Player Watch #9: Luke Davies-Uniacke [Part II] - [Herald Sun] LDU has parked contract talks with the club & is expected to command offers of more than $1m a season

[Better Loosen Up]

If he was coming out of contract 2024 then I’d be concerned. 2025 we must start to see some infield success. Surely.

I hope we would only entertain trading him this year if we got a silly offer such as an A grade key position forward plus a first round draft pick.

You know there's nothing stopping LDU requesting a trade at the end of this season? Sure we would have to agree to a trade but players more often than not get their way these days.

 

[footy2016]

Is gone. Jay Clark has followed up again saying he can expect an offer he simply cannot refuse.

Feels like seed is being planted for perhaps a trade this off season to cash in and get maximum value.

Everyone on here saying let him go etc.

Club isn’t going to improve with 18 year olds every year. McKay, TT, JHF, LDU, Zurhaar, soon to be Scott potentially all leaving

We are in this mess due to no good senior players, they are all in the bracket of 21-24 which we hoped to become senior players. The revolving door needs to stop and needs to stop now

• draft 18 year olds
• lose players every year in the 50-100 game bracket

and people wonder why things don’t improve… you do not win games of football with Kids.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Sphynx]

Is gone. Jay Clark has followed up again saying he can expect an offer he simply cannot refuse.

Feels like seed is being planted for perhaps a trade this off season to cash in and get maximum value.

Everyone on here saying let him go etc.

Club isn’t going to improve with 18 year olds every year. McKay, TT, JHF, LDU, Zurhaar, soon to be Scott potentially all leaving

We are in this mess due to no good senior players, they are all in the bracket of 21-24 which we hoped to become senior players.

Given our current state, I find it hard to believe there will be an offer that will trump the compo next year.

Especially if he nominates someone like Collingwood.

St Kilda possibly, but you are still looking at Pick 8-9 (after F/S & Academy bids this year) and probably a F1 as the absolute best case scenario from them. I think it's unlikely we even get that, some teams will play hardball.

Collingwood doesn't have a R1 pick this year, Fremantle own it for Schultz. Even then, you aren't taking a 2 x R1 deal from them over the comp, it's likely 2 picks close to 20.

The only deal we could accept at the end of this year would be a top 5 pick and a F1 imo that could trump the potential of receiving pick 2 or 3 in 2025.

If we trade him for a middling deal and finish in the bottom 2, prepare for an absolute roasting in the media at the end of 2025.


If we trade him for unders this year under pressure from everyone "to get better quickly" or for some bog average senior players as part of a deal, you may as well shut the ******* place down.

He's one of about 5 guys on the list with genuine top end market value.

 

[Engimal v3]

You know there's nothing stopping LDU requesting a trade at the end of this season? Sure we would have to agree to a trade but players more often than not get their way these days.

Just to counter that, Xerri also requested a trade and looks to be here for the long term.

 

[footy2016]

Given our current state, I find it hard to believe there will be an offer that will trump the compo next year.

Especially if he nominates someone like Collingwood.

St Kilda possibly, but you are still looking at Pick 8-9 (after bids) and probably a F1 as the absolute best case scenario from them. I think it's unlikely we even get that, some teams will play hardball.

If we trade him for a middling deal and finish in the bottom 2, prepare for an absolute roasting in the media at the end of 2025.

IMO we cannot afford to wait an additional 12 months. That just delays the inevitable and stalls the rebuild.

If we don’t think he is signing long term, we trade him for maximum value. I hope we keep him for the reasons I said, the club is in all sorts of trouble an exodus is happening.

 

[Sphynx]

IMO we cannot afford to wait an additional 12 months. That just delays the inevitable and stalls the rebuild.

If we don’t think he is signing long term, we trade him for maximum value. I hope we keep him for the reasons I said, the club is in all sorts of trouble an exodus is happening.

This is what every side in the comp will want.

If we trade him for Pick 10 and Pick 12 next year and forgoe Pick 2 or 3 compo, all the while also giving us an additional 12 months to turn him around, what are we even doing?

We are becoming a harvesting club for others.

We need to turn this into a net positive for the club. Pick 2 or 3 is a net positive under the circumstances.

Anyway, I can see him waiting for Collingwood next year, as they don't have the capital to complete a trade in 2024.

Someone like St Kilda will come the hardest, but wont want to risk going up against Collingwood in FA.

This is basically the JHF situation 2.0.

Brady turned it into Wardlaw and Sheezel. If he could turn Pick 1 & LDU into 4 or 5 picks inside the top 10, I'd be listening.

 

[Val Keating]

We wouldn't be the first club to lose some key players in quick succession. A club like Brisbane had some major struggles, but turned things around.

We lost McKay and JHF, but brought in Duursma, Wardlaw, and Goad. If LDU gets traded we'll get at minimum a top five selection.

Lining up next week without LDU would be disastrous, but in round one with another two years and 40 games into Wardlaw, Sheezel, Powell, and McKercher, a top draft pick like Smillie, and perhaps a trade for a mature body, we should be able to manage okay.

Exactly. We’d be in a completely different position if we still had McKay, Thomas & JHF, not saying we’d be looking at finals, but we would be better.

We need to hold onto our high end talent.

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

If this was the NBA he gets traded this year rather then let to walk for what will be paltry compensation in free agency. The problem is I have zero faith in Brady getting the best deal. Also I am not sure on if clubs can force players to go to be traded to any club? This is where the AFL could help. They control Gold Coast. Would you do a LDU and our a pick for say Lukosious and Mac Andrew. We lose in the middle but we gain plenty in talls (where we have nothing). All 3 players get paid very well by new clubs. Good surf in the GC for LDU.

 

[HBFlanker]

Given our current state, I find it hard to believe there will be an offer that will trump the compo next year.

Especially if he nominates someone like Collingwood.

St Kilda possibly, but you are still looking at Pick 8-9 (after F/S & Academy bids this year) and probably a F1 as the absolute best case scenario from them. I think it's unlikely we even get that, some teams will play hardball.

Collingwood doesn't have a R1 pick this year, Fremantle own it for Schultz. Even then, you aren't taking a 2 x R1 deal from them over the comp, it's likely 2 picks close to 20.

The only deal we could accept at the end of this year would be a top 5 pick and a F1 imo that could trump the potential of receiving pick 2 or 3 in 2025.

If we trade him for a middling deal and finish in the bottom 2, prepare for an absolute roasting in the media at the end of 2025.


If we trade him for unders this year under pressure from everyone "to get better quickly" or for some bog average senior players as part of a deal, you may as well shut the ******* place down.

He's one of about 5 guys on the list with genuine top end market value.

If its St.Kilda we would be talking Owens or Phillipou in a trade, plus their first pick.

I still don't think he leaves.

We need to match any financial offer.

 

[Sphynx]

Exactly. We’d be in a completely different position if we still had McKay, Thomas & JHF, not saying we’d be looking at finals, but we would be better.

We need to hold onto our high end talent.

Why do people keep repeating this like the club and the supporters don't want to?

If they leave, they leave.

 

[Sphynx]

If its St.Kilda we would be talking Owens or Phillipou in a trade, plus their first pick.

I still don't think he leaves.

We need to match any financial offer.

We wont match if it's Band 1 on the table and we are in the bottom 2.

For what end game?

No club has ever really kept a FA that has expressed desire to leave.

They only match because compo doesn't represent fair value.

 

[HELLSBELLS]

Hold him to his contract or he sits out.

Simple.

Unless its a massive offer that WE cant refuse, never mind offers he cant refuse.

If its not too good to take then don't.

End of story.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

IMO we cannot afford to wait an additional 12 months. That just delays the inevitable and stalls the rebuild.

If we don’t think he is signing long term, we trade him for maximum value. I hope we keep him for the reasons I said, the club is in all sorts of trouble an exodus is happening.

Depends if “maximum value” is available now or later - if he is testing the market while in contract, that’s his right but we don’t have to rush to terms. And I believe it is his right, he is in the middle of a career that has already had plenty of injury hiccups and has played enough games at a high enough level his value could be as high as it will ever get. I don’t take it personally that he seems to want to wait and make the most of this opportunity.

I hope he stays in the end, both because of his value to our team and because of what it would say about the direction we are going and the players’ faith in it. But if ultimately he doesn’t we’ll be even more glad of the players we have like Sheez and Larkey who are quality and are also all in on the task of building.

 

[Passmore]

If he is actually intent on leaving, then you'd have to get on the front foot and see what's out there.

If he's going to check out next year, then he's just going to a pain in the arse and we'll be wasting vital midfield minutes on him.

I assume it's his management putting these stories out? Who else would be leaking to the media?

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[Better Loosen Up]

We have to be firm with this as a club. We know that if he goes as a free agent at the end of next season we are likely to get pick 2 or 3 as compensation. So any offer for trade at the end of this season while he's still contracted needs to be pretty exceptional. If other clubs think we are going to settle for the "oh well, this is the best we can offer you", they can get stuffed!

 

[Ardent Roo]

IMO we cannot afford to wait an additional 12 months. That just delays the inevitable and stalls the rebuild.

If we don’t think he is signing long term, we trade him for maximum value. I hope we keep him for the reasons I said, the club is in all sorts of trouble an exodus is happening.

Tom Papley did the same. Was dead keen to get to Carlton.

 

[Sphynx]

We have to be firm with this as a club. We know that if he goes as a free agent at the end of next season we are likely to get pick 2 or 3 as compensation. So any offer for trade at the end of this season while he's still contracted needs to be pretty exceptional. If other clubs think we are going to settle for the "oh well, this is the best we can offer you", they can get stuffed!

100% this.

You have to set the market at the equivalent of Pick 2 or 3.

 

[Its a Process]

This is what every side in the comp will want.

If we trade him for Pick 10 and Pick 12 next year and forgoe Pick 2 or 3 compo, all the while also giving us an additional 12 months to turn him around, what are we even doing?

We are becoming a harvesting club for others.

We need to turn this into a net positive for the club. Pick 2 or 3 is a net positive under the circumstances.

Anyway, I can see him waiting for Collingwood next year, as they don't have the capital to complete a trade in 2024.

Someone like St Kilda will come the hardest, but wont want to risk going up against Collingwood in FA.

The reality is we are at the basement level of our re-build and the next two drafts are going to be super important to our long term health.

It's hard to see a world where he doesn't generate band 1 if he leaves as a free agent so it would be have to be a pretty good deal to trade him earlier.

Are there any draft watchers that can give intel on how the 2025 draft compares with the 2024? I know there is a big spruik on Duursma's younger brother.

 

[leighlee13]

Roos’ direction to dictate if LDU stays or goes​

Jay Clark

4 - 5 minutes

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North Melbourne superstar onballer Luke Davies-Uniacke is on track to become the most sought-after player in the game as he holds off on contract talks until next season.
The jet ballwinner will be a restricted free agent in 2025 and will consider his options including guaranteed blockbuster seven-figure offers from Victorian rivals next year.
The Kangaroos are keen to re-sign Davies-Uniacke early to thwart poaching raids from a long list of interested clubs including St Kilda, Essendon and Adelaide who want more top-line talent.
The Saints are desperate to add more A-Grade midfielders and are certain to come hard for the Rye product, who also has links with Bombers’ coach Brad Scott at Tullamarine.
The strong interest means Davies-Uniacke, 24, is certain to defer any talks on his contract until next year when clubs will zero in on him as the likely No. 1 free agency target from the 2025 crop.
North Melbourne’s direction will be a key factor in Davies-Uniacke’s contract decision following just 18 wins from the first 91 games of his career.
Davies-Uniacke is arguably the most important player at North Melbourne after finishing second in the best and fairest in 2022 before soft-tissue injuries hit him last year.
And talent experts believe at 188cm Davies-Uniacke has the power and burst speed to become one of the most damaging on-ballers in the game in a competitive team.
Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd said on 3AW a “sense of hopelessness” had set in at Arden St this year after a winless start to the season including Sunday’s 45-point loss to Hawthorn.
“Aside from playing the kids, I don’t see a direction,” Matthew Lloyd said on 3AW.
“It’s hard to see what they are trying to do and you would hope that (coach Alastair) Clarkson could have taught them to defend at least, but they are all over the shop behind the ball.”
Making up the group of 2025 free agents, GWS Giants have made progress in talks with Sam Taylor’s new Sydney-based manager, Brisbane is confident it can lock away Cam Rayner, while Fremantle and West Coast have high hopes about extensions for Andrew Brayshaw (Dockers) and Oscar Allen (Eagles).
Davies-Uniacke could consider following Ben McKay out the door at Arden St with the fullback enjoying a fresh start at Essendon ahead of Thursday’s Anzac Day blockbuster at a sold-out MCG.

LUKE DAVIES UNIACKE​

WINS: 18
LOSSES: 72
DRAWS: 1
TOTAL GAMES: 91
DRAFTED: Pick 4, 2017
Free agent in 2025
Weighing in the Kangaroos’ favour is the loyalty the midfielder has already shown at North over his first seven years and his strong friendships with teammates.
Davies-Uniacke is arguably the most important player at North Melbourne but the lack of team success would be a major frustration for the line breaker.
Carlton superstar Patrick Cripps showed enormous patience with the Blues before the club finally took off under coach Michael Voss in Cripps’ ninth year narrowly missing finals in 2022.
The closest the Davies-Uniacke has come to playing finals was his first season in 2019 when the Roos finished 9th under former coach Scott and interim boss Rhyce Shaw.
The Roos have since gone backwards winning 10 games in 2019, three (2020), four (2021), two (2022) and three (2023).
Their average losing margin this year is 52 points a game. Davies-Uniacke has averaged 27 disposals and six clearances a game for the last-placed Kangas this year.

More Coverage​

Former North Melbourne great David King said “Kangaroos’ fans are sick of the meandering” and questioned the rate of progress under Clarkson.
“Alastair came as a high-priced acquisition to fix this and it is second-year now and we need to start seeing some that makes us proud,” King said on SEN.
“(We are) Too quick to say he (Clarkson) knows the answers, he has got the answers. I don’t see it. You need evidence at some point.”

So he is certain to defer any talks according to this article. So this is Jay Clark surmising? The headline in the Herald Sun this morning is LDU to hold off decision on his future as North Melbourne undergo rebuild. This makes the reader think LDU has said that but again, there is no proof in the article. F off Jay Clark!

 

[Flawed Genius]

Contracted footballer. If he leaves before that contract runs out, clubs will have to overpay.

He won't go interstate you wouldn't think but for the sake of argument and using current ladder order that it would take this year's first pick and their future first as well

Adelaide - no, but pick 4 and 2025 F1 (possibly top 10)
Brisbane - no
Carlton - no
Collingwood - maybe, but no 2024 pick
Essendon - currently pick 12 and a 2025 F1
Fremantle - no, but have currently pick 9, pick 10 and pick 14 this year + their own 2025 F1 (possibly top 10)
Geelong - no, but pick 18 this year
Gold Coast - no, but currently pick 8, pick 11 and pick 20 + their own 2025 F1
GWS - no
Hawthorn - no, but pick 2 this year and their own 2025 F1 (possibly top 5)
Melbourne - no
Port Adelaide - no
Richmond - pick 3 this year and their own F1 (possibly top 10)
St Kilda - pick 6 this year and their own F1 (possibly top 10)
Sydney - no, but pick 17 & pick 19 this year & their own F1 (no way is it top 10)
Western Bulldogs - no
West Coast - no, but pick 5 this year and their own F1 (possibly top 5)

If he were to exercise his FA rights, he'd almost certainly command Band 1 compo. If we finish bottom 4 in 2025 and he leaves, we're looking at another pick 3 & pick 4 combination, for example.

FA rights (2025 #3 & 2025 #4) far outweigh nearly every offer above, except maybe:

Hawthorn (2024 #2 & 2025 #1-5)
Adelaide (2024 #4 and 2025 #4-10)
Richmond (2024 #3 & 2025 #3-10)
West Coast (2024 #5 & 2025 #1-4)

 

[Better Loosen Up]

We have to be firm with this as a club. We know that if he goes as a free agent at the end of next season we are likely to get pick 2 or 3 as compensation. So any offer for trade at the end of this season while he's still contracted needs to be pretty exceptional. If other clubs think we are going to settle for the "oh well, this is the best we can offer you", they can get stuffed!

In addition, I would also say to LDU, if you want to leave at the end of this season, you need to give us minimum 3 clubs you would be prepared to be traded to. That way we are not just tied down to negotiations with just one other club as you're never going to win in that situation.

Ideally i'd be looking for a trade that involves picks and an experienced player of quality (has to be at least best 22) that can help take us forward.

 

[Flawed Genius]

There's a doomsday scenario where Sydney offer him the JUH money.

 

[leighlee13]

Mate, if we lose LDU, it will set a precedent for the club losing wanted players.
I certainly don't want our talent bailing.

Same with Zurhaar. People are s**t canning his play, etc, but we simply can't afford to lose talent. He is playing as a HFF in simply the worst team we've seen.

Every talented player that leaves will be adding time onto our rebuild.

LDU is definitely not playing to his potential this season, but can you imagine our midfield without him? FFS, it would be a train wreck.



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I am sure none of us want our players to leave but we have no say in it. If it sets the club back in our rebuiid, then we just have to move on with those players like Larkey and Sheezel who legitimately want to get us out of this hole we are in.

 

[amaz199]

Well I guess that puts things into perspective.

Perhaps LDU doesn't want to do it the hard way with how Larkey wants to go about it. Speaks volumes.