Welcome to the Bulldogs Sam Darcy

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Darcy looks like the player that was born with the talent/ability, where he goes from here is up to him. Rarely do I get excited about young players before they’ve put in a season or two but there’s something about Darcy. Watch this space..
 

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Im very impressed with his first mark / goal. There was a lot going on all around him, jostling, unknown players possibly about to smash into him from behind, an opponent coming at him from front on, who he shoved off at the perfect time to put his hands where he wanted them to mark the ball...

VFL watchers, was that normal or a fluke?

Some of our other fly-happy forwards (which lets face it, is all of them, including cody) might be better instructed in the future to make sure their opponent doesnt get a run at the ball if darce is in a position to get his hands up there.
 
Long legs, long arms, fully outstretched limbs.

How can you stop that unless you're Inspector Gadget?

One of the many impressive things about this still shot is he has identified his strengths (long limbs) and he's using that to his advantage, albeit on the training track. I'm guessing he has been coached / mentored the right way. You don't see Joe Daniher with outstretched limbs like that and had he been mentored the right way as a junior, he'd have another string to his bow.
 
Im very impressed with his first mark / goal. There was a lot going on all around him, jostling, unknown players possibly about to smash into him from behind, an opponent coming at him from front on, who he shoved off at the perfect time to put his hands where he wanted them to mark the ball...

VFL watchers, was that normal or a fluke?

Some of our other fly-happy forwards (which lets face it, is all of them, including cody) might be better instructed in the future to make sure their opponent doesnt get a run at the ball if darce is in a position to get his hands up there.
100% not a fluke, I’d say he’s taken upwards of probably 8-10 similar marks at either end of the ground in his 5 or so VFL games.

Naughty was a different beast when he came in with his sheer athleticism and total disregard for his safety in a marking contest from day 1. But I don’t think I’ve seen anyone clunk the ball as cleanly as Darcy in his first 10 games of VFL/AFL, they’re always at the absolute highest point and they’re always one grab too.

Your last point is a good one, it’s something we seriously need to learn at both ends of the grounds. It’s amateurs level the way we all fly when our players need to recognise whose got a mismatch/best position etc and the other ones entire focus should be to put a bit of slight body on their direct opponent. You watch the way May & Lever do this for each other and it’s absolute chalk & cheese to us.

It’s painful that we haven’t worked this out yet it’s really *ing simple stuff
 
What I think is really underrated is how juniors are or aren't mentored.

I'm only guessing here, but I think we do this incredibly well and this appears to be evidenced by the success we've had with our F/S players over the years. Almost all of them have turned out to be successful. And I'm guessing all of them have had extra time put into them at junior level to prepare them for the AFL. They are all introduced into our AFL system as 15/16 year olds and they are provided with guidance in a professional environment.

We get them down to the Whitten Oval for a couple of preseasons before they are drafted, and that allows them to get proper direction and guidance in an elite environment. I feel this is a big reason as to why we've had so much success with our F/S players over the years.
 
What I think is really underrated is how juniors are or aren't mentored.

I'm only guessing here, but I think we do this incredibly well and this appears to be evidenced by the success we've had with our F/S players over the years. Almost all of them have turned out to be successful. And I'm guessing all of them have had extra time put into them at junior level to prepare them for the AFL. They are all introduced into our AFL system as 15/16 year olds and they are provided with guidance in a professional environment.

We get them down to the Whitten Oval for a couple of preseasons before they are drafted, and that allows them to get proper direction and guidance in an elite environment. I feel this is a big reason as to why we've had so much success with our F/S players over the years.
This is great loyalty to the club, but I think the AFL as a whole does a good job. These players are just kids remember.

I like our F/S’s, but besides Libba, they have been serviceable, the same as many other league players.

And they haven’t been without their issues since joining the senior list.
Libba got suspended for some pretty serious stuff, Hunter multiple times, Cordy (although for minor stuff)

Hats off to the entire industry here, considering the ages these humans are, and some of the garbage they are expected to have to hear about themselves.
 
Long legs, long arms, fully outstretched limbs.

How can you stop that unless you're Inspector Gadget?

One of the many impressive things about this still shot is he has identified his strengths (long limbs) and he's using that to his advantage, albeit on the training track. I'm guessing he has been coached / mentored the right way. You don't see Joe Daniher with outstretched limbs like that and had he been mentored the right way as a junior, he'd have another string to his bow.
He also seems like a bright boy who plays with confidence alongside experienced opponents, hasn’t looked overawed and gets into good spots. He could be the full package 😉
 
Around 30 % of draftees are products of Victorian APS Schools. That doesn't even include AGS, ACC, BPS schools and then there are their equivalents interstate. The private schools offer facilities and coaching not available in the State Education System. Our Club's F/S program is probably better than that of most, if not all, other clubs. I'll bet my bottom dollar that close to 100 % of the lads are from private schools. Darcy's alma mater, Scotch, had/has Rocket on staff. Let's not be self deluding, in our first game against Melbourne, this year, our club, the ALP aligned Workers Union club, had 13 players ex-APS, Melbourne, the Private Schools-University club, had 11. Stats nuts might consider
https://www.draftguru.com.au/from/private-schools{/URL]
 
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any photoshop Artistes on here that can convert this to a timeless Jordan brand style logo?






1200px-Jumpman_logo.svg.png
 
Around 30 % of draftees are products of Victorian APS Schools. That doesn't even include AGS, ACC, BPS schools and then there are their equivalents interstate. The private schools offer facilities and coaching not available in the State Education System. Our Club's F/S program is probably better than that of most, if not all, other clubs. I'll bet my bottom dollar that close to 100 % of the lads are from private schools. Darcy's alma mater, Scotch, had/has Rocket on staff. Let's not be self deluding, in our first game against Melbourne, this year, our club, the ALP aligned Workers Union club, had 13 players ex-APS, Melbourne, the Private Schools-University club, had 11. Stats nuts might consider
https://www.draftguru.com.au/from/private-schools{/URL]
Most don’t start at APS schools, they get scholarships because they’re good at footy. Guess who gets drafted? The kids who are good at footy.
My bloke played school footy with George Wardlaw until year 10 when he got an APS scholarship and left
 

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Talk about setting huge challenges for kids - I'm betting Sam gets thrown forward for his 3rd AFL game, a final in Perth no less.
Against one of the best defences in the competition.
 
Talk about setting huge challenges for kids - I'm betting Sam gets thrown forward for his 3rd AFL game, a final in Perth no less.
Against one of the best defences in the competition.

Worst case scenario, even if he cant catch any, they cant ignore him. Should free up Naughts to cause trouble away from goal
 
Worst case scenario, even if he cant catch any, they cant ignore him. Should free up Naughts to cause trouble away from goal
Nothing annoys me more than having opposition defenders mark the ball (sometimes easily) around that 30m spot in front of our goal.
If Darcy can stop that from happening and our mids can try kick goals from stoppages (it looks set to be a wet, scrubby game) then we're a chance.

Who knows what the MC will do though. I'd hardly be surprised if Louis Butler lines up in the ruck.
 
Unpopular opinion but if it’s wet I would bring in Schache for Darcy.

For no other reason apart from conditions being suited to Schache and not Darce.

Schache plays wet weather football extremely well.
 
Unpopular opinion but if it’s wet I would bring in Schache for Darcy.

For no other reason apart from conditions being suited to Schache and not Darce.

Schache plays wet weather football extremely well.
Yeah because Josh Schache has proved himself on the big stage countless times in the past…. Would be a disaster bringing him in.

We’ve been fooled by his VFL form countless times. What’s going to change now? Give Darcy the finals experience. Schache won’t even be at the club next year.
 

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