipper Nathan Van Berlo will spend four weeks on the sidelines after suffering bone bruising against Port Adelaide.

Scott Thompson will serve as captain of the club in Van Berlo's absence.

Nathan Van Berlo accepts a reprimand and 45 demerit points after deciding not to challenge the MRP's charge for striking Brisbane's Tom Rockliff.

Nathan Van Berlo's clean record may finally be tarnished after the Crows skipper was charged with striking Lions midfielder Tom Rockliff.

"I don't know what more I could have done in that situation, I was just trying to get the ball out as we're instructed to do as players," Van Berlo said.

"I'll have a chat with the relevant people at the footy club to see if it's worth challenging that to keep my clean record. There was no intent there other than to clear the ball."

Nathan Van Berlo signs a three-year deal with the Crows.

"It was a no-brainer for me to make the decision to stay. With the direction the club is heading in at the moment, I certainly want to be a part of it and I'm really excited to be here for another three years," van Berlo said about his decision to sign.

Van Berlo also takes a swipe at former teammate Kurt Tippett for leaving under controversial circumstances last year.

"I guess that was a clear example to the playing group of feelings that occur when you don't want to be a part of the playing group," van Berlo said about Tippett's manner of departure.

"It wasn't handled well from his point of view and the players certainly reacted accordingly to that and felt like they were let down.

"They've seen ways they shouldn't do it, if they choose to leave our system, but I don't think we'll have that case to deal with any time soon."

Nathan van Berlo will captain the Crows for a third consecutive year, with Rory Sloane, Patrick Dangerfield, Scott Thompson, Sam Jacobs and Jason Porplyzia joining him in the leadership group.

"VB is the complete package when it comes to leadership," Crows coach Brenton Sanderson said.

"He leads by example and he understands our game plan - he is an extension of the coaching group in that respect. His relationship with the whole squad is fantastic.

"He lives the values of the club and of the players. He is the ultimate role model for our young players and the entire squad."

Crows skipper Nathan van Berlo says he is surprised at an ACC investigation into widespread drug use in Australian sport.

"If you know it's illegal, you know you're pushing the boundaries and you've got to face the consequences if you are caught," van Berlo said.

"My advice to any young player or any player who is thinking along those lines is that it's simply not worth it."

Following the spotlight on Adelaide's dealings with Kurt Tippett, the Crows could be in further trouble, with reports the AFL is investigating a third-party payment to captain Nathan van Berlo.

Nathan van Berlo's manager Colin Young has emphatically denied his client has benefited from unapproved third-party agreements.

"That was news to me, it's news to Nathan and from our point of view it's a load of rubbish," Young said.

"If you're going to make a comment like that, then back it up with facts."

Taylor Walker faces a three-match ban after a sling tackle on Richmond's Steven Morris leading Crows skipper Nathan Van Berlo to question the clarity of the rules surrounding tackles.

"He (Walker) gets awarded a free kick and gets a shot at goal for what seemed to be a fairly aggressive tackle, but one that was deemed at the time to be within the rules," Van Berlo said.

"I daresay the AFL's going to keep looking at ways to try and make the rule there clearer but, at the moment, players just have to be aware that tackles are going to be heavily scrutinised."

Ahead of his 150th game, Adelaide captain Nathan van Berlo says heartbreak in his early years with the Crows has fuelled his determination.

"I still remember back in my first year of footy in 2005 we finished top and we lost a final against West Coast over in WA," he said.

"To see the disappointment on guys like Mark Ricciuto, Simon Goodwin and Tyson Edwards, virtually in tears after the game … you need to take your opportunities when given the chance."

Nathan van Berlo is re-appointed skipper of the Crows and says he is better prepared to lead the side in 2012 after a difficult first year as captain.

"There were probably more challenges than I would've liked, but later in the year it dawned on me that when times are tough you need to lean on the people around you and at other times really take control yourself," van Berlo said.

"I think that's what all the senior players learned last year, that when the chips were down we needed to stand up ourselves, really take responsibility for our own performances and try to drag other guys along with us."

Crows coach Brenton Sanderson says he's almost certain Nathan van Berlo will retain the captaincy in 2012.

"Nathan has been one player for me, that I just can't believe how motivated this young man is and what a great leader he is," Sanderson told FIVEaa radio.

"I'm almost certain he'll be captain of this footy club for a long time. It's just [a matter of determining] the guys we put around him to support him, and allow him to be a great captain."

Patrick Dangerfield says Crows skipper Nathan van Berlo has been inspirational as the end of the season approaches.

"It's been a tough old year for 'VB'," Dangerfield said.

"When things aren't going well, people want answers and look for people to blame and everyone jumped on the skipper's back. His last four or five weeks have been outstanding, and it's a credit to him he's been able to finish off the season the way he has."

Adelaide skipper Nathan van Berlo is set to re-sign with the Crows, extending his stay at West Lakes until the end of 2013.

"The club has been great to me since day one and I'm now in a leadership position as captain," van Berlo said.

"I really look forward to what lies ahead. We've got a very exciting young list...and I want to be around for the next couple of years to see where we can go with it."

Nathan Van Berlo has been chosen as the Crows' new captain, replacing the retired Simon Goodwin after a vote by Crows players.

"It's a great honour to captain this club," Van Berlo said.

"I'm excited about leading the group into a new era. I'm also pleased to be involved with this leadership group and firmly believe that together we can drive the group towards success. We can't wait for the season to start."

Van Berlo's appointment as skipper was endorsed by Crows CEO Stephen Trigg.

"As a club, we have no doubt whatsoever that he's capable and ready to take on the job. We congratulate Nathan, along with the other members of the leadership group, and commit to giving them all the support they need in their important roles," Trigg said.

Adelaide midfielder Nathan van Berlo could make his long-awaited comeback on Saturday in the SANFL.

"It was good to see him out there. He's been doing a heap of work behind the scenes on the bike, in the pool and running laps. It's enjoyable for him to be able to come out and complete a whole main session for us," Crows teammate Ben Rutten said of Van Berlo.

"He might have a bit of a run this week, but it'll obviously depend on how he pulls up from today. I think he's pretty keen to start getting back into things and I don't think he's restricted in any movement now, which is good."

Nathan van Berlo undergoes a two-hour procedure to relieve pain in his troublesome back, allowing him to resume training.

"He felt a lot better after training so we'll continue to try to progress him a lot further," Crows operations manager Phil Harper said.

"The biggest problem for him has been kicking long distances but he was able to do that pretty well pain free, which was quite handy. It's pleasing for us and him but he's still not out of the woods yet because he hasn't even got to competitive work but it's a step in the right direction. We're just trying to step him up to the next level and if he can start doing that without pain, then it's a winner for us all."

Nathan Bock, Nathan van Berlo and Ben Rutten will not start full training until after Christmas as they recuperate from injuries.

Nathan van Berlo struggles to recover from a niggling back injury and will not play in Adelaide's semi-final against Collingwood.

Nathan van Berlo's stunning third quarter helped his team to a come-from-behind victory against Sydney and showed he is ready to become a true leader at Adelaide in the absence of captain Simon Goodwin who was out with injury.

"Nathan has been really sound for us this season, but I thought his third quarter today was exceptional," Craig said after the game.

"In actual fact, when the playing group ask each other and their teammates for leadership and 'who's actually going to start this?' Nathan van Berlo, I think, put his hand up and demonstrated that leadership through his actions.

"We've been pleased with Nathan, but today was a class game for him."

Nathan Van Berlo has joined coach Neil Craig in encouraging both Ivan Maric and Brad Moran to step up and stake a claim on the ruck position at the Crows.

"Over the last couple of weeks we've seen them developing in their around the ground work and also in their physicality," van Berlo said.

"I've noticed a change in attitude from both of them over the past month. Not that it was necessarily required, but I've seen them look to take their games to a new level and stand up because they realise that we need them."