The Darling Question

[Dark Sharks]

Too often i'm reading about how it's all due to our delivery to him, and it's our mids fault. That may be partly true, but..


Delivery doesn't mean you have to flop in the contest. Delivery doesn't mean you can't bring the ball to ground if you're out of position.

Right now he's legitimately competing like he's Josh Schache (soft/tentative). The delivery shouldn't have to be served up to him on a silver platter. All forwards have to deal with poor delivery for their clubs throughout the game. Darling, and to an extent Kennedy just aren't dealing with it this year.

It shouldn't be a case of 'lace it out perfectly to him or we lose the ball'.



They both need to lift. Kennedy has had a poor 2019 also IMO, but he's getting older. Darling has no excuse.

 

[LittleGreekGod]

Too often i'm reading about how it's all due to our delivery to him, and it's our mids fault. That may be partly true, but..


Delivery doesn't mean you have to flop in the contest. Delivery doesn't mean you can't bring the ball to ground if you're out of position.

Right now he's legitimately competing like he's Josh Schache (soft/tentative). The delivery shouldn't have to be served up to him on a silver platter. All forwards have to deal with poor delivery for their clubs throughout the game. Darling, and to an extent Kennedy just aren't dealing with it this year.

It shouldn't be a case of 'lace it out perfectly to him or we lose the ball'.



They both need to lift. Kennedy has had a poor 2019 also IMO, but he's getting older. Darling has no excuse.

So how bad are the rest of the key forwards in the comp, seeing Darling and Kennedy are performing better than most, other than Cameron.

 

[tigger_ferret]

Best game of the year tonight and still room to improve.

Can’t complain about that one

 

[avishka5]

Great game by jack tonight.

 

[TY24]

Jack is back crashing packs, dropping dacks and exposing hacks. Can't complain, he had a red hot crack.

I'll show myself out.

 

[wc_eagles_since86]

Well, I think that was a good showcase of Jack warming up.

Let's hope that continues and keeps on the up and up. Lovely to see. What an unreal ****ing game by us. That 2nd quarter.. the reaper was in close to us on that one, phaw.

 

[kerr87]

I can see Darling dominating against the Dogs next week.

 

[Bender_]

I really enjoy being wrong about anything negative about the Eagles. Jack was immense tonight.

 

[CursoryMercenary]

Great game tonight, really took the game on. Thought his Ruck work in the forward 50 really helped too. Good to see him and JK back and having an influence.

 

[LittleGreekGod]

I can see Darling dominating against the Dogs next week.

That's normally Kennedy's job.

 

[Monocle]

That's normally Kennedy's job.

Succession planning.
The subtle art of good management.

 

[Wosh]

Darling has had a few very high profile fumbles, dropped marks at crucial moments etc which will always follow him, he actually seems to be a little bit uncoordinated imo. But he can and does kick goals and at his age he can still get back to that form of early last year, he was a beast before he got injured. Someone posted his stats which stack up against other fOrwards and dropping him would be detrimental to the club and to himself.

 

[wc_eagles_since86]

I'd like to see some dry weather, which usually comes later in the season.

We've always been a beasting dry weather side. Sunny days, we flog most.

Let's hope for a dry game against the dogs and let Darling jump against the flogs.

 

[Obeanie1]

Much much better from Jack.

Hopefully he keeps moving uo through the gears and peaks come September.

Same for JK but he had a bumpy preseason and father time is sneaking up on gim.

Darling did a great subtle block for JK in a marking contest in the third, that goes unnoticed to many.

 

[Natho]

Darling plays

 

[avishka5]

Darling just has to build from each game. Thats the best way for him to get his 2018 form back.

 

[TY24]

Darling has had a few very high profile fumbles, dropped marks at crucial moments etc which will always follow him, he actually seems to be a little bit uncoordinated imo. But he can and does kick goals and at his age he can still get back to that form of early last year, he was a beast before he got injured. Someone posted his stats which stack up against other fOrwards and dropping him would be detrimental to the club and to himself.

I am so on board with that avatar

 

[flamingEMBERS]

I am so on board with that avatar

hurn kind of pulls up after he realises he can actually get the ball

 

[donpyke92]

hurn kind of pulls up after he realises he can actually get the ball

Nope, sorry FB, Hurn braces for expected contact, that doesn't happen because Tex won't get down and hard.
The ball is then at his feet.
Leadership...sorry ep2006

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Unfairly maligned IMO

Yes he has his moments - but the good outweighs the bad and as a forward if the ball isn’t coming down there - doesn’t matter if you are tony lockett

Aside from Roughead - I cant think of a better 2nd tall in the past 15 years - last one would have been Lucas

Last year he (like a lot of players) was given a simple message - don’t get beaten in the air

IMO That allowed him to have a single focus on competing in the air

Early this year he seemed to have lost it - but he’s getting it back

for me the tell tale is when he’s outnumbered 2 to 1 - If he’s halving that contest - he’s on and doing his job

Thought he was oustanding on Saturday

 

[Yamumluvsbigcox]

Averaging 1.9 goals a game and 3 tackles .
Hardly poor numbers
He also chases his guts out to pressure every game .

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

Jack was decent in his rucking contests on Saturday. Overall, he seemed to have shelved the idea of flopping and gave a strong contest.

I think his season is starting to build quite nicely and come September, he will be ready for multiple Grad Final third quarter performances.

 

[ioppolo]

The only thing that still bugs me is his tendency to go for chest marks when in a contest. Extend the arms and clunk them like last year son!

 

[madfx]

he can be infuriating to watch when he's down but that was definitely the game we've been waiting for on the weekend, shows how important he is to the team once those marks start sticking. Hopefully that will give him his confidence back and we're back to 2018 Darling!

 

[Doashuey]

Bump campaigners.
2 weeks and 10 goals later and some of these impatient posters are grabbing for the egg sponge.
Midfield supply has also gone up coincidentally. Funny that.