Why didn't MFC select Jack Darling??

[TheBoss]

After 4 games it is evident that Jack Darling is going to be a good forward for many years to come. So far he is averaging 15 disposals, 5 marks, 4 tackles and a goal game. He is a strong bodied player who is a good target for a one on one contest. And he will get better too.

Surely his attitude can not be the only reason. Afterall, we have had one player (or two if you count Simon Buckley) who have had court orders against them to stop them harrassing and assaulting their partner, and a binge drinking Vice Captain. Darling has never had trouble with the Police, and who cares about his school sex romp? I am sure most of you would have done the same as him if you were in his shoes at 16 years of age.

So why did MFC select Lucas Cook, another project player for CHF?!?! As I recall, he was not talked about much leading up to the draft and few mock drafts rated him as a top 25 pick. What do MFC see in him? Why did they select a second atheletic CHF prospect when we already have Watts who they are trying to develop??

MFC would be a better team right now if we had Darling in our forward line, yet we have to wait a few years (and hope) to see if Cook becomes a good player.

 

[richskee]

Too many Jacks for one club, maybe?

 

[Headless]

I'm not going to lie; I wanted Darling at pick 12, and I wanted him a lot.

I also wanted Aaron Cornelius before James Strauss, Alwyn Davey before Ricky Petterd and Daniel Talia over Jordan Gysberts. You win some and you lose some. We won't know if we won this one for a decade.

I have faith in Cook.

 

[Scully 31]

Boss, you may be right about Darling. The club must have seen something about Cook that made them pick him. Maybe being a Vic boy played a role. But not being in the mock drafts by so called "experts" means nothing. Conca was not in the top 25 in any Mocks but the Tigers still chose him. All I can say is have some faith in the recruiting managers and everyone who will hopefully turn Cook into an elite player.

BTW it is a bit rough to already question the selection of Cook, he showed a bit in the NAB cup and in the VFL and I reckon he will become a very solid player in the future if he is given the time

 

[Moore26]

Looks like another tom hawkins

 

[Andy_Mac]

Attitude aside there were some question marks over his ability to recovery from the head trauma he received in that attack.

We were not the only club to over look him on draft day...

Also Cook was always in the mix as a first rounder. Big Footy logic had progressively slide later and later in the first round then into the second as more less informed phantom drafts were put up. On draft day we pulled the trigger, and from memory Barry P had said that Adelaide was set to grab him a couple of picks after us.

That said I personally wasn’t against drafting Darling.

 

[Eth]

He's not a tall forward. He's a leading forward, but we've got Watts for that. Prendergast said after the draft it was Lynch first, who would've been perfect, then Cook, because they'll be those contested marking forwards that we were looking for.

 

[rhaz]

Cook went pick 12, Darling pick 26. It wasn't just us who didn't take him, lots of clubs passed.

Gysberts wasn't expected to go at 11 yet he did, and he looks pretty good. Let Cooky develop and gets some games before judging, please.

 

[TheBoss]

Cook went pick 12, Darling pick 26. It wasn't just us who didn't take him, lots of clubs passed.

MFC went into the draft wanting forwards. Going into the draft Darling was a better player than Cook and was capable of contributing straight away. Cook is a prospect who may or may not become a good AFL player.

We already have 2 developing KPF prospects in Watts and Fitzpatrick. Why add a third to the mix when you have the opportunity to select one of the top forwards available in the draft???

 

[Supermercado]

Can we start a retrospective draft angst section of the forum to put threads like this in?

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Lucas Cook was top 10 in that player aptitude testing

seems good enough reason to be taken just outside top ten in the national draft doesn't it?

 

[DrTomSwift]

Can we start a retrospective draft angst section of the forum to put threads like this in?

You could call it the Jack Watts forum

In all seriousness, his attitude, his height, his kicking skills and agility all added up to one too many question marks to give up pick 12 for.

 

[Frank Grimes]

Going into the 2010 season he was considered at least a top four pick, as the season progressed he didn't improve while so many other players that year did and he slip down the order massively by the time the draft came about.

Obviously there were reasons why he slid so much but obviously going to a professional AFL club straightened him out and looking like the high pick he once looked to be.

In the end many clubs passed on him (Melbourne wasn't the only one looking for a tall) and he turned out to be a bargain.

 

[Gazza_11]

I'll admit to several fantasies of Darling in a Melbourne jumper. Would have preferred Lynch though, or Gorringe. We got neither. But when the Gold Coast start trading because of the salary cap we should go for one of Lynch, Gorringe, Dixon or Day.

 

[Eskimo_Fennel]

Looks like another tom hawkins

Tom's much cuter

(no homo)

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

massive homo

 

[TheBoss]

I'll admit to several fantasies of Darling in a Melbourne jumper. Would have preferred Lynch though, or Gorringe. We got neither. But when the Gold Coast start trading because of the salary cap we should go for one of Lynch, Gorringe, Dixon or Day.

While I agree with you, its not really relevant as none of those players were available at our pick.

If we were to make a trade knowing what we know at the moment, I'd go for Dixon. I like the way he goes about it.

 

[Gazza_11]

Tom's much cuter

(no homo)

Piles of homo.

While I agree with you, its not really relevant as none of those players were available at our pick.

If we were to make a trade knowing what we know at the moment, I'd go for Dixon. I like the way he goes about it.

True haha. Darling would have been a nice addition, and definitely would have helped in the short term. If Cook pulls off though it'll be a much more desirable result, on the other hand.

 

[TheBoss]

True haha. Darling would have been a nice addition, and definitely would have helped in the short term. If Cook pulls off though it'll be a much more desirable result, on the other hand.

Depends on you look at it though. With Darling you know what you are getting, and with a few years and 50+ games under his belt he will be a ripper of a player. He's a ready made player.

With Cook, he might turn into the next star forward, or he might be the next Luke Molan. The impresssion I have gotten is he was drafted on his potential upside, and not so much on what he is capable of doing right now.

With all these compromised drafts its imperative for any club to get their selections right, by either taking the best available or filling a need. A couple of dud picks could set the club back a few years (I know its far too early to write Cook of yet).

 

[INSANE]

You could call it the Jack Watts forum

In all seriousness, his attitude, his height, his kicking skills and agility all added up to one too many question marks to give up pick 12 for.

The only real question mark there is attitude. He is the same height as Pavlich ffs. As seen this year his skills are great for a big bloke, and the agility part is a complete misconception. Have heard Woosh, Assistant coach Teague and his state coach Brad Wira say that's one of his best assets and why he tackles so many smaller players. But yeah people on BF that haven't seen him know better.

The people that are saying he's not tall enough to play key forward....He's averaging more contested marks so far this year than Franklin, Hurley, Roughead, Pavlich and is even with Dawes....Not bad for an 18 year old.

The reason he slipped was because most club doctors crossed him off the list completely due to his pretty severe head trauma.


Haven't seen Cook but it's faaarrrr too early to start a regret thread.

 

[The Professor]

Depends on you look at it though. With Darling you know what you are getting, and with a few years and 50+ games under his belt he will be a ripper of a player. He's a ready made player.

He was regularly beaten last year by taller backman. He smashed the u16 cause he was bigger and stronger then everyone else.

There were question marks how he will cope with AFL players as most of them will be just as strong as him and probably taller.

Haven't seen too many WCE games but is he playing third banana behind Lynch and Kennedy? Seasoned KPF. Who is MFC's seasoned forwards and how would Darling cope without them?

As stated Darling is the same height as Pav and Fev so he could develop and become a genuine FF or he could become a Aaron Hamill undersized forward.
Still solid but we'll still be bitching about how we only select mid sized players.

 

[chardonnay]

While I agree with you, its not really relevant as none of those players were available at our pick.

If we were to make a trade knowing what we know at the moment, I'd go for Dixon. I like the way he goes about it.

Is your surname Rumsfeld?
I'll give you a couple of known knowns (ask Unc Donny Rumsfeld):
1. You didnt pass on Charlie Dixon
2. You did pass on Jack Darling

Why did you pass on Darling? PC, political correctness.

Schwabby didnt give your Footy Dept a rap, even a wrap. You didnt pass on Charlie yet you didnt get him ... yet another known known !!

 

[TheBoss]

Is your surname Rumsfeld?
I'll give you a couple of known knowns (ask Unc Donny Rumsfeld):
1. You didnt pass on Charlie Dixon

No shit Sherlock. At what point did I even reference we passed on Dixon?? I was talking about potentially making a trade with GC17 sometime in the future for one of their KPP.

Learn to read **** knuckle.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Schwabby didnt give your Footy Dept a rap, even a wrap. You didnt pass on Charlie yet you didnt get him ... yet another known known !!

wtf?

6 wtf's?

 

[Tempy Tiger]

Darling has jumped into AFL with a strong body so was always going to make his mark earlier than Cook who is built like an Eritrean distance runner. My concern about our recent recruiting is the lack of physical players that have been drafted, apologies to young Tapscott. Collingwood has not built it's side around scholars, other than Dawes, and he plays like a meat axe anyway.