Player Watch #27: Jack Darling

[amaz199]

Been pretty good. Asked him to ruck, teach our forwards, lead constantly, tackle hard, run all day, get his leg cut open... basically be a solid contributor every week.

I'm surprised he can still move let alone kick goals against quality opposition. Amazing conditioning despite his age.

 

[Jindrrk]

Exceeded my expectations to get 20+ out of him. One goal a game on average cannot complain.

 

[pupstar]

Exceeded my expectations to get 20+ out of him. One goal a game on average cannot complain.

Yeah done exactly what he was brought in to do both on game day and training track. Well done Jack.

 

[ansonholt]

Has exceeded expectations. That's all you can ask. Very glad we got him.

 

[koshari]

could go on and on

we are one of the few that are playing smaller to our detriment and not spreading the workload amongst the kpp

Sure you could...

The main reason we dont play many talls is because most of them are garbage.

Ccj and teakle are exibit A and B.

And darling is a bandaid fwiw.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

Comes as advertised - has been a solid recruit for the club.

 

[Shack18]

Yep a strong year from Jack, been very good, hopefully he has am impact on the development of our young forwards

 

[backtothedraft]

With the season coming to a close i think we can give the acquisition of Jack a pass mark. Perhaps is legacy at North Melbourne will be the work that he can do with the developing our young talls this preseason to put them in a position to take his spot in the team in 2026 and beyond

 

[Passmore]

Been pretty good. Asked him to ruck, teach our forwards, lead constantly, tackle hard, run all day, get his leg cut open... basically be a solid contributor every week.

I'm surprised he can still move let alone kick goals against quality opposition. Amazing conditioning despite his age.

Don't know what money he's on, but he'd be the opposite to a wage thief. Don't recall him missing to many training sessions either.

 

[Passmore]

Yeah very true, just who thought we'd be sitting here saying he's had a good season and we're still 2nd last with 2 games to play.

It's taken until the shadows of the season, but hopefully now we have couple of youngsters in Trembath and Whitlock that he can help develop over the next 12 months.

If we're sitting here in 12 months and we're going into '27 with Jack as our number 2 forward, that won't be great.

 

[big_e]

 

[chubbspeterson]

It's taken until the shadows of the season, but hopefully now we have couple of youngsters in Trembath and Whitlock that he can help develop over the next 12 months.

If we're sitting here in 12 months and we're going into '27 with Jack as our number 2 forward, that won't be great.

Agree. I'd be managing him more next year and get him playing somewhere between 10-15 games or maybe he plays at VFL level at times and works with developing the young forwards, providing he's okay with that.

 

[DuckYeah]

The melbourne public are safe

 

[DuckYeah]

43

Its funny going back and reading the delusions of supporters. Almost got there

 

[ferball]

Its funny going back and reading the delusions of supporters. Almost got there

You said you'd play Teakle over him.

He hasn't hit the 50 goals we all wanted to see (for obvious reasons) but he's on track for 25 goals and around 50 tackles. He's done the job he was brought in to do.

 

[DuckYeah]

You said you'd play Teakle over him.

He hasn't hit the 50 goals we all wanted to see (for obvious reasons) but he's on track for 25 goals and around 50 tackles. He's done the job he was brought in to do.

I would still play teakle over him

 

[Frank Thring]

I would still play teakle over him

Er no. The work Darling does off ball exceeds what Teakle does on ball. Incomparable.

 

[DuckYeah]

Er no. The work Darling does off ball exceeds what Teakle does on ball. Incomparable.

Teakle has obviously been told to look elsewhere but last year his projection was going ahead of what cooked darling produced this year. Anyway, he was brought in for experience and im glad that has all but proved worth while 17th

 

[Frank Thring]

Teakle has obviously been told to look elsewhere but last year his projection was going ahead of what cooked darling produced this year. Anyway, he was brought in for experience and im glad that has all but proved worth while 17th

Yeah it was all of his fault. He did his part, can't say that for everyone else

 

[DuckYeah]

Yeah it was all of his fault. He did his part, can't say that for everyone else

20 ish goals from a key forward is not enough. You keep telling yourself that

 

[Frank Thring]

20 ish goals from a key forward is not enough. You keep telling yourself that

He played as forward/ruck so he is going alright. How has Teakle played in that role?

 

[DuckYeah]

He played as forward/ruck so he is going alright. How has Teakle played in that role?

You put in your best performances when you are getting the arse at years end? Bring in a 40 year old finished player, I wouldn’t give much effort either knowing im on the block and only used if Xerri and CCJ are injured.

a key forward should piss in 30 goals and teakle would have easily done that if he was given belief in himself and gifted games as Darling had been

 

[Frank Thring]

You put in your best performances when you are getting the arse at years end? Bring in a 40 year old finished player, I wouldn’t give much effort either knowing im on the block and only used if Xerri and CCJ are injured

This could be the lamest excuse for a player's performance I have read.

 

[DuckYeah]

This could be the lamest excuse for a player's performance I have read.

You are whataboutisms.. Teakle would have kicked more than 30.

 

[DuckYeah]

Slow lumbering useless, cumbersome