WE MUST TRADE DARCY

[fleur]

Doesn’t change my original point that a big reason why we lost all those games to end the year was because we missed Darcy

It does because you’re now saying it was a part of it whereas originally you’d implied it was the sole reason

 

[s_wd6]

It does because you’re now saying it was a part of it whereas originally you’d implied it was the sole reason

Actually the words I used were "largely because" i.e a part.

 

[fleur]

Actually the words I used were "largely because" i.e a part.

You’re right, i got caught up on the ‘we literally lost’

 

[JammoMonty]

Darcy > TDK

 

[DocT]

This one is from 2023, is it The Post of the Millennium???

[IMG alt="freo1997"]https://www.bigfootycontent.com/avatars/m/122/122571.jpg?1709263361[/IMG]

freo1997​

Norm Smith Medallist​

Jul 6, 20119,94511,982munsterAFL ClubFremantle

• Sep 16, 2023
• Thread starter
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• Add bookmark
• #5

And spend another 4 or 5 years waiting to actually be a serious team?
No.
Darcy is here now and he’s part of this window whether we like it or not.
Using LJ as a primary ruck is a waste of his talents anyway. There is higher value ways to use him

He is not a Fwd he is a once in a generation Ruck.

It will be 2025 and I will be proven right if we keep Darcy.

 

[Jezzitizle]

Test for Jackson in the ruck may be when it gets wet and cold.

Darcy should find form in the wafl, has been a liability outside of the tap.

His best was excellent, but he’s understandably nowhere near it.

JL can’t afford to carry him, he will get sacked whilst Darcy slowly builds fitness and form.

Voss is actually a great chop out ruck, he has genuine pace and is really physical when the ball is on the deck.

 

[lint]

I think any club trading for Sean Darcy

4

Sean Darcy

Age

27

Ht

203cm

Wt

111kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.1

3star

K

3.4

1star

HB

6.6

4star

CL

2.4

4star

HO

28.8

5star

D

6.8

1star

K

2.0

1star

HB

4.8

3star

CL

1.8

4star

HO

20.3

5star

D

11.4

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

6.8

5star

CL

2.6

5star

HO

32.0

5star

is beyond optimistic.

It's well documented his knee is bone on bone. He's on 1 million per year until 2030.

His mobility has only further decreased, and at this stage he hasn't been the same player for approaching 2 years, as his knee issues have worsened.

Right now, you are looking at having to orchestrate a salary dump by packaging him with a 1st round pick minimum (Will Brodie

23

Will Brodie

Age

27

Ht

190cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.0

5star

K

8.2

3star

HB

10.8

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.9

5star

CL

4.1

5star

D

14.0

3star

K

4.0

1star

HB

10.0

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.0

2star

CL

3.0

4star

D

13.8

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.4

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

5.4

5star

CL

2.8

5star

style) for any club to even consider him. I'd suggest you might even have to throw in a second rounder as well. He offers nothing at ground level, no defensive pressure, and he can't get up and down the ground. He's purely a tap ruckman at this stage, and one that is easily beaten by anyone who can jump. Since he's trimmed down, it now seems relatively easy to outmuscle him also.

Lumbering ruckman on 1 knee don't have much value on the market, and you add the 6 years left at that that expense, and Fremantle have a 120kg hole in their salary cap.

 

[EastcoastDocker]

I think any club trading for Sean Darcy is beyond optimistic.

It's well documented his knee is bone on bone. He's on 1 million per year until 2030.

His mobility has only further decreased, and at this stage he hasn't been the same player for approaching 2 years, as his knee issues have worsened.

Right now, you are looking at having to orchestrate a salary dump by packaging him with a 1st round pick minimum (Will Brodie style) for any club to even consider him. I'd suggest you might even have to throw in a second rounder as well. He offers nothing at ground level, no defensive pressure, and he can't get up and down the ground. He's purely a tap ruckman at this stage, and one that is easily beaten by anyone who can jump. Since he's trimmed down, it now seems relatively easy to outmuscle him also.

Lumbering ruckman on 1 knee don't have much value on the market, and you add the 6 years left at that that expense, and Fremantle have a 120kg hole in their salary cap.

If there was ever a time for Freo and WC to resume trading with each other Darcy and Brodie would be good for eagles.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

I think any club trading for Sean Darcy is beyond optimistic.

It's well documented his knee is bone on bone. He's on 1 million per year until 2030.

His mobility has only further decreased, and at this stage he hasn't been the same player for approaching 2 years, as his knee issues have worsened.

Right now, you are looking at having to orchestrate a salary dump by packaging him with a 1st round pick minimum (Will Brodie style) for any club to even consider him. I'd suggest you might even have to throw in a second rounder as well. He offers nothing at ground level, no defensive pressure, and he can't get up and down the ground. He's purely a tap ruckman at this stage, and one that is easily beaten by anyone who can jump. Since he's trimmed down, it now seems relatively easy to outmuscle him also.

Lumbering ruckman on 1 knee don't have much value on the market, and you add the 6 years left at that that expense, and Fremantle have a 120kg hole in their salary cap.

I am extremely skeptical on the supposed $1m per year

 

[Cobbler]

If there was ever a time for Freo and WC to resume trading with each other Darcy and Brodie would be good for eagles.

Eagles could do worse than pay Darcy, grab Brodie and Erasmus and offer us their 2nd rounder.

Of course they won’t even ask the question. Nor would we make the hard decisions.

 

[Dirty_banchez]

I am extremely skeptical on the supposed $1m per year

Maybe if Darcy won the Brownlow and Coleman every year until 2030.

 

[nurries]

I am extremely skeptical on the supposed $1m per year

He is not on a Million. Jacko and Darcy between them are on 1.5m. Long contracts allow you to spread the $$. The million per year is complete Bullshit

 

[Jezzitizle]

I think any club trading for Sean Darcy is beyond optimistic.

It's well documented his knee is bone on bone. He's on 1 million per year until 2030.

His mobility has only further decreased, and at this stage he hasn't been the same player for approaching 2 years, as his knee issues have worsened.

Right now, you are looking at having to orchestrate a salary dump by packaging him with a 1st round pick minimum (Will Brodie style) for any club to even consider him. I'd suggest you might even have to throw in a second rounder as well. He offers nothing at ground level, no defensive pressure, and he can't get up and down the ground. He's purely a tap ruckman at this stage, and one that is easily beaten by anyone who can jump. Since he's trimmed down, it now seems relatively easy to outmuscle him also.

Lumbering ruckman on 1 knee don't have much value on the market, and you add the 6 years left at that that expense, and Fremantle have a 120kg hole in their salary cap.

Sorry can you share where it has been confirmed his knee is bone on bone?

Haven’t seen that, and the rhetoric post the trip to Dubai or wherever it was, was fairly positive.

I’d assumed his decreased mobility was around his stamina, having had a disruption to the preseason and start of the season.

EDIT

I just consulted ChatGPT. I assume by well documented you mean there is speculation on social media? I guess in 2025 that counts!

“There is no public evidence indicating that Sean Darcy is experiencing “bone-on-bone” knee degeneration. The Fremantle Dockers have described his recent knee issues as “soreness” or “jarred knee,” without mentioning severe cartilage loss or bone-on-bone conditions. Specifically, after being substituted out during the match against Collingwood on May 8, 2025, due to knee soreness, the club expressed optimism that the injury was minor and that Darcy would be fit for the next match against Port Adelaide .

Darcy has a history of knee problems, including arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in August 2024 to “stabilise some margins” after experiencing discomfort . However, there have been no reports suggesting that he is dealing with bone-on-bone degeneration. The club’s cautious management of his condition and the absence of specific diagnoses imply that while his knee issues are being closely monitored, they are not currently considered severe.”

 

[Hamann188]

I am still beyond confident Swaggy is a (if not the) premier ruck in the league.

I put his recent drop, and by drop I mean lack of, form in the few rounds he played this year due to a massive lack of match fitness.

I guarantee you, after Darce, Noddy and Youngy (when he's ready to go) have been tearing it up in the WAFL for a month or so each, building fitness and form rather than rushing them back into the 22, we're all going to be LOLing ourselves for even entertaining the thought of trading the big lug.

Dogga can be a full time ruck, but he doesn't have to be, that's the beauty of having a fit and firing Swaggy in the squad. It allows a unicorn to do unicorn things in other parts of the field be it forward or midfield or, when Darcy needs a rest or his knee goes out again, he can unicorn in the ruck like he's been doing.

It's a good problem to have, but to limit him just being pigeon holed as just a ruckmen, the priority to be absolutely, positively convinced Sean is cherry ripe before injecting him back into the 22.

 

[E Shed]

I think Luke's AA nod last season was terrible for the team. Bloody undeserved too. He's clearly come back in poor shape(even for him).

I thought Ryan was excellent this week. Played with real heart & desperation.

 

[gungho]

I think any club trading for Sean Darcy is beyond optimistic.

It's well documented his knee is bone on bone. He's on 1 million per year until 2030.

His mobility has only further decreased, and at this stage he hasn't been the same player for approaching 2 years, as his knee issues have worsened.

Right now, you are looking at having to orchestrate a salary dump by packaging him with a 1st round pick minimum (Will Brodie style) for any club to even consider him. I'd suggest you might even have to throw in a second rounder as well. He offers nothing at ground level, no defensive pressure, and he can't get up and down the ground. He's purely a tap ruckman at this stage, and one that is easily beaten by anyone who can jump. Since he's trimmed down, it now seems relatively easy to outmuscle him also.

Lumbering ruckman on 1 knee don't have much value on the market, and you add the 6 years left at that that expense, and Fremantle have a 120kg hole in their salary cap.

Geez, you're making a few assumptions here.
Bone on bone knee? Who told you that? I think someone posted it on bigfooty (and the posters here are notoriously wrong).
1 million per year? I'd be absolutely astonished if Sean Darcy was on 1 million a year. The figure I heard was more around the 700k mark. (800k tops).
I would be amazed if we offered up a first rounder so another club paid the salary. If we could tip in half (350k per year) we'd probably even get something decent coming back our way.

 

[DocT]

I'm in the camp that Swaggy is still exactly who he was when we signed him on the optimistic megadeal - a match-winning but injury prone ruckman. It was always a risky deal for us. It was only a few games ago (for Swaggy) that numerous posters were quoting the stat that every time he played Freo won and without him we usually lost, and how essential he was for structure etc etc. Give the poor bloke time to find his feet again - literally - before writing him off. And don't blame him for being injured - Freo signed him on with eyes wide open in this regard. PS And don't forget all the mental health stuff that's whizzing aroud the AFL ATM. He's had a bloody rough time of it.

 

[gungho]

I am still beyond confident Swaggy is a (if not the) premier ruck in the league.

I put his recent drop, and by drop I mean lack of, form in the few rounds he played this year due to a massive lack of match fitness.

I guarantee you, after Darce, Noddy and Youngy (when he's ready to go) have been tearing it up in the WAFL for a month or so each, building fitness and form rather than rushing them back into the 22, we're all going to be LOLing ourselves for even entertaining the thought of trading the big lug.

Dogga can be a full time, but he doesn't have to be, that's beauty of having a fit and firing Swaggy in the squad. It allows a unicorn to do unicorn things in other parts of the field be it forward or midfield or, when Darcy needs a rest or his knee goes out again, he can unicorn in the ruck like he's been doing.

It's a good problem to have, but to limit him just being pigeon holed as just a ruckmen, the priority to be absolutely, positively convinced Sean is cherry ripe before injecting him back into the 22.

The game has changed in the last 5 to 10 years and the big lumbering ruckmen just don't seem to cut it anymore in the modern game. The athletic types like Tim English, Luke Jackson, Darcy Cameron, and TDK, is where the game is going. It's the ability to put on pressure, tackle and win the clearance after the tap - which is what Luke Jackson does so well.

Literally the only argument I can see for Darcy is to protect Luke Jackson for a quarter or so, so he doesn't get as banged up. Do you need to be spending big (on salary or draft capital) to get someone to do that? Particularly when a guy like Patrick Voss actually does it pretty well himself.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Geez, you're making a few assumptions here.
Bone on bone knee? Who told you that? I think someone posted it on bigfooty (and the posters here are notoriously wrong).
1 million per year? I'd be absolutely astonished if Sean Darcy was on 1 million a year. The figure I heard was more around the 700k mark. (800k tops).
I would be amazed if we offered up a first rounder so another club paid the salary. If we could tip in half (350k per year) we'd probably even get something decent coming back our way.

As a physiotherapist I can tell you right now there is 0% chance Sean Darcy has “bone on bone”… he would literally be requiring a knee replacement similar to an OA geriatric patient.

The fact he can play AFL football suggests this is so far from true it’s laughable. He would be struggling to walk 50m if this was true and would be using a walking stick

 

[swanny1234]

Yeah, I'm in this camp now, Sean Darcy

4

Sean Darcy

Age

27

Ht

203cm

Wt

111kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.1

3star

K

3.4

1star

HB

6.6

4star

CL

2.4

4star

HO

28.8

5star

D

6.8

1star

K

2.0

1star

HB

4.8

3star

CL

1.8

4star

HO

20.3

5star

D

11.4

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

6.8

5star

CL

2.6

5star

HO

32.0

5star

, at his best is a very good player, but Luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

24

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

at his best is an absolute star. I just think we miss out on peak Luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

24

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

when Darcy plays ruck.
The issue now is I find it hard to see what club takes a punt on Darcy given his injury issues - Geelong maybe? dare I say it, the mob up the road even? It's a risk, and whilst he isn't on a million like some are saying, it's certainly still a hefty figure.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Yeah, I'm in this camp now, Sean Darcy, at his best is a very good player, but Luke Jackson at his best is an absolute star. I just think we miss out on peak Luke Jackson when Darcy plays ruck.
The issue now is I find it hard to see what club takes a punt on Darcy given his injury issues - Geelong maybe? dare I say it, the mob up the road even? It's a risk, and whilst he isn't on a million like some are saying, it's certainly still a hefty figure.

If Toby Conway starts to come good second half of the year back from injury and the rumours of us up to our eyeballs into Reid and him wanting us are true, not sure we would be interested or even have the collateral to do it.

 

[Hamann188]

The game has changed in the last 5 to 10 years and the big lumbering ruckmen just don't seem to cut it anymore in the modern game. The athletic types like Tim English, Luke Jackson, Darcy Cameron, and TDK, is where the game is going. It's the ability to put on pressure, tackle and win the clearance after the tap - which is what Luke Jackson does so well.

Literally the only argument I can see for Darcy is to protect Luke Jackson for a quarter or so, so he doesn't get as banged up. Do you need to be spending big (on salary or draft capital) to get someone to do that? Particularly when a guy like Patrick Voss actually does it pretty well himself.

In all fairness, Sean isn't the big, lumbering lump he was in the past, even compared to last year he's so much more "streamlined".

My concern was that was his 1 wood, being the big lumbering lump that could outmuscle most in the ruck comp.

I'm actually very curious as to how he applies his craft now (or when fully fit) now that he's slimmed down and toned up.

 

[EastcoastDocker]

We all know darcy isnt athletic.. but really is he even that big other than heavy? 203cm just isnt that big anymore. The whole getting into shape is a catch22 because alot of what made him good was his bulk.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Too much judgement on his ability post body change is based off no preseason IMO. Im confident he's still a very good AFL ruck who gives you first look at stoppage when AFL level fit.

 

[gungho]

Too much judgement on his ability post body change is based off no preseason IMO. Im confident he's still a very good AFL ruck who gives you first look at stoppage when AFL level fit.

The empirical evidence is - he's won a Doig medal, so can obviously play.
Unfortunately, for various reasons, past performance doesn't always equal future success in AFL footy.
Jack Anthony and Shane Woewodin were both delisted a few years after being leading goal kickers and brownlow medalists.
The argument that his strength was his size in the ruck, and a lot of that has been replaced to become more mobile - is a valid one.