#1 - Leon Davis - 2009

[DoubleO7]

Leon Davis

Date of birth: 17/6/81
Height: 177cm
Weight: 80kg
Recruited from: Perth (WA)​

Now a veteran of 161 games after making his debut in round one of the 2000 season, Davis has always been known for his mercurial goal kicking and marking.

His 2002 season was particularly impressive, when he played 23 games and an important role in the Magpies' Grand Final run, booting 31 goals as a 21-year-old.

He has shown glimpses of his exceptional ability in patches since then, especially in the first half of the 2006 season, when he kicked 23 goals in a 12-week stretch after an injury-riddled 2005.

Unfortunately injury cut his 2006 season short, but in 2007 he emerged as one of the team's most important players, capable of playing midfield or forward.

Davis had a career best season in 2008 as he spent more time in the midfield than ever before. He averaged career high numbers in disposals, disposal efficiency, contested possessions, uncontested possessions and clearances.

He also finished with a career high 32 goals and was rewarded with a career-best finish of fourth in the Copeland trophy.

His best form of his career came in the last four rounds of the H&A season when he averaged 25 disposals, six marks, five inside 50s, four tackles and two goals per game.

Could play most of the season in the midfield in 2009.

2008 AFL Statistics

Games: 22
Kicks: 289
Handballs: 83
Disposals: 372
Avg. Disposals: 17
Marks: 101
Tackles: 73
Goals: 32
Behinds: 21
Score Assists: 15​

 

[DoubleO7]

2009 AFL Statistics

Games: 23
Kicks: 351
Handballs: 120
Disposals: 471
Avg. Disposals: 20.5
Marks: 109
Tackles: 96
Goals: 35
Behinds: 24
Score Assists: 30
Clearances: 42
Time on ground: 81%
​

 

[DoubleO7]

Round 1 - Adelaide​

Leon Davis was named among Collingwood's best as the mighty Pies went down to the Crows by four points in a rather controversial match involving the umpires.

Davis was below his usual standard in the first quarter with his only goal coming off some brilliant clearance/crumbing work by reading Adelaide's ruck work perfectly.

The second quarter was similar to the first with Davis having no relative affect on the match.

After half time, Mick Malthouse shifted Davis from the forward line into defense with the move providing great dividends for the Pies and Davis himself. At one point the Pies were in front on the scoreboard.

Davis spent the second half of the match mopping up in defence and providing drive out of the back line with his creative yet precise kicking.

Davis ended the half with five rebound 50's and three inside 50's which created countless goals saving/scoring opportunities for the Pies.

All in all Davis should have done better but there was some concerns with him earlier in the week with some reports suggesting he was suffering from an illness.

Hopefully next week Davis gets back to his dominating best.

Game report/stats - http://www.afl.com.au/results/tabid/11433/default.aspx

 

[DoubleO7]

Forward Leon Davis had a wonderful game last week using the ball with 87% efficiency from 23 disposals. His defensive work in the off season looks to have paid dividends after averaging five tackles (career-highs) in his first two matches. If he keeps up his consistent play he should feature in the top five for the majority of the season.

- http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/Forwa... the top five for the majority of the season.Leon Davis Copeland Watch

 

[collingwood1992]

omfg i just saw this pic on the collingwood website... HE LOOKS HUGGGEEE HERE!

 

[DoubleO7]

Leon Davis had 32 possessions (career-high) including eight marks, seven tackles and two goals. The 27-year-old was involved in a centre bounce on 13 occasions and gained first possession of the footy four times to rank tied-third for the round (Daniel Cross was first for the round with six centre bounce clearances).

Stat Attack from round five

 

[DoubleO7]

Leon Davis recorded a career-high 32 disposals in Saturday’s loss including eight marks, seven tackles and two goals. He is averaging career-high numbers in disposals (21.6), marks (5.4), goals (1.6) and tackles (5) a game. The midfielder/forward has taken his game to another level in 2009 and will continue to add a presence on the scoreboard and in the centre square this season.

Davis provided the resurgence the side needed in the fourth term with 12 possessions.

Supporter Watch: Pendlebury holds form

 

[DoubleO7]

Leon Davis - Let it Rock

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My deepest gratitude goes out to 'Mars II' for his exquisite masterpiece featuring Leon Davis.

 

[DoubleO7]

Round 6 - North Melbourne
​

Leon Davis was prolific around the ground both with and without the ball.

Collingwood got rolling early with the games first three goals inside 13 minutes as its midfield, led by Pendlebury, Swan and Leon Davis dominated the contest.

Sharrod Wellingham, who was solid all night, provided a highlight with a brilliant running goal early in the final term, while Davis plucked a good old-fashioned hanger over Brady Rawlings to add to his already extensive highlight reel.

BEST
Collingwood: Lockyer, Davis, Swan, Pendlebury, Fraser, Medhurst.

Magpie Leon Davis takes a screamer against North Melbourne


Magpies down North Melbourne by 52 points
Pies on a high after 52 point win

 

[DoubleO7]

Round 9 - West Coast

A RED-hot Leon Davis gave Collingwood's season a much-needed kick-start with a 22-point victory over West Coast at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night.

Davis was at his scintillating best with 32 possessions and three goals, while Dane Swan (36 possessions), Scott Pendlebury (38) and Nick Maxwell (29) were all crucial in the win.

Davis had the ball on a string in the opening 10 minutes but it was the Eagles who looked the surer of the two teams throughout the term.

West Coast needed to score first in the fourth quarter, but it was all Collingwood. After Steele Sidebottom and Fraser missed early chances, Davis’ five minute cameo sealed victory for the visitors.

First the livewire Magpie forward capitalised on a turnover in defence and kicked truly from the pocket then Davis put the result beyond doubt early in the final term with another quick goal of which came after taking a spectacular mark over teammate Swan.

Davis' burst gave the `Pies a 34-point lead before McKinley booted two goals in the dying minutes to add respectability to the scoreboard.

"Leon has been outstanding the last four or five seasons. People like to remember too long ago when he was a young lad coming from the bush and breaking into a Melbourne team, and being terribly homesick," he said (MM).

"Leon's last five years have been outstanding and he has got better as those years have gone with the improvement in his consistency."

BEST
Collingwood: Davis, Lockyer, Pendlebury, Swan, Maxwell, Wood, O'Brien

Leon Davis sparks Collingwood's win
Collingwood downs Eagles
Magpies win in the west​

 

[DoubleO7]

Round 11 - Melbourne
​

Forward pocket Brad Dick relished the wet conditions with five goals, while Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury and Leon Davis led the way in the midfield.

Best:
Collingwood: Swan, Pendlebury, Davis, Dick, Fraser, Didak.

Slick Magpies thrash Dees by 66 points

 

[DoubleO7]

Leon Davis hosts this week's show featuring: Cloke, Pendlebury, Gavin Brown and more...

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[DoubleO7]

LEON Davis is on the verge of signing a deal with Collingwood that should see him remain a Magpie for the rest of his AFL career.

Davis, who turned 28 on Wednesday, will be rewarded for his career's remarkable transformation over the past few seasons - from a handy goalsneak to one of the most exciting players in the competition.

Collingwood chief of football Geoff Walsh confirmed yesterday the Magpies were close to inking a deal with Davis that would tie him up into the next decade.

"Leon has expressed a desire to be a one-club player and obviously from our point of view we wouldn't be discouraging him from that," Walsh said.

"We hope that is the case, and we are getting closer."

He said he hoped the deal could be finalised soon. It is unclear if it is a two or three-year contract, but it will take into consideration Davis's outstanding first half of the 2009 season.

"Everyone knew he has elite talent, but he puts that on display in more games now. His skills have always been sublime; I just think we are seeing them much more regularly."

more...

 

[DoubleO7]

Round 12 - Sydney
​

In a thrilling encounter that elevated the Magpies to the top four and left the Swans struggling to keep in touch with the eight, the 23-point victory before 41,042 fans was orchestrated by the brilliance of Alan Didak and Leon Davis.

The Magpies led by three points at the last change before Leon Davis and Alan Didak sparked a last-quarter avalanche that resulted in a 13.11 (89) to 9.12 (66) victory.

It was Collingwood’s seventh successive win against the Swans, extending a run that began in round 13, 2005.

Jack had been assigned the task on Davis, and took advantage of his opportunities after following him deep into the Swans' attacking zone.

The Swans looked set to lead at the final change but Swan made Richards pay for an overly adventurous run out of defence with a goal on the siren to put Collingwood up by three points.

The Swans squandered several chances to take the lead and predictably, they suffered for their profligacy.

Davis – who had been quiet to that point – kicked truly from Didak’s instinctive pass and converted another after a 50m penalty conceded by Richards.

Davis booted three goals in the final term and Didak capped an outstanding game by booting the sealer with 10 minutes to play.

Sydney Swans 2.2 5.3 9.6 9.12 (66)
Collingwood 4.2 7.7 9.9 13.11 (89)

Best: Didak, Swan, Shaw, O'Brien, Prestigiacomo, Davis

 

[DoubleO7]

Round 15 - Western Bulldogs

Collingwood held off an amazing comeback from the Western Bulldogs to win by one point in an extraordinary contest at Etihad Stadium.

After leading by more than seven goals midway through the third quarter, the Pies fell in by a point to win their seventh game in a row, 17.9.111 to 16.14.110, in front of 51,382 fans at Etihad Stadium.

In the end it was four goals, and a brilliant third-quarter Leon Davis cameo, 67 possessions to Dane Swan and Alan Didak, and an inspired defensive effort from skipper Nick Maxwell, Heath Shaw, Simon Prestigiacomo and Harry O’Brien, that paved the way for the Magpie victory.

The win was the Pies seventh on the trot – its best return since winning nine in a row midway through the 1990 season.

Davis ensured the lead remained intact through to three-quarter-time with a three-goal third-term cameo that had Magpie fans salivating.

His first came from a trademark snap at the four-minute mark before dragging down a screamer over Jarrod Harbrow hard up on the boundary and circling around for a brilliant around-the-corner effort.

Two minutes later he marked on the lead and rammed home his fourth to seemingly put the issue beyond doubt.

Western Bulldogs 3.4 6.6 10.9 16.14 (110)
Collingwood 7.2 11.5 16.7 17.9 (111)

BEST: Swan, Didak, Maxwell, Davis, Shaw, O’Brien.
​

 

[DoubleO7]

The making of Leon
​

Not content to float along on the back of the occasional freakish goal, Leon Davis put his head down and turned himself into one of Collingwood’s most dangerous midfield weapons.

AS A 10-year player about to become Collingwood’s first indigenous life member, Leon Davis is very aware of his leadership responsibilities to his younger peers.

Training. Preparation. Recovery. All serious stuff in which his example is important. And then there’s the business that really matters. Like how to celebrate a goal correctly.

After kicking 225 of them over his 174 games, Davis knows what he’s talking about. He’s got that understated waving of the index finger following another brilliant snap down to a fine art, but others are in need of constant guidance. And Davis is a hard taskmaster.

It's affection, among the Magpie hordes, clearly held mutually. Davis' has been an eventful 10-year journey, with several notable troughs along the way, but just like he vows will happen with young teammate Dick's celebratory skills, both he and his club have got there in the end.

More...

 

[DoubleO7]

Davis magical in Friday night win - Round 17
Collingwood F.C| Round 17
​

Over 85,000 supporters fronted the cold Melbourne night to watch a superior Collingwood side comfortably dispose of Carlton by 54 points at the MCG; 14.10 (94) to 4.16 (40).

The Magpies rocketed to a five-goal lead after the first term, out playing the highly praised Blue midfield. It was then a stalemate for the next two quarters, both teams trading goals until the Magpies kicked six goals to one in the final term.

Leon Davis was one of the Magpies’ best on the night, kicking three goals including two goal of the year contenders, while racking up 28 possessions.

More...

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[cooper6]

With Mick M being somebody who judges players on their finals form, and Davis' poor form in finals, do you think it is possible he will be on the trade market?

If Malthouse has lost faith, then why not trade him while he has strong value? Would deserve a top 15 pick. In a year or three he may have far less value?

 

[DoubleO7]

With Mick M being somebody who judges players on their finals form, and Davis' poor form in finals, do you think it is possible he will be on the trade market?

If Malthouse has lost faith, then why not trade him while he has strong value? Would deserve a top 15 pick. In a year or three he may have far less value?

It will be rather silly to trade an All Australian player. In my opinion, Davis' finals form is the result of an injury sustained late in the home and away season. The fact that he spent so much more time in the forward line than he had in the home and away season, further backs my theory.

To add more substance to my theory, Davis has averaged a meagre 60% time on ground over the finals series. Over the course of the season, he has averaged an impressive 82% time on ground when taking into consideration Collingwood's rotations.

 

[DoubleO7]

Player review: #1 - Leon Davis
Collingwood FC | AFL

2009 season:
In his 10th season at the club, Leon Davis arguably enjoyed a career-best year in the black and white stripes. The 28-year-old spent more time in the midfield than in seasons past and thus increased his disposal output, averaging a career-high of 20.5 per game.

Davis was rewarded for his 2009 efforts with a place in the AFL All-Australian forward line (first time in his career) as well as polling his best return at the Brownlow with 10 votes.

The Perth-native signed a two-year contract extension earlier this season to keep him at the club until the end of 2011.

2009 highlights:
Round 9 v West Coast: Davis made the most of his home coming with a 32-disposal and three-goal effort in front of a packed Subiaco Oval. Without five of its first-choice forwards, Collingwood relied on Davis’ scoring efforts with a memorable performance in a round celebrating Indigenous players.

Round 15 v Western Bulldogs: In a one-point thriller under the roof on Sunday afternoon, Davis electrified the crowd in a breakout third term booting three majors while collecting eight touches. He finished the match with four goals which tied for his highest return of the year (Davis kicked four against Richmond in Round 20).

Paul Hudson (forward assistant coach) says: Being chosen All-Australian is a magnificent achievement. He did statistically have a good year. His conversion was down for the classy player he is (59.3%) and it's something he needs to work on.

2009 AFL Statistics:

Games: 23
Kicks: 351
Handballs: 120
Disposals: 471
Avg. Disposals: 20.5
Marks: 109
Tackles: 96
Goals: 35
Behinds: 24
Score Assists: 30
Clearances: 42
Time on ground: 81%


​

 

[DoubleO7]

Re: #1 - Leon Davis - 2010

​

During the last four H&A rounds of the 2008 season and the opening nine rounds of the 2009 season, Davis was one of the most influential players in the competition.

He averaged a career-high 21 disposals per game in 2009, finishing with 20 or more disposals on 12 occasions.

He booted 35 goals for the season, ranked second at the Magpies and was rewarded with his first selection into the AFL All-Australian side.

Unfortunately Davis' 2009 finals series, where he averaged 13 disposals and kicked just one goal, was a rare blight on his season.

 

[DoubleO7]

Re: #1 - Leon Davis - 2010

Round 1 - Western Bulldogs
​

The pies have made a great start to the season, beating fellow flag fancies the Western Bulldogs by 36 points at Etihad Stadium.

The Bulldogs had been the talk of the pre-season after winning the knock-out competition with recruit Barry Hall a focal point.

But the Magpies produced a sizzling first quarter, withstood a Bulldogs comeback in the middle of the game and kicked clear in the last term and won 19.15 (129) to 13.15 (93) before 49,000 fans.

Spending majority of the match deep in the forward pocket, Davis was great with the presented opportunities. He ended the game with three majors.

Collingwood 8.2 10.9 14.13 19.15 (129)
Western Bulldogs 3.2 9.6 11.11 13.15 (93)

GOALS:
Collingwood: Didak 4, Medhurst 4, Davis 3, Swan 3, Anthony, Cloke, Pendlebury, Thomas, Wellingham

 

[DoubleO7]

Re: #1 - Leon Davis - 2010

He's back!

Returning to the side after missing last week with a calf complaint, Leon Davis was a key to Collingwood’s success in the first three quarters booting three majors for the second time in season 2010.

The 28-year-old looked intent on having an impact up forward in what was a critical match for his club.



Davis looked to have benefited from a week off using the time to ready his body for the second half of the season.



“I worked hard over my off week and I could tell I benefited from that. It’s a long season so a week off can really help.”



Picked up by Jarrod Harbrow, Davis was menacing in hunting the ball and you just know, when he scoots from the back to the front of packs, he's in a healthy frame of mind.

​

 

[DoubleO7]

Leon Davis - 200 Games

​

The Magpies' fourth pick at the 1999 draft - one selection after Rhyce Shaw and two ahead of Ben Johnson. Davis weighed 68kg and was the only indigenous player at a club that had almost no history of recognising or developing Aboriginal footballers.

The media, to his chagrin, nicknamed him "Neon Leon" and he has lit up games with his sheer brilliance and freakish goalkicking ability.

The stage on which Davis played his 200th game couldn't have hardly been any grander or more appropriate - in front of about 90,000 people at the MCG against Collingwood's mortal enemy Carlton.

He is the league's leading tackler inside the forward 50m and equal second in score assists this season. In those areas he is far superior to the likes of Stephen Milne and Mark LeCras.

Davis, now 29 and a muscular 78kg, has kicked 259 goals and evolved into the complete, modern small forward.

Today Davis is one of the team's elders. For indigenous teammates Sharrod Wellingham and Brad Dick he is a role model, as he is for every player at the club.

The 29-year-old is the first indigenous Magpie to reach 200 games and is the 14th indigenous player to play 200 VFL/AFL games.