Toast #27 Jack Darling

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JordanWCE

JordanWCE

Norm Smith Medallist
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Oct 1, 2007
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Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Chelsea FC, West Perth, All Blacks
Height: 191cm
Weight: 87kg
DOB: 13-06-1992
Recruited from: West Perth
Bio: Forward with a great ability to take a mark overhead, and with a tenacity at the ball that ensures he gets his hands on it. Great foot and hand skills lead to clean disposal. He was named in the NAB Under-18 All Australian team in 2009 and again provided an excellent marking target up forward for Western Australia in 2010, taking 22 marks in 5 games.

Draft History: 2010 NAB AFL Draft Priority pick (West Coast) No. 26 overall.

Stats (aggregate for 2010 U18s National Championships)
Ga K H/B D M Go H/O

5 45 35 80 22 5 28

In his own words
What type of player are you?
A hard, courageous and competitive player who brings other players into the game.

Which AFL player do you feel you resemble and why?
People say Jonathan Brown with his strength, courage and leadership. Lance Franklin as well because of his agility, speed and athleticism.

What are your strengths as a footballer?
Marking, ferocity at the ball, defensive pressure, strength, speed, endurance, agility and mental strength.

What parts of your game would you like to improve?
I need to improve the timing of my leads and my core strength.

Which AFL team do you support and how did you come to barrack for them?
Growing up I barracked for the Eagles, but now I don’t mind who wins. I just like watching a good game.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career so far, and why?
My dad - he has been my mentor and assistant coach and has helped me train over the years.

darlingx.jpg
 

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I am fortunate to remember Aaron Hamill at his best and JD is exactly the same type of player Hamill was.
For those who never saw Hamill Play, Here is a bit of info and probably the most important info about him.

He was called the Hammer.
Cause he used to Hammer Packs and Players and was always the first player to go in and defend a team mate.

His stats imho are NOT important because he played in a different era.
But he kicked a total of 239 goals out of 192 games.
Here is Aarons Bio so When Jack starts Whooping Ass we can compare them both.

Height: 184cm
Weight: 92kgs

AFL career
Carlton Football Club

Debuting in 1996 with the Carlton Blues, Hamill was a favourite among supporters for his strong marking and goalkicking. He is known as "Hammer" or "Sammy". He was a key part of the Blues 1997 pre-season premiership side and was also part of Carlton's runner up team in 1999. He played with Carlton from 1996–2000 with 92 games and 114 goals. At the end of the 2000 season he was traded to St Kilda after having an argument with Carlton president John Elliott. (he took on the Prez Big Jack)
St Kilda Football Club

At the end of 2000 when he moved to St Kilda, among other big name signings, such as Fraser Gehrig and Steven Lawrence.
He was named captain of the Saints for the 2003 season and his influence for the team was unquestionable. He had a tough, uncompromising style, always committing himself to the contest. As a result he sustained many injuries over his career, and midway through 2005 he missed a large part of the season with an assortment of hip, shoulder, and knee injuries. Due to the same array of injuries, he missed the entire 2007 season. Doctors advised Hamill that he should retire from the game due to the toll it takes on his body.
Retirement

On October 3, 2007 Hamill announced his retirement from AFL football.
Hamill played 190 AFL matches with Carlton and St Kilda. In a career crippled by injury towards the end, he was remembered for his uncompromising attack on the football. He was a member of preseason premiership sides at both clubs.
"The decision to retire has been one of the hardest to make in my football career. However, I felt it was in the best interest of the club moving forward," Hamill said. "This will now allow a younger player to step up and cement themselves in the St Kilda side.[2]
"I would like to thank my family and close friends for their support over the journey. I am grateful to the Carlton Football Club for providing me with the opportunity to play and develop as a footballer," he said.
"Their inspirational leaders taught me to crave success and dedication to a cause, which will stay with me forever. I would also like to express my gratitude to Grant Thomas whose efforts did not go unnoticed by the playing group during his six years as coach. I wish Ross Lyon and the St Kilda Football Club all the best moving forward and hope that the current playing group will achieve the ultimate success."
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon reflected on Hamill's contribution to the club. "Aaron is a tremendously respected figure and he has played a significant role in getting this team to where it stands today. We all wish him the best in his retirement as he prepares for life after footy".
Career stats

Aaron Hamill – Career Stats:
  • Career games: 192
  • Career goals: 239
  • Brownlow Medal: career votes 22.
Playing honours
  • Third in St Kilda's best and fairest 2001;
  • St Kilda AFL WHL Cup Winning side 2004;[3]
  • Carlton pre-season premiership side 1997;
  • St Kilda captain 2003.
 
This guy is well worth the risk re: supposed 'character issues'.

Some say he is too small for a key forward role....Bullshit, I reckon there have been more AND better forwards around the 191/2 mark than over sized 194-7 forwards for sure. IMO, will be a big utility that can have a big impact regardless of position given his athletic ability (which is fantastic).

Will take some time, but will shut up the ill-informed/ignorant knockers....imo.
 
INSANE said:
This guy is well worth the risk re: supposed 'character issues'.

Some say he is too small for a key forward role....Bullshit, I reckon there have been more AND better forwards around the 191/2 mark than over sized 194-7 forwards for sure. IMO, will be a big utility that can have a big impact regardless of position given his athletic ability (which is fantastic).

Will take some time, but will shut up the ill-informed/ignorant knockers....imo.
Click to expand...
Hear hear. Taylor Walker's going ok for a KPF emerging in "the modern era", and you'd have to say Bradshaw, Pavlich and Fevola can prove "something of a handful" forward, none are over 192...

If Darling grows one more inch and reaches 193cm (a fair bet considering he turned 18 in June 2010) he matches the height of Nick Riewoldt, Roughead, Podsiadly, Dawes, Hurley and Jay Schulz... some ok KPF goal kicking in there...

For mine, Darling has every talent to follow Taylor Walker's path as an emerging elite KPF.
 
Only thing I dont like at the moment is the fact there isn't a smidgen of information the man taking part in our pre-season training.
 
From Quigley's 2010 Mock Draft

Jack Darling
DOB 16/6/92 Ht 191 Wt 87

The popular choice on BF to drop right down the list. Personally I am not seeing it and if he were available anytime after pick 10 I would be snapping him up and laughing all the way to the bank. He is marked down by many because he is considered not tall enough nor athletic enough for the main position he has played to date – full forward. People also think he has benefited from playing most of his junior career as a man amongst boys and there is limited scope for improvement. On the face of it all that is true but it completely discounts his biggest weapon and something which could make him an elite player at AFL level – his football brain. The kid is a footballer and his ability to read the play, get to the right position and influence the play to the best advantage of his team is superb. This is not just leading out and kicking goals this is also shepherding, tackling, tapping the ball on, calling his teammates into a play, spoiling, being a physical presence and generally doing all the little things which help teams win. At 191 he also rucked in the forward line and managed a very respectable 28 hit outs. Like Tom Rockliff a couple of years ago you need to overlook what many believe to be his physical limitations and see the exceptional things that he can bring to a team.

Most people also have him pegged purely as a KPF and figure if he doesn’t make it there there is nothing else for him. The thing is he played plenty of midfield at the Champs and did it very well. I am sure the club recruiters were paying close attention to this because this is where I think his future lies. When he goes into the middle he is a very solid clearance winner and has GAJ-like core strength over the ball and just refuses to be moved. He covers a fair bit of ground and will get into the backline to help out if needed. I think he needs to improve his endurance levels to get the most out of himself as currently I think this area limited his repeat efforts, chases and ability to play through the midfield for extended periods. The fact that he had some OP last preseason might worry a few teams with plans for him in the midfield. He gets to space well when in the middle but not as often as he could if had more of a tank.

Darling managed to average 16 possessions per game at the champs splitting time up forward and in the midfield. He has very quick hands and is a good field kick of the ball. His options taking is excellent and he is very composed with the ball in hand taking the time for his options to open up rather than rushing things. He is a one touch player with very clean hands and is an exceptional mark overhead. He may struggle up forward in the AFL against bigger and faster opposition but he is a smart leader who gets separation despite not having great pace and with his hands he will always be dangerous. He is a nice shot for goal with range comfortably out to 50. He is perhaps not an exceptional shot for goal but is above average for a forward at junior or AFL level.

My biggest concern with him is off the field where he has been generating serious flags for the last year. There have always been a few concerns about him but getting excluded from the private school he attended and then being seriously hurt in a fight outside a nightclub would have many teams worried introducing him to their teams especially if they were a young team without a strong leadership group (eg the Gold Coast). Teams will be doing a lot of homework on his psyche.

Overall he reminds me most of at the moment is Morabito but down the track I think, if he is prepared to work, he could be a Jimmy Bartel type who can play in the middle or up forward.

Seriously think we are laughing getting him at 26!:D
 
sTeeL said:
Only thing I dont like at the moment is the fact there isn't a smidgen of information the man taking part in our pre-season training.
Click to expand...

mmmmm
A number of weeks ago during January training I mentioned that he was a thinking footballer.
And that he was very aggressive with little fear.
 
2008 NAB AFL Under 16 Championship
"In 2008, as a 16 year old, Darling was the most highly-rated young footballer in the country. He absolutely dominated the 2008 NAB AFL Under 16 Championship, averaging 190 Champion Data points, the highest average Champion Data has ever recorded for any player at any level over four consecutive games. He ranked #1 at the carnival in contested marks (4.5 per game) and inside 50s (7.3 per game) and #2 in contested possessions (67% contested possession). In one game, Darling racked up a record 308 SuperCoach points."

http://yscc.com.au/wiki/index.php?title=Jack_Darling

It tracks his recent AFL games as well.
 

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After this weekends game, he has to be playing Round 1. The energy he brought was insane. A bloody steal at pick 26.
 
Darling reminds me of a more athletic/dynamic Hurley albeit only 2cm shorter. It's interesting that when Hurley was drafted he was only 192cm and then grew 1cm yet no one made a fuss about his height as a KPP.

Good luck to the kid on his debut.
 
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