The Darling Question

[AsterixTheGaul]

I fear that we have no one to fill his role. Who could we replace him with because despite his form, he's hard to replace. Allen cannot fill his shoes alone, he's far too immobile which is not something I can say about Darling who is a very mobile (when he puts it on) large forward. Allen is not so nimble.

I disagree on Oscar not being mobile. The U18 carnival he was mobile. He played CHF and was the alpha forward. In 2019, he is being asked to play a different role and be 3rd or 4th tall meaning he is leading more to pockets and boundary lines to keep out of the way.

 

[Bacchus]

You sold Waterman on the basis of, doesn't take a mark like Darling, but works very hard. You know that describes Masten as well.

Waterman can mark, both contested and uncontested, and isn't a squib and weak in the contest. Can also kick goals, so not much like Masten at all.

 

[Astro7]

I feel that there has been a lot of unfair criticism for Darling and Kennedy to a lesser extent.
The change to a defensive mindset by a lot of opposition teams this year has caused a massive reduction on goal scoring this season particularly by tall marking forwards.
The Kennedy (18) and Darling (16) combination has produced 34 goals .(Only bettered by Cameron and Finlayson with 51.)
Others Tall Forwards
- Hawkins has 23
- Brown 22
- Lynch 22 on the back of 2 big games
- Membray and Bruce 29 in total
- Hipwood (the next big thing 16, McStay 11
- MIA McGovern 14
- Walker Big Tex has 16 and Jenkins nowhere in site
- Naughton 15
- The Hero Hogan 8 with a massive 6 from Lobb ($1.6 Million Duo)
- Mason the Yank 3 with nowhere to run and Minocek on 15
- Franklin as yet to be found
- plus Roughy on 8 and Gunston on 10

Other than Cameron, most KPF's are on target for between 40 and 50 goals this season. I suggest that this downturn in goal kicking has resulted from the return to wholesale flooding and cutting off space for all forward to lead into.
The AFL in its wisdom decided to introduce a 6 6 6 plan to increase goal scoring Ha Ha ha. Instead a few of the lower ranked teams and also some of the mid and top teams believed that a return to the foods will hold off the onslaught.
The tall marking forwards have been hit the hardest, Jenkins and Mason are prime examples of players who have disappeared from site as that type of player who needed space to run into to use their big frames and be effective.

But getting back to Darling who like Kennedy and McGovern are seriously being targeted by illegal tactics or arm slapping , arm grabbing and blocking.
WCE are now the most hunted team in the AFL as well and there is a whole lot of other tactics at play to stop us every week but we need to put our trust in the coaches who have got us this far.
The flood was introduced to stop the dominance of Hawthorn a few years back,
It failed then and it will fail again. The flood and run game cannot be sustained for four quarters in most games, and certainly not over a full season.
The games will open up again and the forwards will take marks again and all will be good again in Eagle land.

This pretty much wraps up the conversation I reckon! Everything else mentioned on this thread is answered here. Sending him back to the Wafl is counterproductive-it's just not as simple as that- with the tactics used against him and the problems he's facing, the Wafl isn't going to solve any of that???
Ol' Clunky Jack, one week he's missing, the next week he's back? The positive is that he and JK are sucking in opposition resources, getting double or triple teamed constantly- it's just a flying gangbang in the forward line, so you'd expect the crumbers to capitalise more. JK+JD's game is reduced to hard work with less open space and they just have to eke out the 1 percenters and get what they can. Still good for a few goals between them. The games changed so there's little point comparing their performances to last season. They'll have days when they are well held and others when they get off the chain, together or singularly, depending on the teams they play.

 

[Agent93]

I reckon JD needs to get his hands on the ball more early in games. Get him up the ground for some easy uncontested marks so he doesn't spend the entire time fighting defenders for the contested footy.

 

[WestCoast05]

I said this in another thread but I will repeat it here:

In the 3rd Darling was in the thick of a few Melb players and managed to get the handball out to setup a gimme goal for JK.

Also in the 3rd just outside 50 he won the ball and then gave a perfect kick off to JK for another easy set shot goal.

So Darling actually directly set up 2 of JKs goals, if anything you could say he performed the harder role in those goals. He also scored a goal of his own. Anyone calling for his head from that game is a moron.

Perhaps if we saw more fluid transition to our 50 and kicks to leads instead of delivery onto his head we would be heralding him like we did beginning of last season.
A firing Darling is well worth waiting on, and Simmo knows this and so is backing him in.

 

[Doashuey]

I don't know about this bottom statement. We stuck fat in '16-17 and he didn't turn it around until the start of '18. Why not try something different.

We stuck fat and he kicked 44 and 43 goals in '16 and '17 respectively. He kicked 48 last year (2 less games).
Yep lets try something different- that didn't work.

 

[Agent93]

Simmons

Hopefully we add Fitz to the footy department sometime soon. They work very well as a pair.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

We stuck fat and he kicked 44 and 43 goals in '16 and '17 respectively. He kicked 48 last year (2 less games).
Yep lets try something different- that didn't work.

There’s more to it than goals. So you’re telling me last year he was only slightly better than 16-17?

I’m a darling fan, I want him in the team. I just prefer him to be playing like that hungry dog he was in ‘18 than the guy cruising along in 16-17

 

[mattyc75]

Darling probably wont that full dominant season til kennedy retires.when kennedy is out darling fires ,when kennedy is in the team looks to him first and darling probably feels a bit lost


Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Doashuey]

There’s more to it than goals. So you’re telling me last year he was only slightly better than 16-17?

I’m a darling fan, I want him in the team. I just prefer him to be playing like that hungry dog he was in ‘18 than the guy cruising along in 16-17

Yes there is more to it than goals:
Marks:
2016- 123
2017- 119
2018- 129
Disposals:
2016- 281
2017- 277
2018- 276
Tackles:
2016- 61
2017- 67
2018- 50

You insinuated in the initial post he did bugger all in 2016 and 2017 because we didnt drop him and that we should drop him now instead of sticking with him and that will bring out the 2018 Darling.
Im saying you are wrong on all counts and if any club in the nation were to drop a forward- even their number 1 key forward, based on those numbers they would be committed to the asylum.
His 2016 and 2017 were fine years- maybe not to the lofty expectations of some fans but the numbers are something any forward would hang their hat on. His defensive efforts in those years were better than 2018.
2018 the stats dont tell the whole story of course (and were achieved with 2 less games)- he was a beast in those first 10 games (as he was in the last couple of 2017- hello Adelaide). That didnt happen by going back to the WAFL, That happened by gaining confidence, getting in a good preseason and having a midfield dominating teams and getting good supply to him.
Dropping a confidence player who has consistently achieved above average for years on end but happens to find himself in a bit of a slump with ordinary supply would be, frankly, an idiotic move.

 

[Nuke Fremantle]

I'm generally a defender of JD. A player who averages nearly 2 goals a game over a long career is serious quality.

What annoys me and dare I say many other Eagles supporters is that for a guy who's played 170-odd games the difference between his best and his worst is still way too large. That isn't going to change, not at this point in his career, so it's really up to club as to whether they can live with that or bite the bullet and give one of our young talls his position.

 

[Swarhily]

There's no denying Darling has been soft this year but the fact is that the entries have been utter garbage and he's getting absolutely nothing from the umpires despite being manhandled by multiple people every contest.

 

[Astro7]

There’s more to it than goals. So you’re telling me last year he was only slightly better than 16-17?

I’m a darling fan, I want him in the team. I just prefer him to be playing like that hungry dog he was in ‘18 than the guy cruising along in 16-17

But he's the hunted now, he and JK being blowtorched with different tactics since last season.
I argue he's still playing like a hungry dog, but not getting the same results, if not direct scores he's setting up and doing goal assists and pressuring (like a hungry dog).
He's frustrating no doubt, but often well held, just has to ride it out.
When he was busting games open last season, he took the comp by surprise and got a lot of leeway, but the comps onto him now..
I also argue that he's not soft?? but is getting hammered from pillar to post and still kicks a goal or two or helps set them up.

 

[Doughboy]

The measure of a quality player like Darling, is not always about output, being disposals, marks or even goals

Were he lacks at the moment is the pressure acts he was so well known for last year. The hunger to attack the player when we don't have the ball is well off. Last year you would see him chase and pressure the ball carrier to force a turnover, this year he simply stops and the ball is extracted out of the forward line with relative ease.

Have seen him do this several times this year and this is where people doubt his outputs.

Clear this up and i think it will be Darling of old

 

[paran]

Don't play JK and watch him shine... it's one of those things.

 

[MIKE85]

That’s what I was thinking. I wonder what his percentages are compared to those few I put up last night (Hawkins, Pav, Buddy & JK) as to having the balk kicked to him. He’s played pretty much his entire to date as second fiddle, and is on par with some of the forwards who would’ve had the ball kicked to them at any and every opportunity. For a second string tall forward, his numbers are pretty impressive

 

[twinkletoes#17]

The measure of a quality player like Darling, is not always about output, being disposals, marks or even goals

Were he lacks at the moment is the pressure acts he was so well known for last year. The hunger to attack the player when we don't have the ball is well off. Last year you would see him chase and pressure the ball carrier to force a turnover, this year he simply stops and the ball is extracted out of the forward line with relative ease.

Have seen him do this several times this year and this is where people doubt his outputs.

Clear this up and i think it will be Darling of old

Was 4th behind Yeo, Shuey and Petrol for pressure acts on Friday night. 18 pressure acts. Hopefully follows this up this week again. Has been in the mid to high teens the last couple of weeks. Is improving this stat each game.

 

[ROYAL EAGLE]

Jack Darling plays his best footy when he jumps early at the footy
He really hasn't been leaping at the footy like he did last year when he does starts to look very good again

 

[Obeanie1]

Its almost as if he's picked up OP and is struggling with his core power. He just seems 5-10% off from last year and has lost his explosive run and jumping.

Some elsewhere have said opposition are flooding back straight after to 6-6-6 restart much more.

We were playing an additional tall forward in Allen earlier.

Fingers crossed he comes good in the 2nd half of the year.

 

[The wily weagle]

It's extremely frustrating watching Darling play atm, because if it was a kid (for example, Brander) who was playing at the level Jack undoubtedly is, in the same role, he would have been undoubtedly dropped (weeks ago)

Basically is what we are saying is that he is playing like crap, but, since we don't have a valid replacement and he's a bit too good for the WAFL, we have to persist with him and hope and pray he gets it's together.

I don't like, but there are no other alternatives.

I wouldn't mind Simpson ommitting him if his run of poor form continues for an "easier" game (ie, Carlton), but that just isn't Simpson's way either.

We all just have to hope he comes good as fast as possible

 

[Seadog]

Last year we had Nic providing plenty of clean centre breaks, this year we are getting flogged in the ruck.He's obviously not in the form he was in last year but there are some mitigating circumstances

 

[Rowan18]

I'm a big Darling fan and think the stats analysis in this thread show he is tracking pretty well. I have noticed when watching games live that he seems to be moving pretty stiff - slow off the mark to accelerate and reluctant to bend down at the ball. Makes me think he might be carrying an injury.

 

[Wild Kelly]

I'm a big Darling fan and think the stats analysis in this thread show he is tracking pretty well. I have noticed when watching games live that he seems to be moving pretty stiff - slow off the mark to accelerate and reluctant to bend down at the ball. Makes me think he might be carrying an injury.

Exactly.........appears to be running flatfooted rather than on his toes.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

I'm a big Darling fan and think the stats analysis in this thread show he is tracking pretty well. I have noticed when watching games live that he seems to be moving pretty stiff - slow off the mark to accelerate and reluctant to bend down at the ball. Makes me think he might be carrying an injury.

If he is carrying an injury, why don't we let him rest and recover whilst we add another string to our bow and develop Allen/Brander/Waterman

 

[bzparkes]

Should move him to the midfield I reckon.