Jack Darling

[My Tilly]

He’s 191cm and outmarked / outmuscled Darcy Moore on the weekend. Does this week in, week out. If he played like Jane he’d never get a touch. The guy literally punches above his weight every game

Surprising his height.
His body is massive. Pound for pound, I can't think of another player listed at 191cm who consistently beats his direct opponents whom are often 194cm+
Very similar to Adam Goodes. Only stood 191cm (never looked it) and competed against opponents 2-3 taller all the time.

 

[Eaglespur]

Surprising his height.
His body is massive. Pound for pound, I can't think of another player listed at 191cm who consistently beats his direct opponents whom are often 194cm+
Very similar to Adam Goodes. Only stood 191cm (never looked it) and competed against opponents 2-3 taller all the time.

To provide context. Jack Redden is 190cm

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Josh Bruce 113 Games

Jack Darling 212 Games


Josh Bruce Goals Per Game
2019 1.6
2018 1.3 (only played 3 games)
2017 1.8
2016 1.7
2015 2.3

Jack Darling Goals Per Game
2019 2.3
2018 2.3
2017 1.9
2016 1.9
2015 1.7

I'm honestly not trolling. I just don't see the upside to Darling that you do. Potential Yes.. The real goods, not so much..

I like this stat. Total goals in a season ranked

59 - JD
53 - JD
50 - JB
48 - JD
44 - JD
43 - JD
42 - JD
39 - JD

 

[Coaster2012]

Josh Bruce 113 Games

Jack Darling 212 Games


Josh Bruce Goals Per Game
2019 1.6
2018 1.3 (only played 3 games)
2017 1.8
2016 1.7
2015 2.3

Jack Darling Goals Per Game
2019 2.3
2018 2.3
2017 1.9
2016 1.9
2015 1.7

I'm honestly not trolling. I just don't see the upside to Darling that you do. Potential Yes.. The real goods, not so much..

It doesn't really matter what your opinion is because the stats show Darling will likely be the 2nd highest goal kicker for WC by the end of his career, in a team that is one of the most successful teams of the last 35 years, so....

I think you fail to grasp the difference between averaging 1.3 goals a game and averaging 2.3 too. That was enough to give Darling an AA, and Bruce wasn't even in the conversation. There won't be a massive discrepancy in goals per game between any forward. All your stats show is that Jack Darling has been the better player every year but one. And he's had to compete with Kennedy in the same forward line, who won the coleman several times during Darling's period.

I'd suggest you apply some reality to the stats you post, there is a reason why literally no one would agree with you on this.

 

[StillAtLarge]

Darling is an absolute gun and would be the best forward at most clubs by some distance. Yeah he's a bit of a w***er but he's probably earned the right to be. Ultra consistent and a clutch set shot. People will appreciate him more when Kennedy retires and he continues to perform against the oppo's no.1 defenders

 

[Ok Boomer]

Surprising his height.
His body is massive. Pound for pound, I can't think of another player listed at 191cm who consistently beats his direct opponents whom are often 194cm+
Very similar to Adam Goodes. Only stood 191cm (never looked it) and competed against opponents 2-3 taller all the time.

Pretty crazy that Goodes used to ruck at that height.

 

[Cobbler]

Darling is loved by his team mates unlike the freo captain

glad little lachie is experiencing some success.. oh wait you guys try and convince yourselves he Left for money... bahahahaha

Cool.

Does he in your opinion stage for frees?

No need for character statements. We saw how much that holds in court when a ‘well respected’ Gaff smashes someone’s face.

 

[Numero Uno]

Cool.

Does he in your opinion stage for frees?

No need for character statements. We saw how much that holds in court when a ‘well respected’ Gaff smashes someone’s face.

again look in your own backyard, you'll find the biggest stager in the league easily

 

[Sweetback]

 

[esoteric]

Jack Darling finished second to Dyson Heppell in the 2012 AFLCA Best Young Player award. The same year for which Jobe Watson eventually lost his Brownlow, and Essendon were eventually sanctioned.
Should Darling get the award retrospectively? It seems to me there is an injustice which needs to be fixed.

 

[melbournemartin]

Pretty crazy that Goodes used to ruck at that height.

The guy was an utter freak. As always, was taken for granted at the time, but looking back... wow

 

[Chris_6678]

The guy was an utter freak. As always, was taken for granted at the time, but looking back... wow

Ultimate utility. Ruck , Mid and CHF.

 

[Ok Boomer]

Darling was fined for staging in 2012 or 2013 but had it removed on appeal because he proved he punched himself on the chin.

 

[wal]

Darling was fined for staging in 2012 or 2013 but had it removed on appeal because he proved he punched himself on the chin.

He ducked into it?

 

[daniel23]

57 pages i have not gone through so it's no doubt been mentioned , but I hate the bloke purely for that stupid backflip thing he does when he gets pushed over wtf is that.

 

[Numero Uno]

57 pages i have not gone through so it's no doubt been mentioned , but I hate the bloke purely for that stupid backflip thing he does when he gets pushed over wtf is that.

Talent

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Machine.

 

[Goomba1973]

Jack Darling finished second to Dyson Heppell in the 2012 AFLCA Best Young Player award. The same year for which Jobe Watson eventually lost his Brownlow, and Essendon were eventually sanctioned.
Should Darling get the award retrospectively? It seems to me there is an injustice which needs to be fixed.

Nah winning by default is sh*te and it always has an asterisk next to it, should just declare a no result when the decision is made on the spot instead of retrospective awards.

 

[Jupes]

lmao so if carey/franklin is the passmark pretty much every forward in the history of the sport have been spuds?
his work in and under when it comes in messy is vastly underrated imo. has the ability to consistently find targets by hand or with knock-ons to advantage in heavy congestion and create goals out of nothing. he's at his best when doesn't have time to think and just plays pure footy on instinct. it's a shame a few ditzy moments stick so strong in peoples memories instead of what is a rock solid career by most metrics but it is what it is. if the biggest knock on a guy is that he isn't consistently the most dominant player in the comp and he doesn't quite match up with two of the greatest of all time i'll be happily taking that guy at pick 26 every day of the week thank you very much.

 

[Cobbler]

again look in your own backyard, you'll find the biggest stager in the league easily

Im happy to acknowledge Walters stages.

Does Darling? Simple question.

 

[elbarton]

wtf? Who thought Darling was going to be Carey/Buddy?

Great player, who fits nicely in our all time starting 18.

Not bad for a bloke picked up 26th in the draft.

The story around his drafting is underreported, something that would be fascinating if someone did a long read. Wasn’t he hugely touted, if not #1 status, coming into his draft year, but there began to be rumblings about character issues, possibly getting involved in fisticuffs etc?There’s a non-zero chance that WC had a role in playing this up, and honestly hats off to them if they did. I just wish we had picked him instead of old mate.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

The story around his drafting is underreported, something that would be fascinating if someone did a long read. Wasn’t he hugely touted, if not #1 status, coming into his draft year, but there began to be rumblings about character issues, possibly getting involved in fisticuffs etc?There’s a non-zero chance that WC had a role in playing this up, and honestly hats off to them if they did. I just wish we had picked him instead of old mate.

There were a couple of things.

1. He was a projected top 5 pick in his underage year, but his actual draft year he wasn’t as dominant as some expected so questions were raised as to whether he was his good because he was more physically developed (and he didn’t grow so a bit undersized for KPF) and as a result he had less potential growth.

2. he got suspended from school in year 12? For having two girls in his tent on a school camp. Apparently that raised flags.

3. he got king hit while standing out the front of a bar and had a reasonable head injury as a result so with 2. Above it added to the flags.

not sure how any of that was encouraged by West Coast, and certainly Freo could have taken him. Just immediate sour grapes when he was good in his first year

 

[VicBased]

Im happy to acknowledge Walters stages.

Does Darling? Simple question.

I can give you a political answer and that is....Without a doubt most forwards in AFL, at some time in their career, have staged for free kicks.

 

[garlic munchers]

View attachment 980474

If this was Walters, he would have hit the deck, rolled around at least 3 times and been stretchered, all whilst complaining to the umpire.

 

[Troy Cooked It]

There were a couple of things.

1. He was a projected top 5 pick in his underage year, but his actual draft year he wasn’t as dominant as some expected so questions were raised as to whether he was his good because he was more physically developed (and he didn’t grow so a bit undersized for KPF) and as a result he had less potential growth.

2. he got suspended from school in year 12? For having two girls in his tent on a school camp. Apparently that raised flags.

3. he got king hit while standing out the front of a bar and had a reasonable head injury as a result so with 2. Above it added to the flags.

not sure how any of that was encouraged by West Coast, and certainly Freo could have taken him. Just immediate sour grapes when he was good in his first year

Another fun little drop of knowledge is that in his draft year his goal was to get himself a ton in a footy season, and that has nothing to do with him kicking 100 goals. He aimed to sleep with 100 women and being the full built man child at 17/18 years old he most certainly did it.
Also that 2 girls in his tent wasn't what raised flags, it was the rumoured part of one of the girls not wanting to be involved in the debauchery with some red flags towards sexual assault which is what I believe put Fremantle off drafting him and we took Jayden Pitt instead (worked out great ).

It's crazy to look at his record as a player and see what he is capable of when he is on, and then for most supporters across the league to think he could be so much better than he is.