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

Remove this Banner Ad

I don’t think you can just look at stats with JD. He absolutely takes a defender when in the 50, has good pressure inside 50 with tackling when on also. Has a decent tank for sure.

What Darling will do at North;
  • Elite trainer, will set standards and look a million bucks at all times
  • Take a decent defender. You absolutely have to man this guy up or he will mark it. Not as much a lead up as a strength / outmuscle for position marking target
  • Annoy supporters at times that just look at the stats sheet and not the above positives he provides the forward structure. Waterman was brilliant this year, and JD gets at least some credit for working up the ground and dragging a decent defender around when on the park
 
Yeahnahmate said:
I don’t think you can just look at stats with JD. He absolutely takes a defender when in the 50, has good pressure inside 50 with tackling when on also. Has a decent tank for sure.

What Darling will do at North;
  • Elite trainer, will set standards and look a million bucks at all times
  • Take a decent defender. You absolutely have to man this guy up or he will mark it. Not as much a lead up as a strength / outmuscle for position marking target
  • Annoy supporters at times that just look at the stats sheet and not the above positives he provides the forward structure. Waterman was brilliant this year, and JD gets at least some credit for working up the ground and dragging a decent defender around when on the park
Click to expand...

Yes I think the overall contribution to an increase in forward line output will go beyond his actual goals and goal assists. We actually haven’t had 2 key forwards that know what they are doing together since 2019. It was brown and larkey, then just larkey.

As a team we have looked way better when we have had a second genuine key forward. We’ve tried guys that are ok but don’t really know what they are doing or are wingmen (walker, Teakle, pink, comben (given time I think he will be great), sellers, xerri/goldy, ccj)

Darling is just a much better forward than all those guys.

With he and larkey, and the growth of our medium talls (Zuhaar, Dursma) and smalls (Curtis, Simpkin, Parker, Sheezel) it looks well balanced finally.

Plus we can always swing comben forward if needed.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

 
Mute Point said:
He's one of us now. Get behind him.
Pick 67, a throw at the dartboard.
If nothing else will offer leadership & improvement in standards across the team.
Click to expand...
Joining Welcome Home GIF
 
zoomba23 said:
That headline could probably be true for any player that we trade in from another team. I'm sure both Parker and Darling will be unpleasantly surprised at our team's work ethic
Click to expand...
If 2 years of Clarko and Viney have not fixed that, what chance do a couple of new players have?
What I find interesting is the comment that has been mentioned a few times, but seemingly not picked up by most people - the comment around the fact that Darling played the "sacrificial" tole in his last couple of years at WC to help Allen and Waterman. But implying that this won't need to be the case, so he may surprise plenty of people if he's allowed to be the focal point.
Interesting implication regarding our development of young forwards
 
Event Horizon said:
If 2 years of Clarko and Viney have not fixed that, what chance do a couple of new players have?
What I find interesting is the comment that has been mentioned a few times, but seemingly not picked up by most people - the comment around the fact that Darling played the "sacrificial" tole in his last couple of years at WC to help Allen and Waterman. But implying that this won't need to be the case, so he may surprise plenty of people if he's allowed to be the focal point.
Interesting implication regarding our development of young forwards
Click to expand...
What young forwards?
 
King Corey said:
What young forwards?
Click to expand...
Well, that's my exact point. But presumably, we will draft one this year and Comben could be classified as one
 


 


 
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

King Corey said:
"I still feel like I can have seasons where I kick 40 or 50 VFL goals."

"VFL?"

"Yeh state league bro"

<BradyDropCoffeeCup.gif>
Click to expand...
There are prisoners in Russian Gulags that have more chance of kicking 50 goals in the AFL than Darling.
 
Yeahnahmate said:
I don’t think you can just look at stats with JD. He absolutely takes a defender when in the 50, has good pressure inside 50 with tackling when on also. Has a decent tank for sure.

What Darling will do at North;
  • Elite trainer, will set standards and look a million bucks at all times
  • Take a decent defender. You absolutely have to man this guy up or he will mark it. Not as much a lead up as a strength / outmuscle for position marking target
  • Annoy supporters at times that just look at the stats sheet and not the above positives he provides the forward structure. Waterman was brilliant this year, and JD gets at least some credit for working up the ground and dragging a decent defender around when on the park
Click to expand...
Sounds a lot like Drew Petrie in his last couple of seasons. I’ll take that every day of the week right now in our forward setup.
 


NEW North Melbourne forward Jack Darling says he didn't leave West Coast just to extend his career at the top level by a season or two and collect a paycheque.

The 298-game Eagles great was traded to the Kangaroos for pick No.67 in the second deal of the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period and said he was looking forward to having a serious on-field impact in North's rebuild.

"I still feel like I've got those seasons in me where I can kick 40 or 50 goals, and put on tons of pressure, and bash and crash," Darling told Gettable on AFL Trade Radio.

"I'm not just there to help young guys, I'm there to be a focal point up there with (Nick) Larkey and help the other guys out like (Zane) Duursma and (Cam) Zurhaar – I don't want name everyone but the list goes in – but I'm there to not just help the young guys.


"I want to lead the way and have a very strong finish to my career."
v345Afap.jpg



Jack Darling looks on during West Coast's clash against Geelong in round 24, 2024. Picture: Getty Images


Darling, 32, was left out of West Coast's side at the end of the season, leaving him just shy of becoming the second Eagles player behind Shannon Hurn to reach the 300-game mark.

"I could have got there in the last round this year but it wasn't to be," he said.

" I think the writing was on the wall for my football career at West Coast. I felt like to get two (years) and possibly a third at North was the best option for me.

"I feel like I've still got three seasons left of good footy in me, the way the body feels. If I'd stayed at West Coast, it was sort of maybe coming to an end quicker than that.

"For me, to extend my career as well, I felt like this was the best option and I'm looking forward to giving absolutely everything to the North Melbourne Football Club, as I have to West Coast for 14 years, fully committed." – Michael Rogers
 
Last edited:
Yeahnahmate said:
What Darling will do at North;
  • Take a decent defender. You absolutely have to man this guy up or he will mark it. Not as much a lead up as a strength / outmuscle for position marking target
Click to expand...
So the anti-Larks. Works for us.
Larks is a better lead up forward, struggles 1:1 when stationary.
 
The cynics amongst us would say he's only motivation is extracting the maximum coin out of his career.

Massive watch for me on how many chins he’s sporting after the Xmas break. Sounds like the main reason we brought him in is for his professionalism. So let’s see it.
 
speedy said:
The cynics amongst us would say he's only motivation is extracting the maximum coin out of his career.
Click to expand...
Jarrad Waite was quite transparent that this was his reason. Also called us “Kangaroos” for a very long time yet became a fan favourite.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

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

Similar threads

ansonholt
Prediction The Jack Darling 2025 NMFC goalkicking tally and nude runs prediction thread
Replies
21
Views
657
Gasometer
Gasometer
giantroo
Player Watch #5: Caleb Daniel - Welcome to North Melbourne - NM trade R2(25) for CD
9 10 11 12 13
Replies
315
Views
21K
Shazeezal
Shazeezal
giantroo
AFLW #?: Ariana Hetherington - traded to NM for R3 pick (51)
Replies
18
Views
792
Liam Boy
Liam Boy
giantroo
AFLW #?: Eilish Sheerin - NM trade Pick 18 to Richmond for Eilish.
2 3 4
Replies
89
Views
4K
bennymate
bennymate
Nate7
Autopsy R13 NM v WCE in Perth
20 21 22 23 24
Replies
590
Views
24K
FlyHigh18
FlyHigh18
giantroo
Player Watch #36: River Stevens -selected with Pick 67 in the ND - Welcome Home, River!
5 6 7 8 9
Replies
205
Views
15K
DuckYeah
DuckYeah
giantroo
Player Watch #41: Jacob Konstanty - Welcome to North Melbourne - traded with L.Parker for Pick 44
5 6 7 8 9
Replies
224
Views
16K
Lomas
L

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top