Player Watch #26 Luke Parker

[Kennedy Parker]

Luke Parker
Luke Parker

26

Luke Parker

Age

31

Ht

183cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.2

5star

K

12.6

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.8

5star

D

22.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

9.9

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

5.0

5star

CL

5.5

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

8.0

5star

CL

5.2

5star

has plenty of football ahead and has already compiled a resume packed with impressive achievements. Since landing at the Sydney Swans via the 2010 AFL Draft, he has won a 2012 premiership medal, earned All Australian selection and won two Bob Skilton medals. In 2015, he was added to the club’s leadership group at the age of just 22, and has led the team as a co-captain alongside Josh Kennedy and Dane Rampe

24

Dane Rampe

Age

34

Ht

187cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.0

4star

K

10.6

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

2.5

4star

MG

358.8

5star

D

14.1

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

5.1

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

1.5

2star

MG

284.5

4star

D

10.6

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.4

4star

since 2019. While Parker is among the league’s elite midfielders, his strong marking and expert game awareness make him a genuine threat when rotating through the forward line.

Luke Parker

26

Luke Parker

Age

31

Ht

183cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.2

5star

K

12.6

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.8

5star

D

22.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

9.9

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

5.0

5star

CL

5.5

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

8.0

5star

CL

5.2

5star

DOB: 25 October 1992
DEBUT: 2011
DRAFT: #40, 2010 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Langwarrin (Vic)/Dandenong U18

Luke Parker | AFL

Follow Luke Parker's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[SM]

How have the club not appreciated him?

You're kidding?

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

If he wants to go, make the new club earn it. He is still quality and we have hand.

The only reason we should let him go softly is if we need to free up cap space.

 

[ashep]

Pushing him out in part because we brought in a similar but inferior player in Adams, who was being pushed out himself at Collingwood would be an incredible blunder.

 

[Donza]

Beware the supporter group overvaluing their players.

It's hard to be subjective when a club legend is discussed

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Beware the supporter group overvaluing their players.

It's hard to be subjective when a club legend is discussed

I think Parker is being undervalued by some.

 

[Day_night_honourer]

How have the club not appreciated him?

Just to be clear, when I say club I mean selection committee obviously.
If that's understood then it baffles me why you even asked that.
How about due to the way the 2023 co-captain was snubbed for his spot into seniors after coming back from an actual in-game injury after already proving himself in the 2s but still was stuck there for 4 weeks before the suspension (vs Mills going straight in after a blunder injury & showing little since). Parker showed plenty more impact first up in seniors, yet was still made sub in Port game and Mills straight in. Wouldn't be shocked if he's been pondering the idea of 'what else might be out there' while sitting on the pine that game & I wouldn't blame him.

We wouldn't have won last week without him. Hope he remains Red & White for life.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Pushing him out in part because we brought in a similar but inferior player in Adams, who was being pushed out himself at Collingwood would be an incredible blunder.

They are not competing for the same spot at all

 

[GoTheSwannies]

They are not competing for the same spot at all

How are they not? If we hadn't recruited Taylor, Parker would be playing the role Taylor has been playing this season.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Just to be clear, when I say club I mean selection committee obviously.
If that's understood then it baffles me why you even asked that.
How about due to the way the 2023 co-captain was snubbed for his spot into seniors after coming back from an actual in-game injury after already proving himself in the 2s but still was stuck there for 4 weeks before the suspension (vs Mills going straight in after a blunder injury & showing little since). Parker showed plenty more impact first up in seniors, yet was still made sub in Port game and Mills straight in. Wouldn't be shocked if he's been pondering the idea of 'what else might be out there' while sitting on the pine that game & I wouldn't blame him.

We wouldn't have won last week without him. Hope he remains Red & White for life.

Well said.

Horse's (and the selection committee's) decisions with respect to Parker have been wrong. Not poor, just flat out wrong.

To me, their decisions suggested Parker was a spent force, and he was no longer needed in a team that supposedly performed better without him in it. They were wrong on both counts.

And not only that. When they brought him in as sub. They had to bring him in early in an attempt to help a team, that he supposedly wasn't good enough to be a part of, try to claw back a huge deficit.

Then. In the following game, he was a key reason why the team were able to claw their way back from a 27 point margin to win a game and stop their season from spiralling.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

How are they not? If we hadn't recruited Taylor, Parker would be playing the role Taylor has been playing this season.

Adams is a 15-20 possession mid who uses his hands via handball even he knows his kicking limitations, in terms he’s a genuine team first mid. We actually got into problems when we had Parker getting it 30 plus as he didn’t realise his kicking deficiencies and kept doing it. Adams and Grundy have such a great relationship and were a big reason when we were firing

 

[ashep]

They are not competing for the same spot at all

Of course they are.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Adams is a 15-20 possession mid who uses his hands via handball even he knows his kicking limitations, in terms he’s a genuine team first mid. We actually got into problems when we had Parker getting it 30 plus as he didn’t realise his kicking deficiencies and kept doing it. Adams and Grundy have such a great relationship and were a big reason when we were firing

We're probably going to have to agree to disagree.

Adams was a higher possession mid in his prime before being moved forward by the pies. Interestingly, over their careers, Adams averaged 23.5 disposals to Parker's 23.4.

 

[ashep]

Adams is a 15-20 possession mid who uses his hands via handball even he knows his kicking limitations, in terms he’s a genuine team first mid. We actually got into problems when we had Parker getting it 30 plus as he didn’t realise his kicking deficiencies and kept doing it. Adams and Grundy have such a great relationship and were a big reason when we were firing

What? Last year Parker averaged more handballs than Adams and his disposals were about 50/50 unlike Adams who kicked more than he handballed. Parker's DE% was also better than Adams...

Also more contested possessions and clearances for Parker so not quite sure how Adams is the "genuine team first mid"

Adams has been valuable for us but there is no question who is the better player at this point in their careers.

It will also never stop being funny debating this with "LukeParkerno1"

 

[SM]

What? Last year Parker averaged more handballs than Adams and his disposals were about 50/50 unlike Adams who kicked more than he handballed. Parker's DE% was also better than Adams...

Also more contested possessions and clearances for Parker so not quite sure how Adams is the "genuine team first mid"

DE was brought up a few weeks ago to sledge Parker and I disproved it then, and it's still being brought up.

 

[The King!]

Just to be clear, when I say club I mean selection committee obviously.
If that's understood then it baffles me why you even asked that.
How about due to the way the 2023 co-captain was snubbed for his spot into seniors after coming back from an actual in-game injury after already proving himself in the 2s but still was stuck there for 4 weeks before the suspension (vs Mills going straight in after a blunder injury & showing little since). Parker showed plenty more impact first up in seniors, yet was still made sub in Port game and Mills straight in. Wouldn't be shocked if he's been pondering the idea of 'what else might be out there' while sitting on the pine that game & I wouldn't blame him.

We wouldn't have won last week without him. Hope he remains Red & White for life.

I guess if you inflate everything he does then sure , I mean he came on when the Roos game was done and there was shit v the dogs and lions you left out , but ok

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Funnily enough, Parker slightly favours handballs to kicks (11.9 : 11.4), while Adams favours kicks (12.5 : 11).

Other than that, I defend Parker's hack kicks. He was doing it at a time when our midfield was routinely being beaten where it was just Parker and JPK as our senior mids, while JPKs impact was declining. Parker had no option other than to do that, we weren't getting a heaps of clean ball going forward.

 

[SM]

I guess if you inflate everything he does then sure , I mean he came on when the Roos game was done and there was shit v the dogs and lions you left out , but ok

Didn't he tag zorko against the lions?

 

[SSwans2011]

Parker's disposal definitely hurt us at times last year and his lack of speed got routinely exposed in the midfield. Even in the Elimination Final it was hurting us, then he went forward and had a huge impact.

I think the role we're playing him now is the perfect use of him at this point in his career.

Fair ****s if he wants to leave. Wouldn't hold it against either him or the club, personally.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

I guess if you inflate everything he does then sure , I mean he came on when the Roos game was done and there was shit v the dogs and lions you left out , but ok

How many other subs have been able to come on and have the impact Parker had against North?

Since they introduced the sub rule, I can't think of another swan that has come close in a quarter and a half.

2 goals, 13 disposals and 6 tackles, equal most with Grundy, the next best being 3 tackles.

 

[DeathlyAccurate]

I don’t like this idea. Parker is a club legend and has the chance to win a flag with us again and cement his place in Swans history.

Seeing him in any other colours would be a bad look for our club.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Im comfortable with the wait and see approach here

Contracted to end of 2025 no stress either way

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Adams and Grundy have such a great relationship and were a big reason when we were firing

I think you are talking about something that never happened.

We were firing due to the connection Grundy had with Heeney and Chad. Adams was just part if the support crew.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

I know we are on the Parker thread but the talk about recruiting Adam’s being a mistake is very curious.

We went on a competition dominating winning streak where Adams was a key cog in our machine, and while Parker was out with injury. Our midfield lacked depth and also hard clean hands to get to outside runners. Adam’s gave us this. If Adams ends up on the fringe, he still gives us depth we sorely needed and is clearly AFL material.

If Parker decides he wants to leave because he doesn’t think he will regularly get above others (NB: I think Parker does have a first 23 role to play so can’t see this being an issue) or wants to extend his career as a senior leader at a developing club (eg. North, Gold Coast, even West Coast), then all power to him.

I don’t think we need to make a link to Adams and I highly doubt anyone in the swans list management and coaching teams have given a second thought to the decision to bring Adams in.

 

[McGowan3]

I know we are on the Parker thread but the talk about recruiting Adam’s being a mistake is very curious.

We went on a competition dominating winning streak where Adams was a key cog in our machine, and while Parker was out with injury. Our midfield lacked depth and also hard clean hands to get to outside runners. Adam’s gave us this. If Adams ends up on the fringe, he still gives us depth we sorely needed and is clearly AFL material.

If Parker decides he wants to leave because he doesn’t think he will regularly get above others (NB: I think Parker does have a first 23 role to play so can’t see this being an issue) or wants to extend his career as a senior leader at a developing club (eg. North, Gold Coast, even West Coast), then all power to him.

I don’t think we need to make a link to Adams and I highly doubt anyone in the swans list management and coaching teams have given a second thought to the decision to bring Adams in.

Good post. Last season we were hit heavily by injury and needed to improve our depth. Until recently, apart from Mills, we had few injury problems. Imagine if Heeney and/or Rowbottom had been missing for a while in addition to Parker breaking his arm and getting rubbed out for 5 weeks. Also, can't see Parker uprooting his life in Sydney in the twilight of his career.

 

[ashep]

I know we are on the Parker thread but the talk about recruiting Adam’s being a mistake is very curious.

We went on a competition dominating winning streak where Adams was a key cog in our machine, and while Parker was out with injury. Our midfield lacked depth and also hard clean hands to get to outside runners. Adam’s gave us this. If Adams ends up on the fringe, he still gives us depth we sorely needed and is clearly AFL material.

If Parker decides he wants to leave because he doesn’t think he will regularly get above others (NB: I think Parker does have a first 23 role to play so can’t see this being an issue) or wants to extend his career as a senior leader at a developing club (eg. North, Gold Coast, even West Coast), then all power to him.

I don’t think we need to make a link to Adams and I highly doubt anyone in the swans list management and coaching teams have given a second thought to the decision to bring Adams in.

I think Adams was a good recruit but I question the fact that he's played every game he's been available since coming in while Parker has played VFL and started as sub multiple times.

If - and it's a big if - Parker moves on in part because the club says "you're going to be playing a bit of VFL and sub next year because we want to start Adams every game" that would be a mistake IMO.