Senior Darcy Fort (2021-)

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dlanod

dlanod

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Veteran TheBrownDog SuperCoach Club Board Winner Lions Board Service Medal 10k Posts 30k Posts Lions Board Service Medal Super Coach Elite
Sep 14, 2006
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Sydney
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
GWS; CCMariners; NQCowboys; Ravens
General info:
  • RUCK
  • 28 yrs old
  • 204cm
  • 103kg

THE RUCK merry-go-round has finally started to spin with Brisbane securing Geelong's Darcy Fort just an hour out from the deadline of the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period.

The Lions gave the Cats pick 50 and a future third-round selection in exchange for Fort and pick No.41.

Following the retirement of Archie Smith, the Lions have scoured the competition for options to support main man Oscar McInerney in the ruck and have landed on the 28-year-old.

Fort, who stands 204cm, has played eight games in three seasons for Geelong, but none in 2021.

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"Darcy has been one of the more dominant ruckmen in the VFL," [Dom Ambrogio] said.

"He has been unlucky with his timing in terms of getting senior opportunities, but when he has played at AFL level he's been very effective, including his performance against the Brisbane Lions in 2020.

"We think he is a legitimate ruckman, but we are also confident he can help us out up forward and add flexibility to our squad.

"He's a strong mark and has shown he can go forward and kick a goal.

"So we think we're getting a good player but also a player of great character who will make a contribution to the culture of our footy club."
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www.afl.com.au

Big Cat becomes a Lion: Ruckman on the move for draft picks

Geelong's Darcy Fort is heading north after securing a trade to Brisbane
www.afl.com.au www.afl.com.au


STRENGTHS:
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Agility, mobility, height, follow-up work, athleticism
IMPROVEMENTS: Strength, speed
SUMMARY: Darcy Fort one of the best ruckman running around in the state leagues. Having spent the past couple of years developing his craft in the SANFL as the number one ruckman at Central Districts, Fort’s agility and mobility has stood out, especially for such a big guy (205cm). Given the way the game is headed, Fort’s ability to take a contested grab up forward is a key asset. When up against Port Adelaide listed big men Peter Ladhams and Billy Frampton during the season, Fort simply dominated, collecting 18 disposals, five marks, four tackles, 36 hitouts and a goal to really grab the attention of recruiters. Regarded as one of the best ruck prospects during his top-age year, Darcy’s athleticism and follow-up work around the stoppages is also worth noting. Clubs will be hoping to harness his athleticism, whilst looking to improve his overall strength. Question marks remain over his speed likely restricting him from playing a permanent role up forward, so therefore being a pure ruck.
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Darcy Fort

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  • Thread starter
  • Moderator
  • #10
T Rick said:
Sorry - I really appreciate what you do with this thread!
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Ha, no, the correction is definitely appreciated. It was more that I couldn't believe I didn't get the year right - and it still didn't look wrong even after I read your post!
 
New Lions Lock in Their Numbers

Former Geelong ruckman Darcy Fort will wear No.32 after wearing No.28 in his three seasons at the Cattery.
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Unlikely Hero Breaks All-Time Record

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Brisbane’s Darcy Fort has created AFL history by breaking the record for the most consecutive goals to start a career before kicking a behind.

The 28-year-old ruckman moved from Geelong to Brisbane at the end of last year and is enjoying more game time in his first season with the Lions.

He slotted a set shot from a slight angle to stretch his impressive streak to 12 goals without a behind to start his career.

He surpassed Essendon duo Zach Merrett and Will Snelling, as well as former Swans and Crows player Ryan Fitzgerald, who were all tied on 11 goals.

Commentator Brenton Speed said on Fox Footy: “Will it ever be challenged? Will it ever be broken? Darcy Fort can extend that of course.

“Until he misses, he’ll add to that record that will be so hard to chase down.”

Fitzgerald, who played 18 AFL games before embarking on a successful media career, jokingly slammed Fort on social media for taking the unique record off him.

He tweeted: “Darcy, you’ll go on to have a decorated career. This is the only stat I could hang my hat on. Could’ve just tied with us mate.”

Fort kicked one goal and zero behinds for the game to keep his record in tact.
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Scans reveal Brisbane Lions star Joe Daniher doesn’t require shoulder surgery

Brisbane ruckman Darcy Fort has backed the Lions to “pick up the slack” in the absence of Daniher.

“A strength of this group is we’ve got a lot of guys who can come in and play a solid role for our team,” Fort said.

“Cam Rayner stood up (against Sydney) and played a bit more of a key forward role and had a really good day out, and Dan McStay had a great game, so as a group, if Joe does miss time, I think we can collectively pick up his slack.

“We look forward to getting him back as soon as we can because he’s a great contributor to our team.”

Daniher’s absence could also lead to Fort spending more time in the forward line.

“I’m pretty comfortable these days in my forward craft,” he said.

So comfortable in fact that late bloomer Fort is yet to kick a behind in his AFL career, with his 12 straight goals being a competition record for successive six-pointers without a behind to start a career.

“It’s pretty funny,” he said of what has been dubbed a “world record”.

“It’s nice to have some reward for some straight shooting in front of goals over the past couple of years.

“I’m not sure how long it’ll last, but it’s a good reward.”

Fort, 28, has played in all of Brisbane’s seven matches this season after playing just eight in three years with Geelong before moving to Queensland.

“The coach (Chris Fagan) has put a lot of faith in me to start the season, and being able to play a consistent block of football is as helpful as anything,” he said.

The second-placed Lions’ win over Sydney was their sixth in a season that has just had the one loss.

“I’ve got a lot of faith in what this group can do when we’re playing at our best. It’s just being able to play that football for a full four quarters,” Fort said.

The Lions will start as unbackable favourites to beat the struggling West Coast Eagles – 109-point losers to Richmond last week – at the Gabba on Saturday night.

“Being complacent is a possibility, but we’ll just focus on what we do and how we play our best football. If we keep doing that. we’ll be right,” Fort said.
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Year to Date: What the Stats Say

Oscar McInerney currently ranks 4th in the AFL for score launches (36) and 6th in the competition for hitouts (306), while Darcy Fort sits 9th with 225.
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Around the state leagues: No.2 pick puts hand up, Dee's day out, Lion responds

Darcy Fort (21 disposals, a goal, 35 hitouts and 10 clearances) and Nakia Cockatoo (23 disposals and two goals) were also good contributors.
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Lions Hold Off Another Set of Tigers

Darcy Fort put his ruck craft on show, making 20 hitouts and four clearances in a strong outing on his 29th birthday.
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Semi Final Fort-une For Darcy

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Darcy Fort has waited a long, long time for Friday night, when he will lead the Brisbane Lions ruck division against Melbourne at the MCG in an AFL semi-final.

Not just through his first season with the Lions. And not even his three years at Geelong. But 10 long years.

Finally it will all be worthwhile when the 28-year-old deputises for first-choice Lions ruckman and concussion victim Oscar McInerney in what will be his 26th game overall and the first final.

It will be the realisation of a 10-year dream which began ahead of the 2012 AFL National Draft when the then 19-year-old was considered a certain draftee after an outstanding season with the Geelong Falcons in the then TAC Cup Under 18 competition.

Originally from South Barwon, outside Geelong, Fort was rated one of the best ruckmen in the competition, having averaged 10 possessions, 3.5 marks, 26 hit-outs and 3.4 tackles and won high praise for his tackling, tenacity and follow-up efforts.

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The Herald Sun forecast he would be drafted late in the second round or early in the third round. Somewhere between 40 and 50.

So as the football fraternity gathered on the Gold Coast to choose the nation’s best young talent on 22 November 2012 Fort waited anxiously.

Brodie Grundy, drafted by Collingwood at #18 from SANFL club Sturt, was the first ruckman drafted before Richmond at #33 drafted Liam McBean, a Calder Cannons teammate and St.Bernard’s College school mate and close friend of Joe Daniher.

At #56 North Melbourne threw a second-chance lifeline to Daniel Currie, who had spent five years at Sydney without playing at AFL level, and at #75 St.Kilda chose Dandenong Stingrays ruck Lewis Peirce.

No Fort. Not even in the pre-season or rookie drafts that followed on 11 December, when untried Collingwood ruckman Jon Ceglar (now at Geelong) was picked up by Hawthorn, GWS took retired Port Adelaide ruckman Dean Brogan, Sydney basketball star Craig Moller went to Fremantle, Sydney picked up local junior Sam Naismith, Geelong cast-off Orren Stephenson went to Richmond and Ben Hudson, having come out of retirement to play with Brisbane in 2012, was taken by Collingwood after a second retirement and a commitment to a second comeback.

The non-selection of Fort was a snub the Geelong Advertiser described as ‘inexplicable’.

The 208cm ruckman, who had proved he could also fill key position roles in attack or defence, became a football journeyman. He played in the VFL with Werribee (2013) and Footscray (2014-15) before heading to Central Districts in the South Australian League (2016-18).

In three years he played 52 games with Centrals and represented SA against WA. Ahead of the 2018 National Draft he was described as “maybe the best mature-age ruck prospect in Australia”. And this time the experts were right.

By then the 23-year-old, working as a civil engineer in Adelaide, was drafted by Geelong with pick #65. He was the second ruckman taken after the GWS Giants chose Academy product Kieren Briggs at #34.Brent

But as much as Fort was delighted to finally be in the AFL system he found himself the fourth ruckman at Geelong behind Queenslander Zac Smith, who had been recruited from Gold Coast in 2016, Rhys Stanley, recruited from St.Kilda in 2015, and Ryan Abbott, a basketball convert drafted late in 2016 and yet to play in the AFL.

In Round 9 2019, when Smith was injured and Stanley was a late withdrawal, Fort debuted alongside fifth-gamer Abbott against the Western Bulldogs at Geelong. He had 18 hit-outs and nine possessions and kicked three goals and looked right at home at the level.

But opportunities were scarce. He played twice more in 2019, five times in the Covid-shortened season of 2020 and not at all in 2021, when he was twice an emergency in the finals.

Brisbane, having got through 2021 with the now retired Archie Smith as their only recognised ruck back-up to McInerney after Stefan Martin’s switch to the Western Bulldogs, desperately needed a ruckman.

They traded pick #50 in last year’s draft and their round three pick in the 2022 draft for Fort and pick #41 last year, which became Jimmy Tunstill.

And when McInerney went down barely 90 seconds into last Thursday night’s elimination final against Richmond there wasn’t a Lions fan who wasn’t pleased they did.

Wearing the #32 jumper made famous by triple premiership player and 2001 Norm Smith Medallist Shaun Hart, Fort has been a value-plus pick-up through 17 games in the 2022 home-and-away season.

He had been a regular while Eric Hipwood completed his rehabilitation from a knee reconstruction, averaging 80% game time through the first 12 rounds for 10.5 possessions, 18.4 hit-outs, 1.8 tackles, 3.0 clearances and 3.5 one-percenters. Plus seven goals.

He was the medical substitute in Round 13, and after the Round 14 bye was left out in Round 15-16.

He was recalled for the Round 17 loss to Essendon, when he had 11 possessions and a goal after coach Chris Fagan had to make nine changes as Covid swept through the ranks and led the ruck against GWS in Round 18 when McInerney was suspended, picking up 19 possessions.

He was the sub in Rounds 19-20, and had played in the VFL side since until, after McInerney went down on Thursday night, he was withdrawn from the VFL semi-final side on Saturday to safeguard him for AFL duty this week.

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And perhaps a piece of football trivia gold.

If the Lions selectors stick with elimination final debutant Darcy Wilmot, who last week became just the 15th ‘Darcy’ to play AFL football, and if Darcy Gardiner is fit, it would be the first time three players with the Christian name ‘Darcy’ have ever played together in the same side.

It’s very much a modern AFL phenomenon. Darcy Daniher, Joe’s brother, was just the fifth ‘Darcy’ in AFL history when he played six games with Essendon in 2008-09. Darcy Lang, a 64-game Geelong and Carlton utility delisted at the end of 2020, was the fifth.

This year there are 10 – the Brisbane trio plus Port Adelaide’s Darcy Byrne, Collingwood’s Darcy Moore and Darcy Cameron, Essendon’s Darcy Parish, Gold Coast’s Darcy MacPherson, Adelaide’s Darcy Fogarty and Fremantle’s Darcy Tucker.

And if Brisbane were to meet Collingwood … it’d be a Darcy-off.

Darcy Gardiner is King ‘Darcy’ – his 152 games edges out Port 150-gamer Byrne-Jones.
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Grateful Fort Ready for Year Ahead

It's been a different journey to footy for Darcy Fort.

Overlooked in his draft year, Fort had to do things the hard way, spending two years in the VFL before venturing west to play with Central Districts in the SANFL for three years all while obtaining a degree in Civil Engineering.

After toiling away, Fort's hard work was rewarded in 2018 with Geelong using Pick 65 to select the 204cm ruck/forward.

The 29-year-old made up for lost time in his debut, showcasing his hybrid ability with 18 hit-outs and an impressive three goal haul against a then formidable Western Bulldogs outfit.

But the opportunities didn't come all that frequently for Fort, with experienced players like Rhys Stanley and Mark Blicavs often winning out at the selection table.

After managing eight games across his first three seasons in the competition, 'Forty' packed his bags and made the decision to move north in hopes of new opportunity.

Fast-forward to the end of 2022 and not even Fort himself could've predicted his 18 game, 306 hit-out, nine goal season.

Speaking on his remarkable year, the tall target admitted he was just relieved to get into the AFL team.

"I was really happy to just get in the team in the first place and thankful for that opportunity," he said.

"I just tried to play my role to be honest. We have so many talented players at the Club and my mindset was to come in and get the ball in their hands, whether that be as a ruck and giving them first use or as a forward and bringing the ball to ground."

Having never played in a final, Fort was given the sole ruck duties in the Lions historic semi-final against Melbourne after Oscar McInerney was made unavailable under concussion protocols.

Against an imposing Max Gawn and Luke Jackson duo, the 29-year-old stood up with 29 hit-outs, 12 disposals and a crucial goal in his sides hoodoo-breaking victory.

While many players would've been shaking in their boots preparing for such a clash, Fort said it was nothing but excitement.

"Coming into the semi, it was pure excitement," he said.

"Obviously it was my first final but I knew all I had to do was come in and play my role.

"It was a great feeling afterwards and it will certainly be something me and my family cherish for a long time but again, there were so many guys around me who made my life so much easier."

Now with the 2023 season just weeks away, Fort said his goals are simple.

"I think the teams placed really well going into 2023, we have some great additions with Dunks, Jack and Conor as well as Will and the draftees, they're super players and it takes the group to another level.

"For me, I'm just trying to match that energy that everyone else has and put my best foot forward so if that I do get the opportunity on game day, I'm ready to help the team at my best ability."
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Lions March Past Pies to Stay Undefeated

The Lions midfield were on top for a majority of the contest thanks to ruckman Darcy Fort.

Omitted from the AFL team, Fort kicked three goals, had 20 touches, 34 hit outs and 11 clearances to produce a best on ground performance.
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Around the state leagues: Eagle goals in comeback, Jack's back, Port tall hurt

Big man Darcy Fort responded to his omission from the top-tier side with a dominant showing in the ruck, finishing the day with 28 hitouts, nine clearances and a goal.
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