darcy, jackson and the media

[dropbear101]

there seems to be this weird thing where the media (including the purple reign boys), seem to think the darcy jackson experiment doesn't work.

silly things, bless them. but, they need to watch more of our games. the thing about this combo is that darcy is a better tap ruckmen than jackson. having darcy in the team means we can do what ever we want with jackson. clearances, goals, marks down the line, the unicorn does it all. jackson with darcy means he can walk into the centre square in the 3rd quater of a grand final relatively fresh, whilst the opposition will have battled darcy for the match.

the question is; how much of this kerfuffle is because of a media driven narrative.


oh and haselby is a bit of a crim at this as well.

 

[Dockeroo]

Reminder that duck from PurpleReign95 wanted to give up Darcy AND pick 21 for Logan McDonald.


Come on Duck, you are better than that!

 

[Paracleet]

You are forgetting that the purple reign guys are idiots

 

[Tony_Clifton]

To be honest I didn't see much experimenting going on. When they both played Darcy did the ruck and Jackson played forward and gave Darcy a chopout when needed. There might have been one centre bounce with both of them but that's all I can remember. Jackson certainly wasn't ever played as midfielder and or winger. Feel free to correct me on this.

 

[King Docka]

You are forgetting that the purple reign guys are idiots

Skipping through the ads is a full time job

 

[Rob]

You are forgetting that the purple reign guys are idiots

To their credit, I have heard them admit to getting it wrong now and then.

I wonder how many more good games Darcy and Jackson will play together before they take the L on this one too.

 

[s_wd6]

Nothing infuriates me more this season than the Darcy/Jackson discourse surrounding our team. You can so clearly tell who's actually watched us this season just based on their assessment of that duo.

Essendon, Sydney, Hawthorn games this year are just a small glimpse of how formidable they can be.

"You can't have that much of your cap tied up in two ruckman" without even for a second thinking about how we're not using Jackson as a sole ruck.

 

[BettercallSaul]

They do/will work together because they are such different players. Jackson too can be a midfielder, ruck or forward . Walls said today that when Jacko played forward with Amiss and Treacy at the SCG our forward line really clicked. I’ve posted a few times that the media are so desperate for content that they comment on what opinions other media are sprouting . The same s**t goes round and round. Sumich started the Darcy b/s in the middle of last year it then gets reported on over east and after a while everyone forgets the story is based on the musing of idiot and begin to think it must be true.

 

[dropbear101]

To be honest I didn't see much experimenting going on. When they both played Darcy did the ruck and Jackson played forward and gave Darcy a chopout when needed. There might have been one centre bounce with both of them but that's all I can remember. Jackson certainly wasn't ever played as midfielder and or winger. Feel free to correct me on this.

early season, totally agree. but, i think they were just building chemistry.

just before darcy got injured, jackson was attending a few centre bounces. but, he was attending a lot of boundary throw in at the feet of darcy. space is a bit more limited, favours those less truly explosive players and more of a bulldozer.

 

[Sturty2Hurty]

Pies just won the flag with Cameron and Mason Cox

46

Mason Cox

Age

33

Ht

211cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.7

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

3.5

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.2

4star

D

6.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.3

2star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.0

4star

D

9.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.8

5star

both playing.

Media: yeah but Gawn/Grundy

 

[MakeshiftMartyr]

I feel there's a couple of factors at play here:

1) The Gawn/Grundy experiment failed, so surely we must be moving on one of our rucks as well.

2) We have a s**t-hot A-Grade Victorian ruckman and how dare we.

 

[Dockeroo]

You are forgetting that the purple reign guys are idiots

Nah I like their pod it’s the best freo pod around I reckon. Enjoyable listening each week, keep up the good work PurpleReign95
I just don’t agree that Logan mcdonald is worth anything near what Sean Darcy is, let alone more than him!

 

[RonnieRaven]

Here here
Jackson kicked a goal a game @ 21 having spent full games as ruck because of Darcy injuries
If Darcy stays injury free Jackson will kick 30+ along with his clearance work, ground level skill and aerial improvement.
If Jackson had meek Darcy like attributes the media might have something but he plays a totally different game

 

[Piggy Smalls]

They won’t let it go til the signature is on the new contract.
AFL website this morning: ‘Freo hopeful star stays’
And then the actual content is Walls saying there’s absolutely no indication he wants to leave and never has been, we are negotiating the terms of his contract.
I’d almost bet my house at this point that it gets announced Xmas morning that’s he’s extended, like Caleb last year.

 

[Getlegs]

I hate us being big players during trade week. Certainly don't want us trading Darcy for a talented, but unproven forward.

When we describe players as "Unicorns", you are giving the media plenty of bait to provide ongoing commentary.

We did fall down the ladder this year, we have to expect some media scrutiny around our decisions. Although definitely not a failure, I don't think we can call the Jackson trade overwhelmingly successful just yet...

 

[s_wd6]

It’s so funny how they use Gawn/Grundy to prove that having two good rucks on the same team never works so we should trade Darcy, but then completely forget that Jackson was pivotal to Melbournes flag just a couple years ago.

 

[Joao]

It’s so funny how they use Gawn/Grundy to prove that having two good rucks on the same team never works so we should trade Darcy, but then completely forget that Jackson was pivotal to Melbournes flag just a couple years ago.

I swear watching Freo games must be illegal for Victorian media types.

It's always painfully obvious they haven't.

 

[oldgoat]

They won’t let it go til the signature is on the new contract.
AFL website this morning: ‘Freo hopeful star stays’
And then the actual content is Walls saying there’s absolutely no indication he wants to leave and never has been, we are negotiating the terms of his contract.
I’d almost bet my house at this point that it gets announced Xmas morning that’s he’s extended, like Caleb last year.

Darcy Jackson combo is a complete nightmare!!...
for the opposition.

 

[oldgoat]

I hate us being big players during trade week. Certainly don't want us trading Darcy for a talented, but unproven forward.

When we describe players as "Unicorns", you are giving the media plenty of bait to provide ongoing commentary.

We did fall down the ladder this year, we have to expect some media scrutiny around our decisions. Although definitely not a failure, I don't think we can call the Jackson trade overwhelmingly successful just yet...

But when youve got a unicorn...what do you call it?
Maybe we should keep it as our little secret?
As in...
Some say..."South of the mysterious swamps of the Derbal Yerrigan there be Unicorns and more..."

Yokai!

 

[oldgoat]

It’s so funny how they use Gawn/Grundy to prove that having two good rucks on the same team never works so we should trade Darcy, but then completely forget that Jackson was pivotal to Melbournes flag just a couple years ago.

but they havent forgotton...theyre just pig sick about it.

 

[Dockeroo]

Where the anti two-ruck brigade might have a point is whether two of the highest paid players in the club should be in those two positions.
That’s a point that is still up for debate in my view.
It’s possible that Darcy and Jackson will play very well together.
One a a primary Ruck (Darcy) and one a forward ruck with small stints elsewhere (jackson).
Both players could be earning $900k and playing very well for their positions.

However that is still $1.8m tied up in two positions - the questions being are they the two best positions to allocate that money? In reality it’s one less elite player we can play elsewhere on the ground and pay $900k to. That might be an explosive burst mid, or an elite medium forward or whatever.
I guess we will find out if the two boys win a flag together for freo.

It’s possible for Darcy and Jackson to play exceptionally well together, but it still not to be the best use of a limited resource (salary cap).

 

[s_wd6]

Where the anti two-ruck brigade might have a point is whether two of the highest paid players in the club should be in those two positions.
That’s a point that is still up for debate in my view.
It’s possible that Darcy and Jackson will play very well together.
One a a primary Ruck (Darcy) and one a forward ruck with small stints elsewhere (jackson).
Both players could be earning $900k and playing very well for their positions.

However that is still $1.8m tied up in two positions - the questions being are they the two best positions to allocate that money? In reality it’s one less elite player we can play elsewhere on the ground and pay $900k to. That might be an explosive burst mid, or an elite medium forward or whatever.
I guess we will find out if the two boys win a flag together for freo.

It’s possible for Darcy and Jackson to play exceptionally well together, but it still not to be the best use of a limited resource (salary cap).

Depends where Jackson ends up spending most of his time. He made the AA squad at 21 which is so rare for a KPP, so clearly so much growth and development left in him. I believe he can become elite as a forward. His fwd craft has already improved in leaps and bounds form his previous years, and there's potential for him to be a game breaking midfielder if he plays there too. So instead of paying 900k for a guy elite in one position we could end up paying that for a guy that can be elite in multiple positions. So that's $1.8mil tied up in essentially 3 elite positions.

Then take into account the new CBA and we could make very well out of the deal.

 

[Joao]

Where the anti two-ruck brigade might have a point is whether two of the highest paid players in the club should be in those two positions.
That’s a point that is still up for debate in my view.
It’s possible that Darcy and Jackson will play very well together.
One a a primary Ruck (Darcy) and one a forward ruck with small stints elsewhere (jackson).
Both players could be earning $900k and playing very well for their positions.

However that is still $1.8m tied up in two positions - the questions being are they the two best positions to allocate that money? In reality it’s one less elite player we can play elsewhere on the ground and pay $900k to. That might be an explosive burst mid, or an elite medium forward or whatever.
I guess we will find out if the two boys win a flag together for freo.

It’s possible for Darcy and Jackson to play exceptionally well together, but it still not to be the best use of a limited resource (salary cap).

I don't think this applies to Jackson, he's unique. It would be like complaining about how much Geelong pay Blicavs. There is nobody to compare him to.

The only question to me is whether we think Darcy is value at the price he requires.

 

[lint]

I don't think this applies to Jackson, he's unique. It would be like complaining about how much Geelong pay Blicavs. There is nobody to compare him to.

The only question to me is whether we think Darcy is value at the price he requires.

Yeah i think you're getting much closer to the real reason for the speculation at the end there. Blicavs was payed well, but never a top 5 earner at Geelong. Whereas Jackson and Darcy are both right towards the top for us. That's very unusual in guys that both can play ruck, and the thoughts are, wouldn't our salary cap possibly be better spent elsewhere, especially given how many teams win premierships spending diddly squats on their rucks.

I don't think we'll really need to answer that question for at least 2 years, that's when the cap squeeze will be on in earnest, as our young list should really be beginning to hit it's straps. In the meantime, stay the course. Let's face it, it's rare for Darcy to play more than 15 games in a season anyway, and i don't like the track record on 110kg athletes who have injury problems from a young age. Jackson is a great secondary option, who adds value in so many other ways on-field.

 

[Rob]

Yeah i think you're getting much closer to the real reason for the speculation at the end there. Blicavs was payed well, but never a top 5 earner at Geelong. Whereas Jackson and Darcy are both right towards the top for us. That's very unusual in guys that both can play ruck, and the thoughts are, wouldn't our salary cap possibly be better spent elsewhere, especially given how many teams win premierships spending diddly squats on their rucks.

That doesn't mean it's wrong to have 2 A grader ruckmen though. Especially when both can go forward and kick goals.

Throughout history there will be premiership teams with various strengths and weaknesses. West Coast won a flag in 2006 with no forward line. Swans won a flag in 12 with Shane Mumford as the sub. Dogs won a flag with Boyd and Jordan Roughead in the team.

Every team has deficiencies, it doesn't have to be the ruck.