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

[TruRoo]

Adelaide would give their 1st borns for a midfielder like LDU to pair with Dawson and Berry.

Why?

They are top of the ladder without selling the farm for a b grader

 

[JGreezy]

I don't mind if everyone wants to look at him as a B grader. Maybe they'll stop giving him so much attention.

 

[archereleven]

Why?

They are top of the ladder without selling the farm for a b grader

They had their collective pants pulled down all game and if it wasn't for their polish and our lack of polish plus best 22 outs we would have crushed them.

LDU had the same amount clearances as Dawson, Berry and Laird combined, kicked a goal and set up 2 others from 5 i50s. They had not a single answer to contain him all game.

His kicking efficiency was down on the last few weeks, but as you say, they're top of the ladder for a reason...

 

[Flawed Genius]

Adelaide would give their 1st borns for a midfielder like LDU to pair with Dawson and Berry.

Imagine if he played for them today...

Sid Draper

 

[Lomas]

They had their collective pants pulled down all game and if it wasn't for their polish and our lack of polish plus best 22 outs we would have crushed them.

LDU had the same amount clearances as Dawson, Berry and Laird combined, kicked a goal and set up 2 others from 5 i50s. They had not a single answer to contain him all game.

His kicking efficiency was down on the last few weeks, but as you say, they're top of the ladder for a reason...

The first quarter kicking was spew. Got better

 

[archereleven]

Sid Draper

A while to go for Draper before cementing himself into their mid rotations. Looks a player though with his burst and speed.

The crows would win the flag with LDU running rampant from congestion and kicking onto the heads of Beard, Fog and Tex.

 

[Lomas]

This guy is probably the poster child for why we need to spend more time on skills this off season.
Over the past how many years we hear about conditioning and so on being the focus as they learn as a young team.
that should be well behind him now, just execute the fundamentals.
The overall list age is no excuse.

 

[Snowy off the Tram]

From Herald Sun

DISLIKES​

THE LITTLE THINGS

They are the little moments North Melbourne has blown for six seasons running.

Luke Davies-Uniacke is close to the club’s best player, but the reason he is not in the All-Australian conversation can be distilled to four poor moments in the first term against Adelaide.

The midfield bull inexplicably chose to bump Taylor Walker when he had him cold to tackle in the opening minutes, and Walker set up a goal.

On a rebound out of the backline 50 minutes later he demanded a handball running past a teammate, yet ‘LDU’ was running with the boundary to his left and forced to kick on his opposite foot, skewing an ugly turnover straight to Adelaide.

Then minutes after that, the Roos fought impressively to win the ball back in a contest only for Davies-Uniacke to handball with his right hand, instead of his left, and turn it over straight to Jordan Dawson.

Another goal came from that turnover.

Always on watch for players who use the wrong hand to handball, Gerard Healy described it as a “C-grade” effort.

Again, minutes later, Davies-Uniacke broke out of the midfield only to have his pass inside-50 smothered, then he blasted a resulting shot at goal out on the full.

That’s why Davies-Uniacke, who has all the gifts of the best players, isn’t a true A-grade midfielder.

Glad these basic skill errors are being highlighted. He’s not an A-Grader for the skill reasons mentioned but mainly (IMHO) because he provides so little leadership (has he ever been in the leadership group?) in a young team that needs so much more from a nine-season supposed midfield gun. You can’t be someone you’re not, but the club needs a Hodge or Selwood or Josh Kennedy or Jordan Lewis or Tom Atkins (or Luke Parker) to lead the midfield - a competitor who hates being beaten and hates losing. Instead LDU provides the odd brilliant passage, occasional nifty footwork out of a tight spot, and lovely feints and baulks - but then we see him on the edge of the screen half-chasing an opponent, dropping his head and generally setting a really poor defensive example. Some will say overly harsh and unfair. Maybe. Hope he proves me (and the H-S) wrong in the coming years …

 

[Firebat]

He’s about to be a $1.3m+ player next season, get used to the public roastings LDU, all eyes will rightfully be on you

 

[archereleven]

He’s about to be a $1.3m+ player next season, get used to the public roastings LDU, all eyes will rightfully be on you

You think a 31 possession, 12 clearance game where he monstered the oppo mids and was directly involved in 3 goals in a tightly fought out game deserves a 'roasting'?

LOL.

 

[Firebat]

You think a 31 possession, 12 clearance game where he monstered the oppo mids and was directly involved in 3 goals in a tightly fought out game deserves a 'roasting'?

LOL.

Pls mate. Do you disagree with any observations made in the article?

He’s had a pretty poor year by his standards and had little to no attention from media when he’s been subpar.

He’s getting paid in the top 1% of players next season, do you reckon his body of work this season reflects that right now?

 

[the big lebowski]

Without wanting to pump up Gerard Healy of all people, he flat out called out LDU’s left handed handball. Or lack there of it.

Called it C grade.

Now that’s a clear skill technique thing. Fixing it, working on it shouldn’t be difficult with professional development coaches. Incorporate it into his running drills over pre season.

Drill it until he pukes

Get cunners down from the farm ffs. If anyone can teach left handed hand balling it’s him.

The whole bloody team should work on it. We’ve been tearing our hair out for years with our handball skills.

Make it better for 2026.

 

[ferball]

Without wanting to pump up Gerard Healy of all people, he flat out called out LDU’s left handed handball. Or lack there of it.

Called it C grade.

Healy loves LDU. Wants him to be the best player in the comp.

 

[archereleven]

Pls mate. Do you disagree with any observations made in the article?

He’s had a pretty poor year by his standards and had little to no attention from media when he’s been subpar.

He’s getting paid in the top 1% of players next season, do you reckon his body of work this season reflects that right now?

I'll worry about what hes being paid next season, next season.

The article picks apart a few disposal mistakes in the 1st quarter without acknowledging he tore them a new arseh*le for the rest of the game.

We could all do that type of analysis with every player on the ground, each and every week.

Do I hope he gets back to his '24 form or betters it? Of course, but there were still pillocks in here waffling on about defensive intent when he was top 10 in the league for pressure acts...

If people want to shitcan players that actually move the needle, then more power to them. He's our best midfielder period until he isn't.

Shit handball that cost us a goal? ****ing oath. Shit kick into the mark with a subsequent ootf? Yep. Did he tighten his disposal? You betcha. Did he let the sub run hard past him inside f50 and kick a goal? Sure did.

Gerard is harsh on LDU as hes mentored him in the past and may well continue to do so.

 

[WesternRoo]

A few skill errors but he was a class above everyone out there.

He, Sheezel Parker and X were superb

 

[the big lebowski]

Healy loves LDU. Wants him to be the best player in the comp.

I hate Healy

Love LDU

And also want LDU to be the best player in the comp

Fixing his handball issues is a good place to start

As is some better decision making

 

[ferball]

I hate Healy

Love LDU

And also want LDU to be the best player in the comp

Fixing his handball issues is a good place to start

As is some better decision making

Healy is no where near as bad as people make out.

He can't wait for us to be a good side. So many times he thinks an upset is gonna happen and we run out of legs and he gets pissed off about it. We've matched it with good sides for alot of the time in games recently and you can almost hear him drooling about the chance we might win it.

We lost that game by less than the mistakes LDU made and the goals that came from it. Same with Konstanty and probably others (FOS coming in late and giving away a free when GW had the free for example. Tho that was a dive.)

If all of those players made one or two less errors a game then we'd have won it.

I hope they realise that and are pissed off enough to try and fix things.

 

[archereleven]

People need to realise that nobody in the current team is playing to potential, simply for the fact we aren't winning regularly.

With winning comes confidence, with confidence comes commitment, with commitment comes execution.

This team has a few more levels to reach before we start over analysing ball handling errors that 'cost' games.

 

[muttley45]

Luke has a very nice burst of pace, but ffs, why does he almost without fail have a bounce after 1 or 2 steps, instead of breaking well clear to assess options ?

 

[Roos1991]

They had their collective pants pulled down all game and if it wasn't for their polish and our lack of polish plus best 22 outs we would have crushed them.

LDU had the same amount clearances as Dawson, Berry and Laird combined, kicked a goal and set up 2 others from 5 i50s. They had not a single answer to contain him all game.

His kicking efficiency was down on the last few weeks, but as you say, they're top of the ladder for a reason...

Not to mention he does all that with 2 players hanging off him usually. North have been shockingly bad at protecting him in the contest since he debuted. Hoping that gets even better with Parks and the Warlord in there. Yes he blazes away sometimes but with a bit more time, space and protection, he could be a top 10 player.

 

[Roos1991]

You think a 31 possession, 12 clearance game where he monstered the oppo mids and was directly involved in 3 goals in a tightly fought out game deserves a 'roasting'?

LOL.

It's crazy. North is a 5+ goal worse side without him. Oppo mids walk straight through us when he doesn't play. Ade were so hesitant whenever he was in the contest.

 

[FlyHigh18]

When he has it the first thing that pops into my head is “and here comes the turnover or shank kick”.

I feel bad but that’s just what it’s come to after happening so often. I need to feel that trust when he has the ball instead of negativity. Hopefully he can clean it up next year.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Stating the obvious here but the upcoming pre-season is going to be the biggest and most telling of his career.

Gets to decide whether he'll spend the prime of his career as a consistent elite A-grader who'll lead from the front and take this club back to finals or whether he'll coast and spend the rest of his career with all the talent in the world but not reaching his potential and retiring a 'could've been' player.

Would be a win to not hear his efforts in preseason being described as 'going in second gear'

He has the ability to own games if he wants to. Just needs the grit to reach out and take the games by the scruff of the neck.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

The first quarter kicking was spew. Got better

I was sickened by his first half defensive efforts.

 

[Themanbun]

They had their collective pants pulled down all game and if it wasn't for their polish and our lack of polish plus best 22 outs we would have crushed them.

LDU had the same amount clearances as Dawson, Berry and Laird combined, kicked a goal and set up 2 others from 5 i50s. They had not a single answer to contain him all game.

His kicking efficiency was down on the last few weeks, but as you say, they're top of the ladder for a reason...

Our 'lack of polish' was greatly contributed to by him. And has been all year.