Player Watch #9: Luke Davies-Uniacke - signs until end 2025! Runner up in the 2022 Syd Barker Medal Award

Status
Not open for further replies.
They're VERY different types mate.
Of course they are.
But we legitimately could have selected Stephenson with our pick 4. It's a rare pick for us, and had to be used very wisely. And Stephenson trained with us and had expressed that he'd love to play for North. For us to opt for LDU is absolutely fine, but when you do that, you can't avoid the comparison.

Tambling was a very different player to Franklin as well.

And we have a Hansen vs Joel Selwood comparison from the 2006 draft to look back on. ;)
 
Last edited:

Reginald0

Club Legend
Jul 30, 2012
2,055
2,533
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Whether we like it or not, we'll always be comparing Luke's career with Stephenson's.
Hopefully in years to come our decision will end up being the right one.

You seem to be operating in a very binary yes-no Right -Wrong universe
At this exact point right now LDU looks a good pick
These drafting peolple dnt have crystal balls you know
 
I would still take LDU over Stephenson.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Both clubs would be happy with their respective draft choices with LDU and Stephenson. Both are going to be very good players.
 
You seem to be operating in a very binary yes-no Right -Wrong universe
At this exact point right now LDU looks a good pick
These drafting peolple dnt have crystal balls you know

Have you read my post? I did say in years to come. I am not silly enough to be drawing comparisons based on 1 season, albeit with Stephenson winning the Rising Star. We always knew, and Scott made this point again this week, that given the type of game Luke plays, he was always going to take 2-3 years to be able to compete with bigger bodies in the middle. Doesn't mean we won't be able to judge the pick in, say, 5 years time and make a case one way or another.

Let's take Ziebell vs Sidebottom example. We looked like taking Sidebottom in that draft, until Ziebell slid and we grabbed him instead. Whilst I rate Sidebottom very highly, I don't think picking Ziebell was a mistake at all and now 10 years on we can say it was a good pick, even though some may argue the other way.

Or we can take Cunnington vs Rohan as an example. We seriously contemplated taking Rohan with that pick, and in hindsight thank God we didn't.

Top 10 picks don't come our way too often, much less top 5 picks. And when they do, I think it's reasonable to judge that crucial selection a few years later.

Where is the binary yes/no universe???
 
Both clubs would be happy with their respective draft choices with LDU and Stephenson. Both are going to be very good players.
Too early to judge this one. But given we had the earlier pick, it was our call to pass on Stephenson due to the much talked about heart condition. Therefore, I will be judging our decision here. Collingwood doesn't come into it for me. I would say after 3 seasons in the system we'll get a reasonable idea if we made the right call. After 5 years we definitely will. Cunnington took good 5 years to become the player he is IMO.
 

marklovesbeer

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 8, 2010
6,382
24,177
South Adelaide
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
South Adelaide Panthers
Whether we like it or not, we'll always be comparing Luke's career with Stephenson's.
Hopefully in years to come our decision will end up being the right one.
I would have been ropable if we had of taken Stephenson with our pick on draft night if LDU was still available.
 
I would have been ropable if we had of taken Stephenson with our pick on draft night if LDU was still available.
At the time most would agree with you. However, only time will tell.
 

Heaps of fun

Goatered on the sticks
Sep 13, 2013
23,853
62,248
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Of course they are.
But we legitimately could have selected Stephenson with our pick 4. It's a rare pick for us, and had to be used very wisely. And Stephenson trained with us and had expressed that he'd love to play for North. For us to opt for LDU is absolutely fine, but when you do that, you can't avoid the comparison.

Tambling was a very different player to Franklin as well.

And we have a Hansen vs Joel Selwood comparison from the 2006 draft to look back on. ;)
You have to remember that we didn't have Tyson and Hall, Dumont had a middling year as an on-baller, Jy looked like (and still might be) more of a forward than mid and before Shaun got his guernsey last year we hadn't had an All Australian mid since Boomer. Considering all of this we never could have picked forward/outside mid like Stephenson over a genuine clearance winner like LUD.
 
You have to remember that we didn't have Tyson and Hall, Dumont had a middling year as an on-baller, Jy looked like (and still might be) more of a forward than mid and before Shaun got his guernsey last year we hadn't had an All Australian mid since Boomer. Considering all of this we never could have picked forward/outside mid like Stephenson over a genuine clearance winner like LUD.
It has been well documented, that we have lacked a game breaker/x factor type player for a while.
Anyhow, I am not at all unhappy with us picking up LDU, who may well end up a better player. But I remember at the time thinking, I hope Stephenson doesn't turn into the game breaker we've been screaming out for, with LDU becoming just an average inside player.

Time will tell.
 

Ardent Roo

All Australian
May 9, 2011
678
1,314
1st & Goal
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Auburn Tigers - War Eagle!
All well and good to compare the horse, but what about the trainer?

If Stephenson turns out to be better than LDU in 5 years time, there are a number of other factors to be considered that lead to that outcome, the club's approach, depth and quality of development resources being number one. If we had Collingwood's resources, and they had ours, would the outcome be the same? Or would LDU be miles in front of Stephenson? Or would be the same, you don't know, but club resources and approach to development are major factors on the end result outside of who you get up and pick on draft night.

The draft (within reason) is a lottery to me. Pick who you think is best on the night and you then have to back other people at the club to maximise his potential.

Oh, and for what it is worth, very happy with LDU!
 
Both clubs would be happy with their respective draft choices with LDU and Stephenson. Both are going to be very good players.
When Collingwood want to top up their midfield they don't draft, they raid and poach. All that midfield depth and Pendles and Sidebottom are the only 2 best-22 mids they haven't got from another club.

Stephenson was perfect for them.
 
The biggest drafting mistake we have made with a youngster is LMac pick 8.

We could have had Cripps, Z Merrett.

Watching LMac run around on the weekend fumbling and making mistakes was sad...

And it was against St. Kilda FFS !

Yet it’s not that he didn’t have the talent. It must be the way he applies himself.

But with a highly rated F/S you don’t really have a choice. You’re almost obliged to take him...


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

Jesslc

Club Legend
Mar 16, 2015
2,920
4,040
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Apologies if someones already posted this.
Screen Shot 2019-03-05 at 2.15.58 pm.png
Screen Shot 2019-03-05 at 2.15.58 pm.png
 
Mar 19, 2014
5,045
13,297
Newcastle
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Coney Island Warriors, Dallas, Liverpool
We all loved watching them. Unfortunately the AwFuL don’t like it when it’s their property, the money hungry bunch of douche canoes.
It's interesting that they are restricting content as it goes against the grain of American sports such as the Nba that allow fan-made condensed highlights of games. I think this attitude will backfire on the AFL as it will limit exposure to new fans particularly to younger generations that predominantly watch highlights.
 
Mar 19, 2014
5,045
13,297
Newcastle
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Coney Island Warriors, Dallas, Liverpool
On topic it seems LDU made a leap from last season so good on him. I think he was lucky in a way to slip to pick 4 as he would have been unfairly scrutinised last year if he was drafted at 1. As others have previously eluded to, young inside mids take time a la Cunnington and Kennedy.

I'm interested to know what will be the inside mid pecking order? I'd go..
Cunnington - Duh.
Higgins - Probably used less this year to conserve him but if it's tight in the 4th he's straight in.
Jacobs - If fit (big if).
Ahern - Could rise too.
Jed, Tyson, LDU, Dumont - Backup rotations.
Ziebell, Hall - Bloody handy depth.

Geez that looks good on paper. Better IMO than Swallow, Cunnington, Greenwood, Ziebell, Wells and Dal Santo circa 2014.
 

Heaps of fun

Goatered on the sticks
Sep 13, 2013
23,853
62,248
AFL Club
North Melbourne
On topic it seems LDU made a leap from last season so good on him. I think he was lucky in a way to slip to pick 4 as he would have been unfairly scrutinised last year if he was drafted at 1. As others have previously eluded to, young inside mids take time a la Cunnington and Kennedy.

I'm interested to know what will be the inside mid pecking order? I'd go..
Cunnington - Duh.
Higgins - Probably used less this year to conserve him but if it's tight in the 4th he's straight in.
Jacobs - If fit (big if).
Ahern - Could rise too.
Jed, Tyson, LDU, Dumont - Backup rotations.
Ziebell, Hall - Bloody handy depth.

Geez that looks good on paper. Better IMO than Swallow, Cunnington, Greenwood, Ziebell, Wells and Dal Santo circa 2014.
Hall will spend plenty of time in the centre.
 
It's interesting that they are restricting content as it goes against the grain of American sports such as the Nba that allow fan-made condensed highlights of games. I think this attitude will backfire on the AFL as it will limit exposure to new fans particularly to younger generations that predominantly watch highlights.
It's probably more to do with intellectual property laws in the US compared to here. In the US there is a "fair use" clause which doesn't exist here.

One suave *
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back