Player Watch Sam Darcy

[Doggy Dan]

Reckon he’s been a bit off the last few weeks.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Even more ridiculous - how far ahead he is in the contested marking stats:

2025 AFL League Contested Marks Per Game Leaders (Minimum 5 Games Played)

2025 AFL League Contested Marks Per Game Leaders (Minimum 5 Games Played).

www.footywire.com

Normal forwards point to a spot on the ground where they want the incoming pass to go

This guy just points to the sky, "just pop it up there mate "

 

[T2B_]

Back in the old days I suppose your best bet would be to just try scrag him silly.

But now? It'll be interesting what tactics keep employed against him. If you haven't the reach, I guess the next best bet would be to go the body enough to knock him off balance.

 

[Mofra]

Back in the old days I suppose your best bet would be to just try scrag him silly.

But now? It'll be interesting what tactics keep employed against him. If you haven't the reach, I guess the next best bet would be to go the body enough to knock him off balance.

Rampe was brilliant at this for years - just getting some (legal) body on an opponent to stop them jumping at the ball.

Problem is Darcy is amazing at ground level - his first goal last night was ridiculous, he just recovered faster than Taylor.
That's if Naughton doesn't jump over the top of the contest

 

[hdi]

No.2 player in the game, behind only the Bont. Absolute stud. Love his attitude/competitiveness as much as his physical feats; he's no soft showpony like at least a couple of peers from his draft.

 

[Cmarsh]

Back in the old days I suppose your best bet would be to just try scrag him silly.

But now? It'll be interesting what tactics keep employed against him. If you haven't the reach, I guess the next best bet would be to go the body enough to knock him off balance.

You could hit him in the chest and puncture his lung.

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

Massive piss take those media clowns saying Darcy is the best player in the comp.

He's not even the best key forward.

Maybe in a 2 or 3 years he will be, but he's got work to do to get there.

 

[conrad_437]

Hope the mark in the last minute gets the plaudits it deserves. I might be a one eyed biased Dogs fan but I would prefer to see Darcy's mark win MOTY over any other big grab this year. Especially since there's probably an absence of a true screamer this year.

Taking into account the context of the game and season too. It's one of the best and most courageous I've seen, certainly live at the ground.

 

[Bald]

Hope the mark in the last minute gets the plaudits it deserves. I might be a one eyed biased Dogs fan but I would prefer to see Darcy's mark win MOTY over any other big grab this year. Especially since there's probably an absence of a true screamer this year.

Taking into account the context of the game and season too. It's one of the best and most courageous I've seen, certainly live at the ground.

I think when considering state of the game - Nasiah's mark to level the scores against the Dees should be MOTY. But this was special from Darcy.

 

[conrad_437]

I think when considering state of the game - Nasiah's mark to level the scores against the Dees should be MOTY. But this was special from Darcy.

Good point. I'm a huge fan of the courageous mark so it'll always be my preference. Wouldn't be upset with the NAS grab

 

[Mofra]

I think when considering state of the game - Nasiah's mark to level the scores against the Dees should be MOTY. But this was special from Darcy.

Pretty sure Nas' mark wasn't nominated! Absolute robbery.

It was late in the 4th, on tired legs, when the game was on the line.

 

[Sentinel]

Held it for as long as Gary Ablett did in 1994 and many still think that was not a mark.

Darcy held it about 10 times longer than Ablett did. Unlike Ablett's, it was a clear mark.

 

[conrad_437]

View attachment 2392165

I agree. It's a mark but even the players thought it was play on.

Because they've played enough footy to know to A) play to the whistle and B) if the umpire calls it a mark, the ball will be called back (as opposed to a free kick, where they can pay advantage. I wouldn't use that as proof that players didn't think it was a mark

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Even more ridiculous - how far ahead he is in the contested marking stats:

2025 AFL League Contested Marks Per Game Leaders (Minimum 5 Games Played)

2025 AFL League Contested Marks Per Game Leaders (Minimum 5 Games Played).

www.footywire.com

3 or more contested marks per game over a whole season:

2025 Sam Darcy 3.13
2024 -
2023 -
2022 T Lynch 3.26
2021 -
2020 C Dixon 3.2
2019 -
2018 -
2017 -
2016 -
2015 -
2014 -
2013 -
2012 -
2011 T Cloke 3.8
2010 -
2009 -

Before that I can't find ready records. The earliest records I could find start at 1999, in Matthew Richardson's 7th season. He actually averaged 3 or more contested marks in 6 separate seasons after this, but 2 of those seasons contained 3 & 6 games only. Great contested marks like Carey and Loewe only had the stat recorded in their last few seasons, where they each went above 3 per game in a season once each.

It is also fair to say contested marking generally has decreased over the last 15 years. But we can see how rare it is for any player to average over 3 contested marks per game over a whole season in modern football. As far as I can tell, Darcy is comfortably the youngest to achieve the feat, roughly 2 years younger than Cloke in 2011. The only other 2 players to do it in the last 15 years were much older.

You have to think about that in the context of all the great marks that have played....McGovern, Howe, both Riewoldts, Hawkins, Gawn to name just a few. So it is seriously tough to produce over 3 contested marks per game over a whole season.

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Over 3 contested marks per game over a whole season:

2025 Sam Darcy 3.13
2024 -
2023 -
2022 T Lynch 3.26
2021 -
2020 C Dixon 3.2
2019 -
2018 -
2017 -
2016 -
2015 -
2014 -
2013 -
2012 -
2011 T Cloke 3.8
2010 -
2009 -

Before that I can't find ready records. The earliest records I could find start at 1999, in Matthew Richardson's 7th season. He actually averaged 3 or more contested marks in 6 separate seasons after this, but 2 of those seasons contained 3 & 6 games only. Great contested marks like Carey and Loewe only had the stat recorded in their last few seasons, where they each went above 3 per game in a season once each.

It is also fair to say contested marking generally has decreased over the last 15 years. But we can see how rare it is for any player to average over 3 contested marks per game over a whole season in modern football. As far as I can tell, Darcy is comfortably the youngest to achieve the feat, roughly 2 years younger than Cloke in 2011. The only other 2 players to do it in the last 15 years were much older.

You have to think about that in the context of all the great marks that have played....McGovern, Howe, both Riewoldts, Hawkins, Gawn to name just a few. So it is seriously tough to produce over 3 contested marks per game over a whole season.

Great stats MR, thanks.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Treacy also up there. I just wish Darcy wasnt the backup ruck for the Dogs which is costing him time spent in the forward line. Would kick more goals.

He gets double and triple teamed plus some sneaky infringements. So Naughton makes the most it. When that happens, after a while Bevo will give him a spell in the ruck to get him into the game. He’s good around the ground as well.