Player Watch #28: Jack Darling - has officially been traded to NM from WCE in exchange for #67 - welcome Jack

[King Corey]

View attachment 2114174

Nice!

 

[Taylor]

W80 had significantly better stats in his last year at carlton than Darling had at WC this year.

Waite is a superior player, there's no two ways about that but let's not pretend that Carlton kicking 86 points a game in 2014 and WC kicking 69 points a game in 2024 isn't going to reflect in the stats of their key forwards.

I'm not trying to sell Darling to you but he should be a very cheap role playing key forward to stop opposition teams being able to double team Larkey

 

[The Nostradamus]

Reckon he should take Greenwood's #1 guernsey.

Yeah like that

He’s essentially replacing his spot on the list

I’m just glad we never have to see pink again, bloke may as well pack his bags now

 

[cznsnowy91]

$800,000 a season

Is Joyce back?

Does it matter? Gotta pay somebody, although admittedly I'd just give it all to Sheez or George who give 100% every week

 

[Passmore]

That’s a great headline in the article…”The pick that could unlock the Darling trade”……pick 64….

 

[giantroo]

 

[ferball]

Waite is a superior player, there's no two ways about that but let's not pretend that Carlton kicking 86 points a game in 2014 and WC kicking 69 points a game in 2024 isn't going to reflect in the stats of their key forwards.

I'm not trying to sell Darling to you but he should be a very cheap role playing key forward to stop opposition teams being able to double team Larkey

W8 was a far superior player imo but there was the same sort or fuss about him joining us. Now he's a loved ex player.

I think the only reason we are getting Darling is that he provides forward pressure and structure when we have little of either. He may be trying to develop himself as a coach after footy and so hopes to provide onfield coaching as well. Maybe... I do know our forward line was terrible this year and something needs to be done to fix it.

 

[shintemaster]

Waite is a superior player, there's no two ways about that but let's not pretend that Carlton kicking 86 points a game in 2014 and WC kicking 69 points a game in 2024 isn't going to reflect in the stats of their key forwards.

I'm not trying to sell Darling to you but he should be a very cheap role playing key forward to stop opposition teams being able to double team Larkey

Yep. Same as looking at the Coleman finishing positions and saying that Hogan is hugely superior to Larkey (or Treacy for that matter) this year. How many goals, how many wins, how many inside 50's, quality of entries, times that player was targeted. You can make the claim absolutely, but it's not a quantifiably confirmed result unless you are a simpleton.

 

[lockheed]

I'm not keen on recruiting Darling but I'll have to trust our coaches and recruiters on this.

My other concern is that we'll continue to play too tall and slow, and hence our forward entries will continue to slingshot into the opposition's forward line.

 

[Orange Peanut]

Someone needs to loosen up!

 

[Gasometer]

 

[KangaRooster]

North player. Back him til he proves you wrong.

 

[CURVE]

All fair, and it looks like I will have to begrudgingly accept it. Yes, you can add experience and kids at the same time, but you need to open up the list spots to do this. I'm big on a solid cull this year, say twelve or thirteen. Only two drafts until Tassie come in, when it will be harder to replace the dead wood. I fear that if we only cut eight or nine this year, next draft we could leave ourselves snookered. This year other teams are starting to cut anyone borderline as they think there is quality late in the draft. We could do the same, or even pick-up some useful delisted players to fill holes, what I don't think we can do is let another chance to fix our list balance drift by. All the signs are that is what will happen.

I don't think we can afford to have another big cull of players, we have already culled the list five times in the last eight years and have taken a further step backwards each time. I'm a little more optimistic about our list and think we need to be a little more circumspect with our delisting's this season and allow the team to develop.

Anyway, welcome to North Mr. Darling. I hope you are worth pick 64.

 

[lockheed]

I don't think we can afford to have another big cull of players, we have already culled the list five times in the last eight years and have taken a further step backwards each time. I'm a little more optimistic about our list and think we need to be a little more circumspect with our delisting's this season and allow the team to develop.

Anyway, welcome to North Mr. Darling. I hope you are worth pick 64.

As this is an uncommonly deep draft, would Wet Coast accept our F4th pick? (Asking in hope?)

 

[chubbspeterson]

All fair, and it looks like I will have to begrudgingly accept it. Yes, you can add experience and kids at the same time, but you need to open up the list spots to do this. I'm big on a solid cull this year, say twelve or thirteen. Only two drafts until Tassie come in, when it will be harder to replace the dead wood. I fear that if we only cut eight or nine this year, next draft we could leave ourselves snookered. This year other teams are starting to cut anyone borderline as they think there is quality late in the draft. We could do the same, or even pick-up some useful delisted players to fill holes, what I don't think we can do is let another chance to fix our list balance drift by. All the signs are that is what will happen.

Well we haven't even announced our delistings yet or finished trade week so we don't know how many are coming in and who is going out yet. We've got a pretty full rookie list with Maley, Teakle, RHJ, K Dawson and Payne as it is and some of those players need a bit longer to develop or some will be gone in 12 months.
Next year might involve more rookies drafted if those players don't come on next year.
Not sure adding another 10 x 18/19 year olds across the next two years is the list balance we need when we're already young and lack experience. It needs to be complemented with hopefully with a few UFA's) or mid 20 yr old players.

 

[koshari]

You do realise that the AFL pays every single clubs salary cap. You need to take a break from here for your own mental health.

Seriously

You sound a bit out of control and irrational

precisely, we dont struggle to pay the TPP because we are broke, its because we cant get any decent players to fill it.,

 

[Ichiro #51]

I’m neither excited nor angry, but I would have preferred to just give the 800,000+ to Parker as an extra to get him over the line.

Buy him a McLaren. A fishing boat with a tackle box full of hundreds. 160 Nederlander Kooikerhonje puppies. Whatever he’s into.

 

[perplexed]

I don't think we can afford to have another big cull of players, we have already culled the list five times in the last eight years and have taken a further step backwards each time. I'm a little more optimistic about our list and think we need to be a little more circumspect with our delisting's this season and allow the team to develop.

Anyway, welcome to North Mr. Darling. I hope you are worth pick 64.

Okay. Here is a list of the 25 players we have out of contract this year and next. It's ugly.

2025 - LDU, Goater, Corr, Tucker, Ford, Bergman, Phillips, Pink, K Dawson, Teakle, Maley, RHJ, Payne, CCJ, Stevo, Nyuon,
2024 - Taylor, Lazzaro, Harvey, Thomas, Greenwood, Drury, Free, Sellers, Shiels

How many are you confident to say we should still have around in 2026? I have one definitely staying, 16 that need to go, plus another 8 likely to stay or I'm hopeful could step up. If we don't cut hard this year, when replacing players should be easier, next year will be a shambles. Bare in mind that we don't need to replace them all - as we are currently four over the maximum list size.

 

[kool kangas]

 

[perplexed]

Well we haven't even announced our delistings yet or finished trade week so we don't know how many are coming in and who is going out yet. We've got a pretty full rookie list with Maley, Teakle, RHJ, K Dawson and Payne as it is and some of those players need a bit longer to develop or some will be gone in 12 months.
Next year might involve more rookies drafted if those players don't come on next year.
Not sure adding another 10 x 18/19 year olds across the next two years is the list balance we need when we're already young and lack experience. It needs to be complemented with hopefully with a few UFA's) or mid 20 yr old players.

They don't all need to be kids. But we need to clean out a lot of garbage.

 

[CURVE]

Okay. Here is a list of the 25 players we have out of contract this year and next. It's ugly.

2025 - LDU, Goater, Corr, Tucker, Ford, Bergman, Phillips, Pink, K Dawson, Teakle, Maley, RHJ, Payne, CCJ, Stevo, Nyuon,
2024 - Taylor, Lazzaro, Harvey, Thomas, Greenwood, Drury, Free, Sellers, Shiels

How many are you confident to say we should still have around in 2026? I have one definitely staying, 16 that need to go, plus another 8 likely to stay or I'm hopeful could step up. If we don't cut hard this year, when replacing players should be easier, next year will be a shambles. Bare in mind that we don't need to replace them all - as we are currently four over the maximum list size.

As I said, I'm a little more optimistic and don't think we need to cut too hard this season. I have highlighted in GREEN the players who have already left or who I think we should delist or trade if possible.

2025 - LDU, Goater, Corr, Tucker, Ford, Bergman, Phillips, Pink, K Dawson, Teakle, Maley, RHJ, Payne, CCJ, Stevo, Nyuon,
2024 - Taylor, Lazzaro, Harvey, Thomas, Greenwood, Drury, Free, Sellers, Shiels

I don't know if Taylor or Lazzaro have any trade value, but if they do, I'm happy to trade one or both of them, otherwise I'd like to keep one of them for backup, I went with Lazzaro because he doesn't frustrate me as much Taylor. I don't know enough about Free to make a knowledgeable decision, but talls take longer to develop so I'm happy to give him another year if management think he is worth it. And while I have highlighted Harvey, I hope we would pick him up in the rookie draft, I thought he showed a bit in 2023, but injuries ruined his 2024 season.

As for the 2025 list, I'd only list the final three at this stage.

 

[Arthur Cloke]

Yeah like that

He’s essentially replacing his spot on the list

I’m just glad we never have to see pink again, bloke may as well pack his bags now

Can someone please tell me WHY Pink had a contract extension clause in his contract???? Were other clubs circling him? What bargaining power did Pink have to demand that? Its dead set extraordinary. It really is.

But on Darling, he's always been a bit of a "Wild Child". Do we off him the captaincy for a year or 2 while Sheezel develops?

 

[travelli]

W80 had significantly better stats in his last year at carlton than Darling had at WC this year.

Carlton were filthy to lose Waite. WC are encouraging Darling to go. Can't compare.

Will do fine as a Pink replacement for 2 years.

 

[Zondor]

W80 had significantly better stats in his last year at carlton than Darling had at WC this year.

Kudos for seeing the truth in this instance. :stern look

 

[RHLK]

Trying too hard to find diamonds in the rough and being left with coal

That's a fossilised turd.