Welcome 2022 ND - Pick 21 - Darcy Jones

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Nov 23, 2015
11,655
17,072
AFL Club
GWS
Welcome to the Giants, Darcy. Looking forward to seeing that speed on field.

Darcy Jones.png


Position: Outside midfielder
Height: 175cm
Weight: 67kg
D.O.B: 03-04-2004
Teams: WA, Swans District

SNAPSHOT: “A tenacious and zippy midfielder with an eye for goal, Jones has proven size does not matter to put his name on the radar of many clubs.”

STRENGTHS:

  • Acceleration
  • Accumulation
  • Agility
  • Consistency
  • Run-and-carry
  • Scoreboard impact

IMPROVEMENTS:
  • Kicking on the run
  • Size

He thrives in the contest, using his speed and agility to get first hands to the ball and evade would-be tacklers as if they were cones in a training drill. He faced an uphill battle to make it in the midfield for WA, but his strong form early in the season saw him become one of the first names on the whiteboard come the National Championships. He has taken every opportunity that has come his way at Colts, State, Reserves and League level to impress recruiters with his ability to get plenty of the ball and impact the scoreboard.

A strong year by Jones, he has done well to consistently be a key player in any team he has played for this season. A midfielder by trade, he uses his size to his advantage when hunting down the ball on the deck or off of his ruckman’s hand. His strong form in 2022 saw him called up to the League side for Swan Districts, where he played more mixed minutes rotating between the forward line and his favoured midfield spot, catching the eye with a 13-disposal and two-goal game on debut, backed up by a 19-disposal two-goal game, enviable numbers for sure.

His acceleration and agility are his two strongest attributes without doubt, but once Jones has the footy in his hands, he shows great composure and vision to take on challenging kicks to put his side in the best possible position to score. Playing against the boys his age in the WAFL Colts, Jones averaged over 25 touches, a goal and more than four tackles a game this season, though as far as a clear area of improvement is concerned, putting on the weight and size to be more potent with his tackling will certainly be on the agenda.

Once the game is broken open and the field is more spread, Jones sets up well around the ground to help put the pressure on opposition counter attacks. He pairs this spatial awareness with his speed when on a fast break to create an option for his teammates on the outside, always looking to get the ball forward quickly to score. He possesses an incredible vertical leap, which allows him to make a strong presence in marking contests against taller opposition.

His sharp eye in front of goal helps further separate him from other midfielders of his ilk. With 12 goals from 11 games across all three WAFL grades, Jones once again uses his sharp acceleration to burst out of a pack when around the 50-metre arc and provide himself some time to settle when looking to score on the run. This eye for goal was best shown off in his three-goal haul against Claremont in Round 4 of the Colts season, the best of which a set shot from just inside the boundary on the right flank nearly 50 metres out - an unlikely goal for even the best of forwards, let alone this tenacious mid.
 
Apr 30, 2011
8,230
7,565
Wollongong
AFL Club
GWS
Welcome to the Giants, Darcy. Looking forward to seeing that speed on field.

View attachment 1563069

Position: Outside midfielder
Height: 175cm
Weight: 67kg
D.O.B: 03-04-2004
Teams: WA, Swans District

SNAPSHOT: “A tenacious and zippy midfielder with an eye for goal, Jones has proven size does not matter to put his name on the radar of many clubs.”

STRENGTHS:

  • Acceleration
  • Accumulation
  • Agility
  • Consistency
  • Run-and-carry
  • Scoreboard impact

IMPROVEMENTS:
  • Kicking on the run
  • Size

He thrives in the contest, using his speed and agility to get first hands to the ball and evade would-be tacklers as if they were cones in a training drill. He faced an uphill battle to make it in the midfield for WA, but his strong form early in the season saw him become one of the first names on the whiteboard come the National Championships. He has taken every opportunity that has come his way at Colts, State, Reserves and League level to impress recruiters with his ability to get plenty of the ball and impact the scoreboard.

A strong year by Jones, he has done well to consistently be a key player in any team he has played for this season. A midfielder by trade, he uses his size to his advantage when hunting down the ball on the deck or off of his ruckman’s hand. His strong form in 2022 saw him called up to the League side for Swan Districts, where he played more mixed minutes rotating between the forward line and his favoured midfield spot, catching the eye with a 13-disposal and two-goal game on debut, backed up by a 19-disposal two-goal game, enviable numbers for sure.

His acceleration and agility are his two strongest attributes without doubt, but once Jones has the footy in his hands, he shows great composure and vision to take on challenging kicks to put his side in the best possible position to score. Playing against the boys his age in the WAFL Colts, Jones averaged over 25 touches, a goal and more than four tackles a game this season, though as far as a clear area of improvement is concerned, putting on the weight and size to be more potent with his tackling will certainly be on the agenda.

Once the game is broken open and the field is more spread, Jones sets up well around the ground to help put the pressure on opposition counter attacks. He pairs this spatial awareness with his speed when on a fast break to create an option for his teammates on the outside, always looking to get the ball forward quickly to score. He possesses an incredible vertical leap, which allows him to make a strong presence in marking contests against taller opposition.

His sharp eye in front of goal helps further separate him from other midfielders of his ilk. With 12 goals from 11 games across all three WAFL grades, Jones once again uses his sharp acceleration to burst out of a pack when around the 50-metre arc and provide himself some time to settle when looking to score on the run. This eye for goal was best shown off in his three-goal haul against Claremont in Round 4 of the Colts season, the best of which a set shot from just inside the boundary on the right flank nearly 50 metres out - an unlikely goal for even the best of forwards, let alone this tenacious mid.

Darcy's skill set definitely fills a need and just like Cadman rates high on the character scale.
 

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Apr 30, 2011
8,230
7,565
Wollongong
AFL Club
GWS
What National Recruiting Manager Adrian Caruso says:

Darcy is a player we believe can turn into a dangerous small forward who combines some elite athletic traits with a strong footy brain. Darcy’s two-way speed suits the way we want to play, yet he also is a strong competitor who we are confident can develop into a player that gives us a spark in the front half.

 

Hendo_21

Club Legend
Aug 14, 2021
1,928
2,757
AFL Club
GWS
Interested to see what his role is maybe a half forward type that can roll up onto the wing at different times but still do most of his damage i50. Great athlete, productive at all 3 levels of the WAFL despite his age, great character, fills a need or two.
 

domologue

Senior List
Aug 9, 2022
159
196
AFL Club
GWS
Need to start feeding him what we were feeding Tom Green the last two years... will take 2 years just to get him to a safe size to play AFL!
 

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