NATHAN Krakouer arrived at Port Adelaide last season with just 66kg hanging off his 182cm frame.

With a body better suited to a supermodel than an AFL footballer, he was expected to take several years to develop a physique capable of playing senior matches.

The lightning quick midfielder struggled to keep up in the club's long distance drills and teammate Chad Cornes went as far as to make a bet with coach Mark Williams that Krakouer would never play an AFL game.

In round one of 2007, Krakouer made his debut against Fremantle in his native WA and became one of the lightest players ever, proportionate to height, to play AFL footy.

"I haven't spoken to Chad about the bet," Krakouer said with a laugh. He now weighs 12kg more than when he arrived at Alberton.

"But when I got selected for my first game, Chad came up to me and said, 'I lost $1000 because you're playing a league game'.

"Being pretty skinny, if you do get hit by one of the big guys it does hurt.

"I still think a lot of teams don't play guys my size, or even draft them, because they think we're too small or whatever, but I think if you give them the chance anything could happen."