‘Well-liked’ Gold Coast Suns defender Nathan Bock forced into early retirement

DICE it, splice it, excuse it and believe it: Nathan Bock was paid about $2million for playing 27 games for Gold Coast. That equates to $74,000 a game.

Gold Coast Suns player Nathan Bock announcing his retirement from the Gold Coast Suns and AFL. Coach Guy McKenna and Nathan Bock. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

DICE it, splice it, excuse it and believe it: Nathan Bock was paid about $2million for playing 27 games for Gold Coast.

That equates to $74,000 a game.

He retired on Tuesday after finally succumbing to complications stemming from a leg break early in the 2012 season.

The 31-year-old’s career ended quietly on the Gold Coast on Tuesday, after having played just two games since Round 6, 2012, and none this year.

From the outside, Bock’s recruitment would seem an unmitigated disaster.

But Suns chief executive Travis Auld disagreed.

He said Bock was the club’s second-best player behind Gary Ablett in 2011 and was so well liked and respected by his teammates, that he was chosen to be a vice-captain in every season of the club’s existence.

Nathan Bock tried to get back to AFL playing in the NEAFL. Picture: Adam Head

“He was well-liked by all the players,’’ Auld said.

“The broken leg meant we didn’t see as much of Nathan and we really could’ve done with him this year.’’

Suns coach Guy McKenna said: “He did an awful lot of heavy lifting in the early years, and unfortunately, following his devastating injury in 2012, he was unable to demonstrate this on-field.’’

Bock’s football career rode its highest wave in 2008. He won the Adelaide best and fairest and was named centre half-back in the All Australian season.

His life began to unravel in 2009.

He pleaded guilty to twice slapping his girlfriend and throwing a drink in her face in an Adelaide pub and was placed on a 12-month, $200 good behaviour bond.

The Crows suspended Bock for one game and fined him $5000 in the days following the incident.

He played just 14 and 13 games in the 2009 and 2010 seasons and suddenly was Gold Coast’s first big-name signing.

It was reported he was earning about $600,000 over three years.

Bock said at the time: “It was a significant offer and something that I found was too hard to refuse.”

Bock was lured from Adelaide on a big-money contract. Picture: Ross Marsden

His first seasons at the Suns, 2011, was outstanding, although in Round 24 he was embroiled in a betting controversy which saw a mate and two family members share in a $40,000 punting plunge.

A backman, Bock told them he would be playing forward and they laid money on Bock to kick the first goal. His odds tumbled a day before the game from $101 to $21.

Bock was fined $10,000 and suspended for the first two weeks of the 2012 premiership season.

The 2012 season was a car crash.

He broke his leg in Round 6 and more devastation came in September when his mum was jailed for drug trafficking offences.

He said at the time the year was “pretty draining’’.

“The year was mentally quite challenging and physically very challenging,’’ he said.

Then in 2013, it was reported Bock was being investigated by the Australian Sports Anti Doping Authority for allegedly taking banned drugs, although the Suns are still yet to be notified by ASADA.

To say the least, Bock’s career has been colourful.

At his best, he was a reliable mark and dynamic rebounding defender, but his new club didn’t get the best out of him for long enough.

One last attempt to play this year, on a contract of about $200,000, never got off the ground.

He certainly doesn’t leave the game a failure, but arguably he leaves unfulfilled.

The same can’t be said of his bank balance.

Originally published as ‘Well-liked’ Gold Coast Suns defender Nathan Bock forced into early retirement