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Jack Darling

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estibador said:
Yeah I was being a tad hyperbolic there.

But all the wailing and gnashing of teeth about Freo overlooking the guy who would supposedly be our spearhead for the next decade is looking pretty silly now, particularly with how he's gone without Kennedy taking the pressure off him.
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Nope, we should have taken him.
 
kranky al said:
Hes a hff - and will do very well in that role - hes just not a kpf. Hes better picking up the 3rd tall defender - he will excell once given that role full time
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And all joking aside this is why the criticism of us not taking him is out of whack.

He was expected to be our number 1 forward saviour according to those criticising the non-decision to draft him. He's well and truly vindicated the recruiters' decision that he was a man amongst boys who can't handle that sort of role in the AFL.

Hell, some of our own are already turning on McCarthy after a year out and having to take the #1 defender every week, Darling would be at Suban levels of ridicule by now if he was expected to do the same.
 

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The guy you drafted instead contributed about zero.

Darling would've played 2011-2014 at least alongside Pavlich so he wouldn't have been the forward saviour. Freo went into the 2013 GF with Pav, Mayne and Zac Clarke. Hard to argue Darling wouldn't have been a better second tall in that group.
 
estibador said:
And all joking aside this is why the criticism of us not taking him is out of whack.

He was expected to be our number 1 forward saviour according to those criticising the non-decision to draft him. He's well and truly vindicated the recruiters' decision that he was a man amongst boys who can't handle that sort of role in the AFL.

Hell, some of our own are already turning on McCarthy after a year out and having to take the #1 defender every week, Darling would be at Suban levels of ridicule by now if he was expected to do the same.
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I reckon theres a chance you might have pinched that flag with him in the team.
 
estibador said:
Yeah what we were really missing in 2013 is someone who shits themselves on the big stage.
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I'm sure Jayden Pitt would've made the difference.

If you're trying to argue Freo made the right call in overlooking Jack Darling you're just being stirring for the sake of it in my view. He would've slotted easily into Freo 2013. Like I said, let's not get silly here.
 
Scotland said:
Darling would've played 2011-2014 at least alongside Pavlich so he wouldn't have been the forward saviour. Freo went into the 2013 GF with Pav, Mayne and Zac Clarke. Hard to argue Darling wouldn't have been a better second tall in that group.
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Mayne had 13 touches, 5 marks and a goal in our GF compared to Darling's 10 touches, 4 marks and a goal in yours.

Obviously things could have played out differently on different teams, but given Darling's well publicised shitting of pants on the big stage when our biggest problem against Hawthorn was shitting ourselves in an unfamiliar situation, I'm not losing any sleep about him being the difference between a premiership or not.
 
estibador said:
Mayne had 13 touches, 5 marks and a goal in our GF compared to Darling's 10 touches, 4 marks and a goal in yours.

Obviously things could have played out differently on different teams, but given Darling's well publicised shitting of pants on the big stage when our biggest problem against Hawthorn was shitting ourselves in an unfamiliar situation, I'm not losing any sleep about him being the difference between a premiership or not.
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Also can't see where he'd have fit into Lyon's "purple haze" which was all about relentless grinding pressure. Could name any random OK half forward and say they might have helped, but I think you've got it right - Fyfe holds his nerve and kicks straight, it's a completely different game.
 
Arc1 said:
Also can't see where he'd have fit into Lyon's "purple haze" which was all about relentless grinding pressure. Could name any random OK half forward and say they might have helped, but I think you've got it right - Fyfe holds his nerve and kicks straight, it's a completely different game.
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In 2013 he was in the top 5 for pressure acts of any forward above 190cm.

Game plans of course suit some players perfectly and alienate others completely but I'd suggest a 2013 Jack Darling would've been more useful to the Dockers than 2013 Chris Mayne.

Yes, he shat his pants in 2015 GF etc etc *insert gif of ball bouncing off his chest here*
 
estibador said:
Yeah what we were really missing in 2013 is someone who shits themselves on the big stage.
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I'm not a fan of Darling at all, but not picking him was so stupid. We had so many skinny mids and no forward depth. Absolute no brainer.

2013 Darling kicked 42 goals and was in good form. You can't argue he would have improved our team. Would have complimented Mayne and Pav quite well.

Yeah he shit himself in 2015. Might not have in 2013. Who knows.

Now he is not in form and is a shell of what he was early on. He has little to add to any team until he's dropped and find it again. Simpson is too weak to make these statements with players. Always keeps struggling senior guys in and drops kids.
 

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Scotland said:
The guy you drafted instead contributed about zero.

Darling would've played 2011-2014 at least alongside Pavlich so he wouldn't have been the forward saviour. Freo went into the 2013 GF with Pav, Mayne and Zac Clarke. Hard to argue Darling wouldn't have been a better second tall in that group.
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Bit rough considering he retired with heart issues. May have turned into a gun. Still should have picked Darling but
 
Has kicked 249 goals, is 25, on track for 500 goals in his career. We'll take that from a pick 26.

Sadly doesn't look like pushing on to be the sort of forward that is regularly in contention for AA squad, but such is life.
 
Happy Mastenator said:
Has kicked 249 goals, is 25, on track for 500 goals in his career. We'll take that from a pick 26.

Sadly doesn't look like pushing on to be the sort of forward that is regularly in contention for AA squad, but such is life.
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unless he changes his ways, will be lucky to make 400. He has the talent, just needs to attack harder and stop playing for frees.. Its embarrassing... also his ninja roll, he concentrates on pulling that off more than he does a contested mark
 
estibador said:
And all joking aside this is why the criticism of us not taking him is out of whack.

He was expected to be our number 1 forward saviour according to those criticising the non-decision to draft him. He's well and truly vindicated the recruiters' decision that he was a man amongst boys who can't handle that sort of role in the AFL.

Hell, some of our own are already turning on McCarthy after a year out and having to take the #1 defender every week, Darling would be at Suban levels of ridicule by now if he was expected to do the same.
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He's contributing 40+ goals or more a season, how many other players in the AFL are doing that as their sides primary forward let alone as their secondary forward like he is?

Or to put it in perspective for you, 40+ goals since in a season since 2011
Darling 4 (Had a season of 39 as well just missing out)
Pavlich 3
Ballantyne 1
Walters 2

If you don't think having him in your forward line would have improved Fremantle, than your delusion / Eagles bias runs a lot deeper than first thought.
 

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Darling lacks ticker whatever position he plays. He plays scared and timid.
 
Peaked at 19 - hasn't progressed any further unfortunately

Is a good solid citizen 2nd forward - on par with most around at that level if not ahead of many.

He gets held to a higher account because he looked so promising early and he has a fair touch of the flopsies - though not many clubs have a significantly better "2nd forward"
 
kane249 said:
He's contributing 40+ goals or more a season, how many other players in the AFL are doing that as their sides primary forward let alone as their secondary forward like he is?
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He wouldn't be doing that as our primary forward, that was the point of my post.

Goalless in 2 out of 3 games since Kennedy went down. We've already got plenty of mid-sized forwards who can do that, and who don't embarrass themselves by diving in the process.
 
estibador said:
He wouldn't be doing that as our primary forward, that was the point of my post.

Goalless in 2 out of 3 games since Kennedy went down.
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He wouldn't have been your primary forward either, some guy with a big nose named Pavlich would have been. Maybe you've heard of him?

The Melbourne game wasn't great, but the Gold Coast game he should never have played due to the personal stuff he had going on with his premature kid being born.

He has has only had one extended crack at leading the forward line in Kennedy's absence (LeCras missed a large chunk too) and he had his best ever goal return.
 

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