Jack Darling

[Asapartyhat]

Would be better off trying to mark the ball rather than flopping when someone breathes near him in a contest

Look at you and your struttin Saint Kilda swagger ,,aye ? farrrrrrrrr

 

[refresh]

He is so unlikeable that any opportunity to criticise him will be taken

 

[SloppyJoe]

In the first half of his career he developed a habit of throwing the head back to play for frees, but that's been gradually creeping out of his game in recent years because the umps rightfully stopped paying it. It has actually hurt him in the long run because the umps tend not to pay him many of the 50/50 frees anymore. Like the boy who cried wolf.

A few well known occasions where he has dropped amazingly easy marks (e.g. 2015 GF, 2018 GF, 2 days ago). He also ducked his head in a contest on the wing in the 2016 EF which was well covered. Of all those incidents, this week's drop was probably the only one that may have cost us a chance to win. But even if he holds on and kicks it I doubt we win the game - Saints were absolutely on fire and all credit to them.

Having watched virtually every game he has played, I can confidently say that more often than not he handles pressure situations very well. He has marked and kicked true at important moments on many more occasions than the handful of incidents on his bloopers highlight reel.

But for every person who gives him due credit for his gargantuan effort in the third quarter of the 2018 GF (including an important goal), there seems to be 10 people who will instead focus on the dropped mark which had no effect on the outcome.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

In the first half of his career he developed a habit of throwing the head back to play for frees, but that's been gradually creeping out of his game in recent years because the umps rightfully stopped paying it. It has actually hurt him in the long run because the umps tend not to pay him many of the 50/50 frees anymore. Like the boy who cried wolf.

A few well known occasions where he has dropped amazingly easy marks (e.g. 2015 GF, 2018 GF, 2 days ago). He also ducked his head in a contest on the wing in the 2016 EF which was well covered. Of all those incidents, this week's drop was probably the only one that may have cost us a chance to win. But even if he holds on and kicks it I doubt we win the game - Saints were absolutely on fire and all credit to them.

Having watched virtually every game he has played, I can confidently say that more often than not he handles pressure situations very well. He has marked and kicked true at important moments on many more occasions than the handful of incidents on his bloopers highlight reel.

But for every person who gives him due credit for his gargantuan effort in the third quarter of the 2018 GF (including an important goal), there seems to be 10 people who will instead focus on the dropped mark which had no effect on the outcome.

The problem with Jack’s dropped marks is that he tends to do it when over a million are tuned in watching. Easy to see why he has developed a reputation for it. He’s VERY luck Collingwood didn’t make him pay the ultimate price in 2018 but like you correctly stated he actually clunked everything in that game prior to that moment. He goes alright.

 

[Cobbler]

If out of position will play for the free EVERY time. Umpires give them now and again and does my head in.

One of his specialties is when in front and the player behind spoils he grabs their arms and tugs them over his shoulders. No I’m not delusional. Next game if you pay attention you’ll go ‘hmmm, yeah he does’.

That dropped mark was classic pack his dacks Darling.

 

[Forward Press]

The problem with Jack’s dropped marks is that he tends to do it when over a million are tuned in watching. Easy to see why he has developed a reputation for it. He’s VERY luck Collingwood didn’t make him pay the ultimate price in 2018 but like you correctly stated he actually clunked everything in that game prior to that moment. He goes alright.

If that moment didn't happen, we'd all remember him for 5 contested marks (and a few score involvements including a goal from himself) in the third quarter to single-handedly put us in front. Shades of Hawkins in the 2011 GF. When he retires, he'll be regarded as a fine talent that got himself a premiership medal, All Australian and possibly the third highest goalscorer ever for the Eagles.

As it is, these moments will be put in GIF format to garner a few likes on BigFooty and we'll have an endless debate and/or chuckle about it. Them's the breaks.

 

[Numero Uno]

He is so unlikeable that any opportunity to criticise him will be taken

at least his team mates like him

 

[fidstar]

Wiseman out for year.

Don't be a big man for the Warriors.

 

[Asapartyhat]

Wiseman out for year.

Don't be a big man for the Warriors.

All of Wisemans roots are Jack Darlings hand me downs.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Jack Darling is actually a pretty good player most of the time but shits the bed in high pressure situations

Hardly. Drops a mark every so often, so does every forward in the league. Not 1 of his drops was the difference between a win or loss.

 

[Dancing Dougy]

Footsteps!!.....

 

[Asapartyhat]

Footsteps!!.....

Footsteps on the dance floor remind me baby of you

-Womack &Womack

 

[Chuckie357]

Look at you and your struttin Saint Kilda swagger ,,aye ? farrrrrrrrr

Does it all the time not just this game. Dead set reckon if he saw a butterfly at training he’d scream and jump over the fence and then cry

 

[Matera92]

Does it all the time not just this game. Dead set reckon if he saw a butterfly at training he’d scream and jump over the fence and then cry

I'm sure Jack is devastated by this critique from someone who is so utterly inadequate in their own sad little life that the high point of their day is writing rubbish like this from behind an anonymous handle on an internet forum.

I'm sure he cries himself to sleep on his bed of money, next to his gorgeous wife.

Is your race car bed red because it goes faster?

 

[Ricmel]

. When he retires, he'll be regarded as a fine talent that got himself a premiership medal, All Australian and possibly the third highest goalscorer ever for the Eagles.

On his stats I think this is how Pack Dacks will be remembered. His stats read OK and in 20 years people will look at them think he went alright. For me there are too many "out the back" and free kick plays in those stats. I'll always remember him for his junior career, as having the perfect physique for a 2nd tall forward but not quite living up to the potential. Not to mention the most pack dack moments I can recall for a single footballer.

 

[fidstar]

He averages 1 free kick a game. Let's not go crazy.

 

[Asapartyhat]

On his stats I think this is how Pack Dacks will be remembered. His stats read OK and in 20 years people will look at them think he went alright. For me there are too many "out the back" and free kick plays in those stats. I'll always remember him for his junior career, as having the perfect physique for a 2nd tall forward but not quite living up to the potential. Not to mention the most pack dack moments I can recall for a single footballer.

Over 250 games and 500 goals is well within sight.
Then upwards from there.,,hugely succesful amazing talent .Great entertaining player to watch

 

[Ricmel]

Over 250 games and 500 goals is well within sight.
Then upwards from there.,,hugely succesful amazing talent .Great entertaining player to watch

Yeah, as I said, his stats look good. Almost Milne like. But for me, too much of his work is just finishing off. With a body like Carey and an off the chart junior career I expected much more. I recall seeing him in his underage year in TAC and everyone was talking of him as the next big thing. Even at underage he was bigger, stronger and more talented than everyone else.

For me, he has delivered unders and his habit of being too aware of coming hurts have probably held him back.

 

[Asapartyhat]

Yeah, as I said, his stats look good. Almost Milne like. But for me, too much of his work is just finishing off. With a body like Carey and an off the chart junior career I expected much more. I recall seeing him in his underage year in TAC and everyone was talking of him as the next big thing. Even at underage he was bigger, stronger and more talented than everyone else.

For me, he has delivered unders and his habit of being too aware of coming hurts have probably held him back.

Well that sounds like clueless crap to me so it probably is.There wouldn't be many in the AFL that were not standout juniors that doesn't set Jack Darling apart from the pack .Obviously you don't get to play over two hundred games in the AFL especially at the Eagles if your worried about the physical contest.

 

[Ricmel]

Well that sounds like clueless crap to me so it probably is.

There wouldn't be a thread about Darling's standing in the game running 59 pages unless a significant percentage of the football world were questioning it. About the only people who should be disregarded in this thread are the Eagles supporters because like any supporter base, they would scoff down the turds of their favorite players. I don't expect you to see Darling's career as anything but hall of famer.

 

[SloppyJoe]

Yeah, as I said, his stats look good. Almost Milne like. But for me, too much of his work is just finishing off. With a body like Carey and an off the chart junior career I expected much more. I recall seeing him in his underage year in TAC and everyone was talking of him as the next big thing. Even at underage he was bigger, stronger and more talented than everyone else.

For me, he has delivered unders and his habit of being too aware of coming hurts have probably held him back.

He is the best kick for goal in our team inside 40m so no surprises we like him "finishing off" and at 191cm he is closer to a mid-sized forward than tall forward so you'd expect him to be getting out the back a fair bit.

No argument from me that he plays for the odd free kick, but so do 90% of the forwards in this competition. He's also not alone in having shirked a contest or ducked his head. Again, there are few players who have gotten to 200+ games without a bit of self preservation. He cops it more than most because he is built like Tarzan. Maybe that's fair. Maybe not.

You are right that he monstered the junior competition, but that was over 10 years ago and he's since been giving away 4-5cm week in week out to AFL-calibre KPDs - so perhaps you should temper your expectations a little there.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Yeah, as I said, his stats look good. Almost Milne like. But for me, too much of his work is just finishing off. With a body like Carey and an off the chart junior career I expected much more. I recall seeing him in his underage year in TAC and everyone was talking of him as the next big thing. Even at underage he was bigger, stronger and more talented than everyone else.

For me, he has delivered unders and his habit of being too aware of coming hurts have probably held him back.

Well given in the last three years he’s been 5thx2 and 4th once, in total contested marks not sure how much more you expect...

 

[Matera92]

Well given in the last three years he’s been 5thx2 and 4th once, in total contested marks not sure how much more you expect...

He's got the same number of premierships as the entirety of the St Kilda football club.

That's a pretty good stat.

 

[Sweet Jesus]

The carry-on about Darling is ridiculously OTT.

Are his errors any worse than a key forward missing a set shot from directly in front?

 

[Matera92]

The carry-on about Darling is ridiculously OTT.

Are his errors any worse than a key forward missing a set shot from directly in front?

You mean something like this?




In a GF as well...