Nathan Burke (born 6 February 1970) is a former Australian rules footballer and former coach of the team in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW).

A tough rover, Burke is considered one of the most courageous footballers to play for the St Kilda Football Club.Sainter of the Decade: Nathan Burke's unlimited courage from Saints.com.au 14 April 2020 Burke set the club record for most games—323—at his retirement, which remained the benchmark until broken by former teammate Robert Harvey in round 7, 2006.Love and respect, heart and soul: Burke enters Australian Football Hall of Fame by Chris Nice for Saints.com.au 24 August 2021 Dozens of concussions during Burke's career led to him using a helmet.The AFL players to have worn a helmet from Fox Sports 14 July 2015Burke: Brayshaw helmet a no-brainer from Herald Sun 4 July 2017

In 2021, he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

VFL/AFL playing career Burke was co-captain in St Kilda's 1996 AFL Ansett Australia Cup winning side – the club's first AFL Cup win.

He started his football playing career with the Pines Football Club. His professional career spanned 1987–2003 despite missing most of 2002 with a knee injury, with Burke deciding to retire late in the season, in the Round 19 clash with Richmond, which the Saints won by 80 points. It was also notable for the fact that the coaching panel of Richmond that day included fellow St Kilda teammates Danny Frawley and Stewart Loewe, who stayed on the ground in honour of Burke following his parade lap (with Alex Lloyd's "Amazing" played at the ground).

Post-playing career Burke had been a director of the St Kilda Football Club from 2008 to 2015. He had joined the board with fellow player Andrew Thompson.

He is also a regular expert commentator on ABC Grandstand football coverage, an AFL analyst for Fox Sports News, and co hosts the Sunday Session on ABC radio. He is a feature article writer for Inside Football magazine also. This work complements his corporate guest speaking and school programs.

In 2015 he rejoined the AFL Match Review Panel, a role he held prior to joining the Board at St Kilda.

Coaching career In September 2019, Burke was due to become assistant coach in the AFL Women's with St Kilda, but was instead appointed by the Western Bulldogs to their head coach role from the 2020 AFL Women's season.

Personal life Burke's daughter, Alice, plays for in the AFL Women's competition, and made her playing debut against the , whom he coached at the time. Burke's uncle Nick Bloom also played for St Kilda.

Playing statistics Nathan Burke's player profile at AFL Tables

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1987 |style="text-align:center;"| | 48 || 16 || 2 || 0 || 179 || 96 || 275 || 40 || 33 || 0.1 || 0.0 || 11.2 || 6.0 || 17.2 || 2.5 || 2.1 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1988 |style="text-align:center;"| | 29 || 22 || 6 || 8 || 321 || 121 || 442 || 70 || 38 || 0.3 || 0.4 || 14.6 || 5.5 || 20.1 || 3.2 || 1.7 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1989 |style="text-align:center;"| | 29 || 21 || 12 || 4 || 265 || 143 || 408 || 66 || 38 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 12.6 || 6.8 || 19.4 || 3.1 || 1.8 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1990 |style="text-align:center;"| | 29 || 14 || 2 || 1 || 133 || 110 || 243 || 32 || 27 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 9.5 || 7.9 || 17.4 || 2.3 || 1.9 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1991 |style="text-align:center;"| | 29 || 23 || 3 || 1 || 316 || 180 || 496 || 64 || 53 || 0.1 || 0.0 || 13.7 || 7.8 || 21.6 || 2.8 || 2.3 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1992 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 24 || 9 || 6 || 296 || 158 || 454 || 64 || 69 || 0.4 || 0.3 || 12.3 || 6.6 || 18.9 || 2.7 || 2.9 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1993 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 20 || 9 || 7 || 322 || 148 || 470 || 68 || 72 || 0.5 || 0.4 || 16.1 || 7.4 || 23.5 || 3.4 || 3.6 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1994 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 22 || 7 || 3 || 335 || 173 || 508 || 84 || 77 || 0.3 || 0.1 || 15.2 || 7.9 || 23.1 || 3.8 || 3.5 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1995 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 18 || 9 || 7 || 318 || 122 || 440 || 75 || 49 || 0.5 || 0.4 || 17.7 || 6.8 || 24.4 || 4.2 || 2.7 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1996 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 22 || 15 || 9 || 434 || 146 || 580 || 92 || 64 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 19.7 || 6.6 || 26.4 || 4.2 || 2.9 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1997 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 25 || 9 || 14 || 469 || 200 || 669 || 99 || 75 || 0.4 || 0.6 || 18.8 || 8.0 || 26.8 || 4.0 || 3.0 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1998 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 22 || 10 || 12 || 343 || 187 || 530 || 81 || 75 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 15.6 || 8.5 || 24.1 || 3.7 || 3.4 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1999 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 21 || 4 || 1 || 299 || 157 || 456 || 96 || 49 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 14.2 || 7.5 || 21.7 || 4.6 || 2.3 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2000 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 22 || 8 || 7 || 363 || 141 || 504 || 92 || 52 || 0.4 || 0.3 || 16.5 || 6.4 || 22.9 || 4.2 || 2.4 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2001 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 10 || 10 || 2 || 127 || 82 || 209 || 28 || 22 || 1.0 || 0.2 || 12.7 || 8.2 || 20.9 || 2.8 || 2.2 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2002 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 3 || 3 || 0 || 22 || 16 || 38 || 11 || 10 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 7.3 || 5.3 || 12.7 || 3.7 || 3.3 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2003 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 18 || 6 || 10 || 132 || 89 || 221 || 57 || 38 || 0.3 || 0.6 || 7.3 || 4.9 || 12.3 || 3.2 || 2.1 |- class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3| Career ! 323 ! 124 ! 92 ! 4674 ! 2269 ! 6943 ! 1119 ! 841 ! 0.4 ! 0.3 ! 14.5 ! 7.0 ! 21.5 ! 3.5 ! 2.6

Coaching statistics Statistics correct to the end of the 2023 season

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="font-weight:normal"|2020 | | 6 || 1 || 5 || 0 || 17% || 6 (conf.) || 7 (conf.) |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight:normal"|2021 | | 9 || 5 || 4 || 0 || 56% || 8 || 14 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight:normal"|2022 (S6) | | 10 || 4 || 5 || 1 || 40% || 7 || 14 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight:normal"|2022 (S7) | | 11 || 7 || 4 || 0 || 64% || 7 || 18 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight:normal"|2023 | | 10 || 1 || 9 || 0 || 10% || 18 || 18 |- class="sortbottom" ! colspan=2| Career totals ! 46 ! 18 ! 27 ! 1 ! 39% ! colspan=2|

Honours and achievements Brownlow Medal votes Season Votes 1987 — 1988 3 1989 — 1990 — 1991 — 1992 10 1993 6 1994 4 1995 10 1996 20 1997 18 1998 4 1999 11 2000 6 2001 1 2002 — 2003 2 Total 95 Key: Green / Bold = Won

Team McClelland Trophy (St Kilda): 1997 Pre-Season Cup (St Kilda): 1996 Individual All-Australian: 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999 Herald Sun Player of the Year Award: 1996 Trevor Barker Award (St Kilda F.C. Best & Fairest): 1993, 1996, 1999 St Kilda F.C. Captain: 1996-2000 Australian Representative Honours in International Rules Football: 1999 Victorian Representative Honours

References

External links