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

[roos_tt29]

I’ve been a critic of LDU’s defensive game, but when he’s locked in offensively he’s a flat out weapon.

He was having an AA worthy start to the 2022 season before the fat sniper W Rioli pinned both his arms, caved his head deep into Marvel Stadium’s turf, knocked him out and avoided suspension (for the second straight week mind you flipping corrupt AFL). PC got 3 weeks for a softer and much cleaner tackle..

He's also shown he can apply himself really well defensively - when he's locked in.

Up to him to do that over a longer stretch of the year. He's always been a "follow me" kind of player and the young guys will 100% follow if that application's there more frequently.

Hope 2026 goes smoothly for him injury-wise. Continuity will build confidence.

 

[KangaRooster]

Really hoping he’s been elevated into the leadership group as reported.

We need him to be amazing, we need him to lead from the front, we need him to do it every week.

He seems like the type to benefit from that responsibility, now that’s seemingly ready to accept it.

And the young lads deserve a player of his talent to learn from and lean on.

 

[ferball]

25+ and a goal a game.

It’s absolutely go time.

Some will see this as not enough as he isn’t also laying 8 tackles.

Why can't he make 8 tackles as well?

 

[ferball]

Oh I agree that 1 goal per game from a fulltime mid is a lot to ask. I’m not really sure why that is the expectation for LDU.

2 time Brownlow medal winner lachie Neale has averaged at best 0.7 goals per game but not since 2020.

Patrick Cripps has never averaged a goal per game despite spending time forward.

Daicos, Merrett (not even close), Oliver (not even close), Brayshaw, Serong. I could go on and on.

But end of the day, only a guy like bontempelli or petracca, who do spend time forward, would be 25+ possessions and a goal per game.

So LDU, who I agree could go up another level, is being held to a seriously high standard here

No Chase Jase has averaged a goal a game over the last two seasons.

 

[ferball]

I think what I would like to see from LDU for the season in terms of numbers is 28 disposals and a goal a game. That would be a fantastic return. He is very capable of it: would like him to tidy up his disposals alittle and he will be an AFL elite.
With Wardlaw, Sheezel and Parker running through for good chunks of the season I could see that return.

But don’t want it to get confused. He is definitely a top 3 player on our list. My frustration comes because we see flashes of him being a top 10 player in the league

In 2024 he averaged 27.75d, half a goal and nearly 4 tackles a game. 28 and a goal a game should win him a brownlow tho.

Well ... Bont averaged 27+ and 1+ per game. Ed Richards had over 25 and was one goal short of averaging a goal a game. Neither of them won the brownlow but I reckon LDU would catch the umps eye a little better than Bont, unfair as that may seem.

 

[Shinboner1]

Lean DU

 

[the big lebowski]

No Chase Jase has averaged a goal a game over the last two seasons.

A - he’s a gun

B - he’s a genuine forward

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

A - he’s a gun

B - he’s a genuine forward

Not yet, goes missing when things get tough.

 

[the big lebowski]

Not yet, goes missing when things get tough.

Yeah he’s not a perfect player

But he’s an out and out gun

 

[Elite Master]

Now that he's been promoted to the leadership group he really needs to elevate himself in 2026.

 

[ferball]

A - he’s a gun

B - he’s a genuine forward

Definitely B. Probably get to A if he pulls his finger out. That's part of the reason we hate the gutless shite. if he was no good we wouldn't care. But that's kind of my point. LDU not someone who can go forward and kick goals regularly, JHF is and still only averages a goal a game (and a quarter to a third less disposals.)

LDU has owned him a few times as well. LDU averaging his best stats and a goal a game puts him in "best player in the comp" territory.

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

Definitely B. Probably get to A if he pulls his finger out. That's part of the reason we hate the gutless shite. if he was no good we wouldn't care. But that's kind of my point. LDU not someone who can go forward and kick goals regularly, JHF is and still only averages a goal a game (and a quarter to a third less disposals.)

LDU has owned him a few times as well. LDU averaging his best stats and a goal a game puts him in "best player in the comp" territory.

People talk about how we overrate our players but the same people throw the word gun around when talking about jfh and call ldu a b grader.

 

[ferball]

People talk about how we overrate our players but the same people throw the word gun around when talking about jfh and call ldu a b grader.

JHF is a gun. Its why what he did hurt so much.

LDU is alot better, even when he has a season like 2025 where he's down on his output compared to previous years. Had a bad year but was still top 20 or 30 players in the comp.

 

[Themanbun]

His best games in 2025 were when he was hungry defensively. Showing that hunger actually enhanced the effect of his offensive work, not take away from it.

 

[RooInNorthLondon]

Defensive effort in team sport is contagious. The more people who show it the more they bring the rest with them. As a newly minted leader the onus is on LDU to lead by example. He doesn’t need to be the best or most intense two-way guy on the team as everybody knows it isn’t the core strength of his game, he just needs to show more desire and effort so his teammates see him lifting his floor and (hopefully) seek to emulate that. Cumulative small improvements can pay big dividends.

 

[JZTIME!]

Defensive effort in team sport is contagious. The more people who show it the more they bring the rest with them. As a newly minted leader the onus is on LDU to lead by example. He doesn’t need to be the best or most intense two-way guy on the team as everybody knows it isn’t the core strength of his game, he just needs to show more desire and effort so his teammates see him lifting his floor and (hopefully) seek to emulate that. Cumulative small improvements can pay big dividends.

Number one for pressure acts at Nth by a long way.