Player Watch #9: Luke Davies-Uniacke [Part II] - '24 SBM - [Ch9] LDU's camp 'working hard to get a deal done'

[Roos1991]

**** this clubs supporters are ridiculous. Imagine pushing to trade LDU. Thank **** none of the clowns calling for this have any sort of meaningful influence into the club. Bloke is one of our very few hopes for any success.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

I think he’s an offensive weapon that in the right set up could be used to break games open. In our system, our distributors can’t set him into space where he does his best work. Clubs will know if they can put the right type of player around him he will elevate their side. There would be a fair few teams who’d put their bids in.

LDU would put the bulldogs, Essendon and St Kilda in contention.

Any of those clubs could potentially pick up Thomas as well to have the best of our old talent and their own.

 

[Its a Process]

I think LDU’s biggest problem is LDU.

From the outside looking in he has been off colour from the start of the year. Is it because he doesn’t like the direction Clarko is taking? Who knows?

What I do know is that this bloke should be a marquee player in the comp and he just isn’t.

Pretty sure he was the highest rated player in the comp after the first two rounds last year, I think he did a hammy pretty early on and then copped another injury?

 

[Ruckle]

A North supporting mate who lives down Moorabbin way told me at the Carlton game he was gone to St Kilda already. Hope its total bullsh!t but worrying.

Edit - worrying in a "what if thats true?" kind of way.

 

[perplexed]

Maybe Sheezel has taken over as 1st to be tagged by oppo lately, but when he inevitably cops one, gets practically zero assistance from team mates to help him shake it, weird.

That's true but LDU doesn't get full tags he just gets mauled at stoppages. When this is happening the best approach isn't for another player to leave their man free and block for him, it is for LDU to block for someone else as his tagger will follow and we end up with the free player. Not sure that he ever does this.

 

[Hazey1977]

A North supporting mate who lives down Moorabbin way told me at the Carlton game he was gone to St Kilda already. Hope its total bullsh!t but worrying.

Edit - worrying in a "what if thats true?" kind of way.

Will finally get to play with his best mate....

Or more likely....

Will be traded for him.... Imagine that!

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[Themanbun]

That's true but LDU doesn't get full tags he just gets mauled at stoppages. When this is happening the best approach isn't for another player to leave their man free and block for him, it is for LDU to block for someone else as his tagger will follow and we end up with the free player. Not sure that he ever does this.

100%

He's been worked out. Stick tight to him at a stoppage, or actively use his man if LDU doesn't win the ball. Then burn him around the ground.

 

[tazaa]

Korn ripped into him tonight

**** that guy but it was hard to defend (literally too)

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

100%

He's been worked out. Stick tight to him at a stoppage, or actively use his man if LDU doesn't win the ball. Then burn him around the ground.

He can’t be on the move because Xerri is a complete moron in the ruck.

So he just stands there and gets mauled.

Quality system.

 

[Themanbun]

He can’t be on the move because Xerri is a complete moron in the ruck.

So he just stands there and gets mauled.

Quality system.

I've been watching him closely and IMO he's still on the move mate. Takes the defensive setup at stoppages and then goes burning off his man, who they use for a quality clearance when he doesn't win the ball.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I've been watching him closely and IMO he's still on the move mate. Takes the defensive setup at stoppages and then goes burning off his man, who they use for a quality clearance when he doesn't win the ball.

That’s a set up issue. He should never be defensive side.

That’s not his go. I want to watch the tape of his first two games last year and what’s changed.

He was white hot. campaigner was doing it all.

 

[tazaa]

I've been watching him closely and IMO he's still on the move mate. Takes the defensive setup at stoppages and then goes burning off his man, who they use for a quality clearance when he doesn't win the ball.

The issue with Xerri is when he takes it out of the ruck its not clean at all.
He fumbles and sort of meanders his way and then hes surrounded, either tackled by the opposing ruck or one of the big bodied midfielders.

It actually burns my eyes to watch

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

The issue with Xerri is when he takes it out of the ruck its not clean at all.
He fumbles and sort of meanders his way and then hes surrounded, either tackled by the opposing ruck or one of the big bodied midfielders.

It actually burns my eyes to watch

He can’t be a long term prospect if that’s his main move.

He just can’t be.

Combine it with his brain dead free kicks and you’ve got a bowl of flaming hot vomit.

 

[swaeney]

The issue with Xerri is when he takes it out of the ruck its not clean at all.
He fumbles and sort of meanders his way and then hes surrounded, either tackled by the opposing ruck or one of the big bodied midfielders.

It actually burns my eyes to watch

Yep it giving the opposition an extra two seconds to put pressure on our mids. We actually looked better with Larkey rucking on the weekend lol

 

[remfan101]

The issue with Xerri is when he takes it out of the ruck its not clean at all.
He fumbles and sort of meanders his way and then hes surrounded, either tackled by the opposing ruck or one of the big bodied midfielders.

It actually burns my eyes to watch

BUT he gets 12 clearances so its fine

 

[tazaa]

Yep it giving the opposition an extra two seconds to put pressure on our mids. We actually looked better with Larkey rucking on the weekend lol

We've looked better when each of Larkey, Greenwood and even CCJ have been in the middle because they're actually trying to get the ball into space into an attacking position.

And that's the issue. One ruck is trying to be aggressive in his approach by winning the tap and the other is trying to neutralise the contest.
Its a brain dead strategy ffs

 

[Themanbun]

That’s a set up issue. He should never be defensive side.

That’s not his go. I want to watch the tape of his first two games last year and what’s changed.

He was white hot. campaigner was doing it all.

Agreed. As the leader of that midfield it's on him to fix unfortunately.

 

[Engimal v3]

Here's something I was messing around with this evening. The dotted line tracks LDUs possessions over the course of the Hawks game in increments of 10%. "AvgInfl" stands for "Average Influence" - where I determine where LDU's possession count for that 10% compares to the rest of his game.

• LDU's major influence came between the 30-40% of the 3rd Quarter, where he was having 3x his average influence
• LDU's lowest influence came between the Q1 80-100% and Q4, 50-80% where he was unable to gain a touch

Probably the thing of note there is that LDU's main influence came through when the game had already been lost. When it was up for grabs, he was unable to have much of an influence outside of the midpoint of Q1.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

That's true but LDU doesn't get full tags he just gets mauled at stoppages. When this is happening the best approach isn't for another player to leave their man free and block for him, it is for LDU to block for someone else as his tagger will follow and we end up with the free player. Not sure that he ever does this.

Look, I think he could be top ten player -easily- in the comp, but most of that is on the back of his cutting through congestion and powering away from the stoppage. He has now begun accumulating, even when playing poorly.

However, he wouldn’t necessarily be in our top 10 players for kicking or general disposal…

Wouldn’t be in our top 10 smartest players…

And he wouldn’t be in or top 10 defensive players (tackling and defensive running).

As one of the only marquee players we have he also doesn’t really do the team things. He doesn’t lead and he doesn’t really go when it’s his turn to protect his teammates.

In saying all that, I could easily see him going to the saints and becoming their best player, AA and push them to premiership contention next year.

But it will need to more than the pick 8-12+ next years 1st they are bound to offer.

 

[archereleven]

The issue with Xerri is when he takes it out of the ruck its not clean at all.
He fumbles and sort of meanders his way and then hes surrounded, either tackled by the opposing ruck or one of the big bodied midfielders.

It actually burns my eyes to watch

He hustles and bustles through the stoppage with the ball either in his hands or at his feet. None of our mids can access clean ball unless he fumbles it out or it's not near him after the ruck contest.

We basically have a 200cm midfielder who butchers the stoppage.

Monkhorst has got his hands full.

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[Shermanator]

Look, I think he could be top ten player -easily- in the comp, but most of that is on the back of his cutting through congestion and powering away from the stoppage. He has now begun accumulating, even when playing poorly.

However, he wouldn’t necessarily be in our top 10 players for kicking or general disposal…

Wouldn’t be in our top 10 smartest players…

And he wouldn’t be in or top 10 defensive players (tackling and defensive running).

As one of the only marquee players we have he also doesn’t really do the team things. He doesn’t lead and he doesn’t really go when it’s his turn to protect his teammates.

In saying all that, I could easily see him going to the saints and becoming their best player, AA and push them to premiership contention next year.

But it will need to more than the pick 8-12+ next years 1st they are bound to offer.

He will get protected by Ross and Steele in their midfield so it will be a massive coup for them.

Owens or King as a swap thanks Rossco Lyins

 

[Gasometer]

Here's something I was messing around with this evening. The dotted line tracks LDUs possessions over the course of the Hawks game in increments of 10%. "AvgInfl" stands for "Average Influence" - where I determine where LDU's possession count for that 10% compares to the rest of his game.

View attachment 1967675

• LDU's major influence came between the 30-40% of the 3rd Quarter, where he was having 3x his average influence
• LDU's lowest influence came between the Q1 80-100% and Q4, 50-80% where he was unable to gain a touch

Probably the thing of note there is that LDU's main influence came through when the game had already been lost. When it was up for grabs, he was unable to have much of an influence outside of the midpoint of Q1.

Bingo

Exactly what I was saying 4 weeks ago in the sense that he is not the game breaker that mythically gets floated on this Board. He is a good ordinary player in a poor team.

And Korn Francis’s footage was diabolical evidence

Hopefully stings him to realise that potential

 

[Uncle_Leo]

He will get protected by Ross and Steele in their midfield so it will be a massive coup for them.

Owens or King as a swap thanks Rossco Lyins

Owens? Where do I sign?

 

[Uber Roo]

A North supporting mate who lives down Moorabbin way told me at the Carlton game he was gone to St Kilda already. Hope its total bullsh!t but worrying.

Edit - worrying in a "what if thats true?" kind of way.

I’m hearing the same, I hope it’s BS too



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[hotchilli]

* this clubs supporters are ridiculous. Imagine pushing to trade LDU. Thank * none of the clowns calling for this have any sort of meaningful influence into the club. Bloke is one of our very few hopes for any success.

We need currency to bring in a couple more players like Stephens and Fisher