Player Watch #9: Luke Davies-Uniacke [Part II] - '24 SBM - re-signed until the end of 2032 [7 year deal]

[archereleven]

LDU - Soldier tired and sailor broken.

Will notch up his 100th this season and then request a trade to Collingwood, who will throw Pendles money at him.

It's a real concern, imho. What's he had? 10 wins in 88 games?

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Grogg]

He's the only bloke in the square the opposition give a shit about. Our mix isn't helping in there.

 

[Harris 10]

Call it as it is, he’s soft.
Some of his physical efforts again yesterday were embarrassing.

 

[shintemaster]

He's the only bloke in the square the opposition give a s**t about. Our mix isn't helping in there.

Agree. You can't just have a bunch of kids with zero presence in there and him. I thought he was unimpressive in the first half with too much attack - the second was the best he's been this year, more defensive tilt (which is needed if we aren't winning the clearances and are handing it back regularly). We looked much more competent when he wasn't 100% attack mode.

 

[Themanbun]

Is an excellent ball hunter, but we need a general in the midfield to smarten us up. This bloke is our midfield leader by default but he is not great at that aspect, and needs to be freed up to do his thing.

 

[The Maestro]

He needs support and if he needs support so do Wardlaw and Powell. Simpkin has to go back in the middle for longer stints.

 

[Dan]

-Opposition weekly team meeting-

''Alright guys, so how do we stop North Melbourne this weekend?''

"Just show up''

I suspect that in any serious talks regarding us as a team....the majority of the chat would be how to limit the impact of LDU.

From what I've seen so far this season....it certainly looks like the clubs are aware of him and are giving him more attention than previous seasons. Tags, multiple tacklers, players running from the centre square b-lining for him (which I noticed a couple times in the Lions game)

He's gotta deal with it but teammates gotta help out too.

 

[amaz199]

There is a reason why he's not captain.

 

[DuckYeah]

There is a reason why he's not captain.

Yeh, because he doesn’t want too. Remember the kid lost his old man a few years ago.. let the kid play footy. Not everyone wants to be a leader. Just coz doesn’t make someone a leader.

 

[Gasometer]

In the immortal words of Peter Griffin

Woah
Woah
Woah

I was banging on questioning LDU after the Blues debacle as one who has potential to be a game winner and querying when he has actually done such a feat

Apparently I was “emotional”

I’ve just read 2 pages of posts delving a lot further

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

-Opposition weekly team meeting-

''Alright guys, so how do we stop North Melbourne this weekend?''

"Just show up''

I suspect that in any serious talks regarding us as a team....the majority of the chat would be how to limit the impact of LDU.

From what I've seen so far this season....it certainly looks like the clubs are aware of him and are giving him more attention than previous seasons. Tags, multiple tacklers, players running from the centre square b-lining for him (which I noticed a couple times in the Lions game)

He's gotta deal with it but teammates gotta help out too.

I realise I’m comparing a sh*t, young team to one still containing 15 premiership players, but watching the Saints v Richmond game, it’s noticeable how much the players play for each other and protect each other.

Communication, blocks, shepherds aplenty.

We need an injection of onfield leaders to bring this expectation. We need to swathe of coaches to enforce it.

 

[Gasometer]

I realise I’m comparing a sh*t, young team to one still containing 15 premiership players, but watching the Saints v Richmond game, it’s noticeable how much the players play for each other and protect each other.

Communication, blocks, shepherds aplenty.

We need an injection of onfield leaders to bring this expectation. We need to swathe of coaches to enforce it.

Absolutely

 

[Gasometer]

August 2022




March 2023

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Absolutely

I’ve been on this site posting since 07/08 and I have been banging on consistently about doing the team fundamentals.

It isn’t going to start until we have coaches willing and players capable (intensity, smarts, team-first attitude) of demanding it of themselves.

But look at how poorly some of our leaders are playing…how can we expect any change of the basics if we have no system of rewarding/punishing output?

 

[Gasometer]

I’ve been on this site posting since 07/08 and I have been banging on consistently about doing the team fundamentals.

It isn’t going to start until we have coaches willing and players capable (intensity, smarts, team-first attitude) of demanding it of themselves.

But look at how poorly some of our leaders are playing…how can we expect any change of the basics if we have no system of rewarding/punishing output?

It’s a sign of the times

Everyone gets a medal or certificate

 

[koshari]

Posts of him being soft... He is damn hercules compared to sleevo.

 

[Orange Peanut]

He has never done those desperate chase/ lunge "attempts" when he's no chance of getting it. It could actually be smart rather than lazy, but it doesn't look good sometimes.
Anyway I firmly believe this will be one of those post-seasons where we find out he was playing with a niggle the whole year. He didn't look to have anywhere near his usual explosiveness from ground level on Friday, but he genuinely looked to be trying and hunting for the ball. It's not like he didn't touch it.
Something is NQR.

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

The midfield set up is just not working - which is disappointing given how much we have invested in this area. The individuals are good players but the mix is all wrong.

Starting midfield next year needs to be LDU, Smillie and Sheezal - explosiveness, big body and class respectively.

Second mix should be Wardlaw, Powell and Colby - defensiveness, accumulation and class. Jy will get minutes as required.

A completely different set up to the approach we have taken this year is required and this will help LDU.

 

[My Left Foote]

The midfield set up is just not working - which is disappointing given how much we have invested in this area. The individuals are good players but the mix is all wrong.

Starting midfield next year needs to be LDU, Smillie and Sheezal - explosiveness, big body and class respectively.

Second mix should be Wardlaw, Powell and Colby - defensiveness, accumulation and class. Jy will get minutes as required.

A completely different set up to the approach we have taken this year is required and this will help LDU.

Agree in principle, like the idea of drafting Smillie, still feel Phillips needs to be part of the rotations.

 

[Engimal v3]

 

[muttley45]

LDU's Stat's v Cats Rd 17 last year : 10 kicks, 18 handballs, 5 marks, 8 tackles, 2 goals, 3 clearances, 4 inside 50's,
can history repeat ?

 

[koshari]

In the immortal words of Peter Griffin

Woah
Woah
Woah

I was banging on questioning LDU after the Blues debacle as one who has potential to be a game winner and querying when he has actually done such a feat

Apparently I was “emotional”

I’ve just read 2 pages of posts delving a lot further

I though that was charchi arcolas catchcry?

 

[andana]

2024 AFL PLAYER RATINGS AVERAGE MIDFIELD
Sydney

[PLAYERCARD]Isaac Heeney[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Chad Warner[/PLAYERCARD], Errol Gulden

19.0

Port Adelaide

[PLAYERCARD]Zak Butters[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Connor Rozee[/PLAYERCARD], Jason Horne-Francis

17.7

Western Bulldogs

[PLAYERCARD]Marcus Bontempelli[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Adam Treloar[/PLAYERCARD], Tom Liberatore

17.2

Greater Western Sydney

[PLAYERCARD]Stephen Coniglio[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Tom Green[/PLAYERCARD], Josh Kelly

16.3

Melbourne

[PLAYERCARD]Jack Viney[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Clayton Oliver[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Christian Petracca[/PLAYERCARD]

15.6

Hawthorn

Jai Newcombe, [PLAYERCARD]Conor Nash[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]James Worpel[/PLAYERCARD]

14.6

Gold Coast

[PLAYERCARD]Noah Anderson[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Matt Rowell[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Touk Miller[/PLAYERCARD]

14.5

North Melbourne

[PLAYERCARD]Luke Davies-Uniacke[/PLAYERCARD], Tom Powell, George Wardlaw

14.5

Carlton

[PLAYERCARD]George Hewett[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Patrick Cripps[/PLAYERCARD], Adam Cerra

14.2

Fremantle

[PLAYERCARD]Caleb Serong[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Hayden Young[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Andrew Brayshaw[/PLAYERCARD]

14.2

Essendon

Zach Merrett, Archie Perkins, [PLAYERCARD]Will Setterfield[/PLAYERCARD]

13.9

Brisbane

[PLAYERCARD]Josh Dunkley[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Lachie Neale[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Hugh McCluggage[/PLAYERCARD]

13.6

West Coast

[PLAYERCARD]Tim Kelly[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Elliot Yeo[/PLAYERCARD], Harley Reid

13.3

Adelaide

[PLAYERCARD]Jordan Dawson[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Matt Crouch[/PLAYERCARD], [PLAYERCARD]Rory Laird[/PLAYERCARD]

12.3

Richmond

[PLAYERCARD]Tim Taranto[/PLAYERCARD], Thomson Dow, [PLAYERCARD]Shai Bolton[/PLAYERCARD]

12.0

St Kilda

[PLAYERCARD]Jack Steele[/PLAYERCARD], Seb Ross, Marcus Windhager

11.6

Collingwood

[PLAYERCARD]Jordan De Goey[/PLAYERCARD], Nick Daicos, [PLAYERCARD]Scott Pendlebury[/PLAYERCARD]

11.4

Geelong

Patrick Dangerfield, Jhye Clark, Tanner Bruhn

9.4

 

[Engimal v3]

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

View attachment 1954364

Great illustration of playing well when it counts, and when it doesn’t.

No surprises we as a team played better when LDU was playing better in the first half, when there was still hope to be in it.