Game Day Darling’s Drop

[Rob]

It ended up having no impact on the game. So whilst it was a bad drop, it's irrelevant.

As mentioned, his third term was phenomenal and was a major reason why West Coast were in a position to win.

Well yes, but the OP is still bang on. Had Collingwood gone coast to coast then that moment would have been replayed for decades. A bit like the Riewoldt smothered kick times about 20.

Sliding doors.

 

[M Malice]

Darling played a tremendous 2nd half particularly the 3rd quarter but when that ball was coming in and he was unmarked I thought this is it, Eagles flag secured.

When he dropped it I thought holy shit the Pies are going to run it down the other end here and win the game, it would have been devastating for Darling if that happened.

It's all good to say similar things happen all through the game but they get magnified exponentially as the final siren draws closer in the dying minutes, of a GF no less.

All good though, I was hoping for an Eagles win, kudos to them. It was a magnificent team effort to hold their nerve and structures when 5 goals down early and then 2 goals down in the blink of an eye in last quarter.

 

[Major Colvin]

Wouldn't wish that moment on my worst enemy. Australia collectively gasped.

Glad it didn't come back to haunt him.

 

[Power Raid]

My heart sunk when he dropped that. I pictured the ball going straight down the other end and the pies scoring.

but all is well that ends well

 

[Roobs321]

This was absolutely incredible. One of the more amazing things I’ve seen on a footy field, given the moment.

If the Eagles hadn’t won it would surely have gone down as the most notorious moment in club history, and defined his career and maybe even his life as a Western Australian.

Talk about sliding doors. Bit like the soccer players who miss penalties - if they win it’s forgotten, if they lose it’s a lifetime weight.

It was a great moment in hindsight, just enhanced the GF. Would have been nice to ice the game, as a less-than-goal win means a lot of little moments get blown up, but Darling's particular history just made that a Grecian gravitas moment.

As the ball sailed towards him the fat lady opened her throat, then had to strangle herself, that was how it felt. Gaff would have been overshadowed by Darling very quickly lol, I couldn't believe it!

 

[SirKarl0s]

I will admit I nearly had a heart attack when he dropped that mark. But the game was won so it's irrelevant.

If anything we should be talking about Darling's awesome 3rd quarter

 

[Roobs321]

I will admit I nearly had a heart attack when he dropped that mark. But the game was won so it's irrelevant.

If anything we should be talking about Darling's awesome 3rd quarter

Completely agreed on both counts.

 

[The_Reaper]

Eagles had blown a number of easy chances late in the game, a number of players are fortunate that Sheed sunk the difficult shot because a number blew much easier chances.

The balls of steel to kick it with a drop punt

 

[ZingerB]

He certainly comes up with interesting **** ups.

Ryan turned his body to brace for contact in the first half and dropped a mark. It happens sometimes and Jetta went to him and reassured him etc.

Darling just dropped the mark because...? What are his teammates supposed to say? 'Bad luck Jack, I'm next time you won't just drop the ball for no apparent reason'?

He absolutely squibbed a contest after lining up a Collingwood player who couldn't protect himself. Was weak as piss.

 

[dave123]

Did anyone see darlings third qtr

Almost single handedly got us back into game

He absolutely squibbed a contest after lining up a Collingwood player who couldn't protect himself. Was weak as piss.

Lol

Salty chips ...going cheap on big footy

 

[thecatattack]

A Colombian soccer playing who accidentally kicked an own goal was shot abd killed for it.

Would hope it didn't come to that. That was madneaa.

No, he wasn't killed for it.

He was killed because he got into a fight with the cartel at a bar.

 

[Roobs321]

In the team ground photo with the cup, he appears the least animated of the 22, hope it hasn't been playing on his thoughts too much, a highly deserving premiership player.

 

[TheMcManusNose]

I will admit I nearly had a heart attack when he dropped that mark. But the game was won so it's irrelevant.

If anything we should be talking about Darling's awesome 3rd quarter

It is genuinely baffling considering how he was clunking everything from half time onwards. Overall a pretty good game by him I thought.

 

[1970crow]

I said at the time that he was clearly thinking “do I go the one or two handed fist pump when I put this into the 3rd tier”.

Ridiculous fumble.

I thought that he was looking to see if he was in the square.

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

A lot of it comes down to not backing himself in set shots

Always wants to play on - and spends it before heas earned it.

In the case of a game like yesterday the 30 seconds he could have wasted were as valuable as the goal he could have kicked.

Take the mark - turn around, go back and have a shot

I think that was exactly what was going on in his head, trying to rush the goal because he wasn't confident in the set shot.

The silly thing is the 30 seconds for a set shot at that point would have been almost as valuable as a goal. Even if by some chance he missed it, it still would have run down the clock and given time for his teammates to set the zone.

It will go under the radar because of the result, but if Darling is smart he will spend some time in the preseason thinking about the underlying weaknesses in his game which led to that.

 

[Altum Volantes]

Absolutely shocker...spent it before he got it.

BUT it mattered not.

 

[twotooto]

Bill Buckner

lol nice call..Sox looking the goods this year...maybe...

 

[wce4premiership]

Well it kind of is, because if Sheed misses that kick West Coast probably lose.

Disagree, we kicked about 3.6 in the last, we'd have generated another shot I think.

Of course it's not guaranteed and imIglad Shred kicked it, we really should have been further in front.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Was actually thinking last night, perhaps there was an upside to Darling dropping it. Not saying it was good, but things happen as they do, and say, had Darling marked and slotted a goal the ball would've been brought back for a centre bounce with 1:30 to go. Would Darling have the awareness of time to milk 30 seconds? Instead he drops it and there's a rushed behind but it's locked in our half. In such a high pressure situation where every possession is so precious it was key. We have time to set up behind the ball, Shuey marks and it's game over. Pies kicked two very quick goals from clearances early in the quarter. What if they kick one within 20 seconds and end up 5 points behind? Ball is bounced with 40-60 seconds to go and they have a real shot at pinching the game.

Again not saying dropping it was definitely the best result, but who knows, if things had gone another way it could have been. There's often an up side to things. Reminds me of Buddy's miss and the 7 point play that helped Sydney steal it from Essendon.

 

[its free real estate]

I was neutral all day but after that happened I was hoping the Pies wouldn’t go coast to coast from the kick in to win the game, would have been career destroying for the guy wouldn’t be able to show his face in Perth again.

For that kick in, the Pies had about three players standing together about 40m straight in front of goal in a bit of space, and the kicker didn't hit them. Then bombed it 60m. Could have hit that target and moved the ball in an overlap wave, but looked like he was waiting for the set play.

 

[Tulip]

Why are some West Coast fans shutting down all discussion about this? Nobody is saying he had a shit house game or that he doesn't deserve his medal, but bloody hell it would have been the worst Grand Final clanger ever if Collingwood had gone up the other end. No doubt about that, surely.

 

[Underdog]

Why are some West Coast fans shutting down all discussion about this? Nobody is saying he had a shit house game or that he doesn't deserve his medal, but bloody hell it would have been the worst Grand Final clanger ever if Collingwood had gone up the other end. No doubt about that, surely.

But they didn't and that's due to the direct action by Darling following the drop.

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[Kangapirate]

Was actually thinking last night, perhaps there was an upside to Darling dropping it. Not saying it was good, but things happen as they do, and say, had Darling marked and slotted a goal the ball would've been brought back for a centre bounce with 1:30 to go. Would Darling have the awareness of time to milk 30 seconds? Instead he drops it and there's a rushed behind but it's locked in our half. In such a high pressure situation where every possession is so precious it was key. We have time to set up behind the ball, Shuey marks and it's game over. Pies kicked two very quick goals from clearances early in the quarter. What if they kick one within 20 seconds and end up 5 points behind? Ball is bounced with 40-60 seconds to go and they have a real shot at pinching the game.

Again not saying dropping it was definitely the best result, but who knows, if things had gone another way it could have been. There's often an up side to things. Reminds me of Buddy's miss and the 7 point play that helped Sydney steal it from Essendon.

This is nonsense, if he kicks the goal the game is over, the Pies needing 2 goals with 1.30 would have been extremely remote and the goal itself would have knocked the stuffing out of them, the end result of the darling drop was a disaster, the Pies 5 down with a minute to go coast to coast is a nightmare scenario, sure they botched the kick in but as mentioned players were free in the middle, a bit of composure and the ball is potentially up the other end in about 15 seconds, you take the 2 goal buffer every time.

 

[Tulip]

But they didn't and that's due to the direct action by Darling following the drop.

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Not really. Sidebottom's best move of the day was rushing the clock with 00:58 left. The Pies big error was Maynard taking the torp rather than Goldsack. De Goey was in the goal square on his own, all the Pies needed was a big torp and then a long kick into their F50 and it was going to be very dangerous. Unfortunately for them, Maynard's torp barely cleared 50 and that was all she wrote.

 

[PerthBoy86]

This is nonsense, if he kicks the goal the game is over, the Pies needing 2 goals with 1.30 would have been extremely remote and the goal itself would have knocked the stuffing out of them, the end result of the darling drop was a disaster, the Pies 5 down with a minute to go coast to coast is a nightmare scenario, sure they botched the kick in but as mentioned players were free in the middle, a bit of composure and the ball is potentially up the other end in about 15 seconds, you take the 2 goal buffer every time.

Course it was unlikely, but two goals in 90 seconds is very possible. Of course I would've taken the mark and goal, but if Darling had just kicked it and not gone back it could've been very nervous. Pies didn't get it past our half back thankfully, and I think we had time to set up.