Player Watch #9: Luke Davies-Uniacke [Part II] - [Herald Sun] LDU has parked contract talks with the club & is expected to command offers of more than $1m a season

[archereleven]

Tom was playing mostly high half-forward, he wasn't sitting in the goal square waiting for someone to kick it to him. He should have been one of the players kicking it into the 50, but he barely touched it and didn't do this once. He had a bad game. Not sure why you need to make excuses for it.

I'm not making excuses.

If Clarko isn't going to rotate him through the middle, then he should play reserves where he can work on his craft, not plod around the graveyard that is our FF...



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[perplexed]

The ball was run out of our forward line so *en easily and he was one of the reasons...

That's the fist game I've seen since before my youngest kid was born and it was pretty poor.

Alot of campaigners just don't chase at all. I get what some of youse are whinging about now. Paul Curtis is a pretty shithouse runner but at least he tries unlike some of the better runners we have that just don't.

Adelaide were running thru the middle in numbers with no one doing anything about it. Honestly you don't see it properly on tv but as a result I just assumed it was players were gassed and unfit not that lazy. Stevens, Powell and even Scott (maybe, he did alot of running as well so maybe I'm being unfair,), they all look similar but it was all of them at one point, and they were just standing there as Adelaide players waltzed out of the backline with no one going with them or even trying. It was shithouse. They weren't the only ones tho. Adelaide were sitting off us too, waiting for a skill error or turnover about 30m out from goal and just set up for it. Curtis and Drury were the only players who worked hard from the forward line to stop Adelaide's run. Neither of them are as fast as some other players who didn't work hard.

It'd be almost worth putting Sheezel forward and telling him to play like he's in defense and its Adelaide's (or anyone we're playing lol) forward line. That's where we need to defend from. And we need someone else creative down there. Curtis is ok but it was a bit sad otherwise. Would have liked to have seen Eddie Ford's game if he'd played. Curtis was okay in the middle too. Someone like Jed Anderson would be really handy in the middle right now just as a bit of muscle.

I liked Curtis in the middle too. With our regular set up not working, I'm not sure why he and Zurhaar haven't been in there more.

But the lack of chasing is infuriating. LDU was much better at that today, but still had a few CBF moments. There was one goal to Keays (I think in the third) when all he had to do was sprint for five metres to man the mark, instead he jogged and let Keays play on and kick an easy goal.

 

[ChairmanZia]

he simply isn't the character to be no.1 mid to take us forward. Our priority is to build the list around sheezal as the bulls and barca built their team around jordan and messi respectively right from the moment they debuted.

 

[gokangas]

Made a difference in this game - probably the difference between a crap team like the Cows beating us by 80 points instead of 57.

 

[archereleven]

This thread is a bit quieter than during the week...

I pray the club is working feverishly to get this blokes signature on a contract...

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[Val Keating]

This thread is a bit quieter than during the week...

I pray the club is working feverishly to get this blokes signature on a contract...

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Has the new $19M cap started yet?

 

[ChairmanZia]

This thread is a bit quieter than during the week...

I pray the club is working feverishly to get this blokes signature on a contract...

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These are the classic signs of him leaving. Uniacke is gone, we just need to ensure we get him to perform his career best to fatten up a contract that will net us a Band 1 pick.

 

[gerry101101]

Can’t afford to lose. Is not perfect by any stretch but he’s very good and with some quality around him could be great. Lose players like this and we add 2 years to an already ridiculously lengthy ‘rebuild’.

Massive contrast re Zurharr - who I’d like to stay but we can afford to lose.

 

[swaeney]

Can’t afford to lose. Is not perfect by any stretch but he’s very good and with some quality around him could be great. Lose players like this and we add 2 years to an already ridiculously lengthy ‘rebuild’.

Massive contrast re Zurharr - who I’d like to stay but we can afford to lose.

We can’t afford to lose him but could you honestly blame him if he left? He needs help and he’s not getting it. No midfielder could possibly play to their best while sitting at the feet of Xerri….

 

[Shermanator]

This thread is a bit quieter than during the week...

I pray the club is working feverishly to get this blokes signature on a contract...

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The helium inhaler Jay Clark kept pushing on his radio show this morning that LDU will be fielding offers in 8 figures.

He then went on to mention St Kilda has the salary cap to offer a multi-million dollar 8 year deal and would be going hard at him.

Could it be that a leak from St Kilda has happened already and the LDU to Saints 'rumour' is not just smoke but actual fire?..

 

[Slamming Sam]

Can't blame him at all. I don't even blame McKay. When McKay was drafted to NM in 2015, we were playing finals. 2020-2023 presented 12 wins and 0 wins in 2024. When players that you draft want to leave, that tells you everything. This club has fallen off the edge of a cliff.

 

[nicko74]

If he leaves you wouldn't think it would be the Aints.... More like a Collingwood or something IMO

 

[archereleven]

The helium inhaler Jay Clark kept pushing on his radio show this morning that LDU will be fielding offers in 8 figures.

He then went on to mention St Kilda has the salary cap to offer a multi-million dollar 8 year deal and would be going hard at him.

Could it be that a leak from St Kilda has happened already and the LDU to Saints 'rumour' is not just smoke but actual fire?..

Whatever the Aints have in their warchest, we'd have double...

No doubt offers are coming in, but my gut feel is he'll stay loyal if we can show a bit and play some organised football in the next 12 months.

He isn't getting traded at years end imo

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[archereleven]

If he leaves you wouldn't think it would be the Aints.... More like a Collingwood or something IMO

The pies are my pick if he leaves. They'll have Pendles and Sidearses money to throw at him...

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[archereleven]

Has the new $19M cap started yet?

No idea.

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[shintemaster]

Whatever the Aints have in their warchest, we'd have double...

No doubt offers are coming in, but my gut feel is he'll stay loyal if we can show a bit and play some organised football in the next 12 months.

He isn't getting traded at years end imo

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This is the key IMO, we need to show a genuine progression over this period - not scrounging 1-2 wins. Reliably competitive against teams 8 and lower on the ladder is the bare minimum.

 

[King Corey]

A scenario where Luke insists on entering FA and we agree to trade him for multiple 1st rounders to rebalance the list via trades isn't out of the question imo.

The club would prefer to retain him but he's in one of the few areas we have quantity (I ain't calling it depth) and could be used to get a quality player of need.

Imagine this (far fetched because it requires the GWS player to bail and saints would need to address 1st rounder use rules but captures the gist):

LDU to St Kilda
St Kilda 2024 R1, 2025 R1 to GWS
Sam Taylor

15

Sam Taylor

Age

25

Ht

198cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.1

4star

MG

130.5

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

2.5

1star

HB

5.5

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.5

3star

MG

60.8

1star

D

8.6

3star

K

3.0

1star

HB

5.6

4star

M

1.2

2star

T

2.8

5star

MG

110.8

2star

to North Melbourne

Suddenly LDU doesn't look as indispensable..

 

[Grogg]

Yeah, trading out a quality established Senior Core player who is one of about 2 on the list that reliably performs to the standard required would be the very definition of lunacy.

 

[King Corey]

Yeah, trading out a quality established Senior Core player who is one of about 2 on the list that reliably performs to the standard required would be the very definition of lunacy.

Who is suggesting that in the scenario he wants to stay?

 

[pupstar]

A scenario where Luke insists on entering FA and we agree to trade him for multiple 1st rounders to rebalance the list via trades isn't out of the question imo.

The club would prefer to retain him but he's in one of the few areas we have quantity (I ain't calling it depth) and could be used to get a quality player of need.

Imagine this (far fetched because it requires the GWS player to bail and saints would need to address 1st rounder use rules but captures the gist):

LDU to St Kilda
St Kilda 2024 R1, 2025 R1 to GWS
Sam Taylor to North Melbourne

Suddenly LDU doesn't look as indispensable..

That is certainly far fetched LDU leaving us cause we cant win a game and Taylor coming in not to win a game.

 

[Grogg]

Who is suggesting that in the scenario he wants to stay?

Pretty sure I read Radical Roo post as much a couple of days ago.

 

[King Corey]

Pretty sure I read Radical Roo post as much a couple of days ago.

Bro come on now.

 

[Grogg]

Bro come on now.

Hey you asked for specifics

 

[DesertRoo]

A scenario where Luke insists on entering FA and we agree to trade him for multiple 1st rounders to rebalance the list via trades isn't out of the question imo.

The club would prefer to retain him but he's in one of the few areas we have quantity (I ain't calling it depth) and could be used to get a quality player of need.

Imagine this (far fetched because it requires the GWS player to bail and saints would need to address 1st rounder use rules but captures the gist):

LDU to St Kilda
St Kilda 2024 R1, 2025 R1 to GWS
Sam Taylor to North Melbourne

Suddenly LDU doesn't look as indispensable..

7AM in the morning and you're drunk posting? Sam Taylor isn't coming to North.

 

[DesertRoo]

The ball was run out of our forward line so *en easily and he was one of the reasons...

That's the fist game I've seen since before my youngest kid was born and it was pretty poor.

Alot of campaigners just don't chase at all. I get what some of youse are whinging about now. Paul Curtis is a pretty shithouse runner but at least he tries unlike some of the better runners we have that just don't.

Adelaide were running thru the middle in numbers with no one doing anything about it. Honestly you don't see it properly on tv but as a result I just assumed it was players were gassed and unfit not that lazy. Stevens, Powell and even Scott (maybe, he did alot of running as well so maybe I'm being unfair,), they all look similar but it was all of them at one point, and they were just standing there as Adelaide players waltzed out of the backline with no one going with them or even trying. It was shithouse. They weren't the only ones tho. Adelaide were sitting off us too, waiting for a skill error or turnover about 30m out from goal and just set up for it. Curtis and Drury were the only players who worked hard from the forward line to stop Adelaide's run. Neither of them are as fast as some other players who didn't work hard.

It'd be almost worth putting Sheezel forward and telling him to play like he's in defense and its Adelaide's (or anyone we're playing lol) forward line. That's where we need to defend from. And we need someone else creative down there. Curtis is ok but it was a bit sad otherwise. Would have liked to have seen Eddie Ford's game if he'd played. Curtis was okay in the middle too. Someone like Jed Anderson would be really handy in the middle right now just as a bit of muscle.

We're in desperate need of 3 or 4 quality small forwards, ones who chase arse and tackle all day.
the mix we've got at the moment isn't working and hasn't worked for close to a decade.
Its on the club as much as anything.