Player Watch #27: Jack Darling

[Chip Scab1]

I think Longmire/Cox jumped too quick in tossing Parker to the side of the road. Yes be had injury and also a VFL suspension keeping him out of the AFL side.

But you wonder was their any consideration to re-purposing him down back and using him in the Hodge General role like we have done. Callum Mills is a potato chip and is always injured with soft tissues and his shoulder incident with the Kont. Rampe might have him covered athletically (but not hardness and footy smarts). Parker covers Bice easily.

It’s a poor list call for a nearly 300 gamer club icon. It is not hurting them at the moment as they are flying, but come finals and GF time is when the Swans tease their support base and I would want Parker on my side in some shape or form.

Scummy organisation, a playing list filled to the brim with impostors and semi-frauds and they chose to get rid of Parker. I remind my Swan mates of this every week. **** them. I hate Papley, JMac and some of their players so ****ing much.

I look forward to them shitting the bed (again).

If they take McCartney off us, I will go postal, genuinely.

 

[ferball]

I reckon they can wear the loss via their artificially enhanced list and ability to leverage that into drawing in quality mature recruits.

We get to enjoy Luke Parker as a north player and that's about as far as the blowback will go.

Depends if they can play in GFs or not.

Last one they played in he kicked three goals, led the tackle count and was one of their best three players.

They lost by 10 goals.

 

[kool kangas]

Does anyone know what Darling is thinking of doing when he retires? l wouldn't mind him staying at the club in some coaching capacity. Maybe Forward Coach.

 

[King Corey]

Does anyone know what Darling is thinking of doing when he retires? l wouldn't mind him staying at the club in some coaching capacity. Maybe Forward Coach.

"Now Nick, let me explain leading to y.. oh ok not your thing?

Ok then, let's move on to contested marking.. oh ok sorry not trying to make you feel uncomfortable.

Um.. righto then. Let's talk about calling for the ball out the back (pauses for reaction), ha ok good to see you so enthused let's go!"

 

[Devil Fish]

Does anyone know what Darling is thinking of doing when he retires? l wouldn't mind him staying at the club in some coaching capacity. Maybe Forward Coach.

If that means Xaviar Clarke is pink-slipped, I'm all for it.

Maybe he can show Larkey where the gym is while he's at it.

 

[zoomba23]

"Now Nick, let me explain leading to y.. oh ok not your thing?

Ok then, let's move on to contested marking.. oh ok sorry not trying to make you feel uncomfortable.

Um.. righto then. Let's talk about calling for the ball out the back (pauses for reaction), ha ok good to see you so enthused let's go!"

Nick would also take to the hair-fixing module like a duck to water

 

[Dingster]

Immense. We're lucky he was on our side today.

 

[Chadwiko]

BOG.

 

[RooInNorthLondon]

He is a model pro. I hope he can help Bath improve his all around game whilst still performing consistently himself.

 

[Only Forwards]

Was massive.

I cannot fathom how a supporter base boos a bloke who played 300 or so games for them

 

[hotchilli]

Has been more than we could have ever hoped for.

 

[grimface_87]

Was huge today

Though in less serious news I've noticed in recent weeks his 2026 goal song has changed from Hey Baby (DJ Ötzi) to now be Jackie (B.Z. featuring Joanne). Both bangers but the crowd really got up and about with the "oooh aaah"s in the first few rounds so I wonder why it changed

 

[Chadwiko]

Was massive.

I cannot fathom how a supporter base boos a bloke who played 300 or so games for them

Especially one who didn't exactly betray the club and walk out on them.

 

[Shermanator]

Was massive.

I cannot fathom how a supporter base boos a bloke who played 300 or so games for them

They would boo an ant coming out of an ant hole..

Absolute flogs.

Jack had the last laugh though

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Jack Darling

27

Jack Darling

Age

34

Ht

191cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

4.2

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.9

5star

D

8.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

3.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.4

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

14.6

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.0

5star

M

6.0

5star

T

4.0

5star

G

1.4

5star

's leapfrogged Norm Smith, Stephen Milne

Stephen Milne

Age

46

Ht

176cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.9

3star

K

9.1

4star

HB

2.8

2star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

4star

G

2.1

5star

No current season stats available

D

12.4

4star

K

10.6

4star

HB

1.8

2star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.8

3star

G

1.4

5star

and Richard Osborne on the goals list and has drawn level with Simon Madden and Simon Beasley on 575 career goals.

As Darling's at 46 games fewer than Madden but well over double Beasley's games total, Darling's jumped from 48th to 44th.

4 more goals will see Darling leapfrog Jarryd Roughead

Jarryd Roughead

Age

39

Ht

193cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.6

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

5.8

4star

M

4.7

4star

T

2.3

4star

G

2.0

5star

No current season stats available

D

7.2

2star

K

3.8

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

0.8

3star

G

1.0

4star

.

He's currently:

13 goals away from Tony Modra.
14 away from Jack Gunston

19

Jack Gunston

Age

34

Ht

193cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.5

4star

K

10.5

4star

HB

5.0

4star

M

5.7

5star

T

2.2

4star

G

1.9

5star

D

10.6

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

2.6

2star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.7

3star

G

1.6

5star

D

11.2

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.6

4star

G

0.6

3star

.
18 from Kelvin Templeton.
19 from Jonathan Brown and Stewart Loewe

Stewart Loewe

Age

58

Ht

194cm

Wt

108kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.1

4star

K

10.5

4star

HB

4.7

3star

M

7.8

5star

T

1.0

3star

G

1.9

5star

No current season stats available

D

7.8

2star

K

4.8

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.0

1star

G

1.0

4star

.
25 from becoming at the most, the 38th player in VFL/AFL history to hit 600 career goals.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Games wise, at 332 games, he's drawn level with Leigh Matthews, Justin Madden, Drew Petrie

Drew Petrie

Age

43

Ht

197cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

8.6

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.7

4star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

5.2

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

1.2

2star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.0

1star

and Corey Enright.

Alphabetically, he's 39th on the VFL/AFL games list.

His next safe zone is 35th overall when he hits game No. 335. (Almost appropriate.)

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Last one for now.

It's a race between Darling and Luke Parker

26

Luke Parker

Age

33

Ht

183cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.2

5star

K

12.6

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.8

5star

D

22.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

9.9

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

5.0

5star

CL

5.5

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

8.0

5star

CL

5.2

5star

as to who'll hit 350 career games next.

Only 26 out of 13k VFL/AFL players have reached 350 games and higher.

 

[koshari]

Cooked

About as cooked as a blue steak.

 

[Cyber_punk]

High chance to trigger that third year.

 

[koshari]

Was massive.

I cannot fathom how a supporter base boos a bloke who played 300 or so games for them

And a premiership player,

 

[Chadwiko]

13 goals away from Tony Modra.

There's a genuine argument to be made that Modra is the most under-rated superstar in AFL history.

That guy was an absolute freak.

 

[zoomba23]

I'd go anti-vaxx for him

 

[giantroo]

 

[jay317]

Absolute colossus this bloke. Genuinely our best forward which is a bit scary given he's basically a retiree.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Being erected this week