Player Watch #9: Luke Davies-Uniacke - signs until end 2025! Runner up in the 2022 Syd Barker Medal Award

[naturally north]

Only 21 more spots to fill for our round 1 clash against GC!

 

[Jindrrk]

Don't worry, I'm only interested in his groin.

You're not alone from others I think

 

[giantroo]

Only 21 more spots to fill for our round 1 clash against GC!

Baring any injuries, I would've thought that would be the case from the moment we called his name!

 

[Jesslc]

Only 21 more spots to fill for our round 1 clash against GC!

Brodie V LDU for rising star nom RD1?

Perfect game for a young gun to shine.

 

[shintemaster]

Only 21 more spots to fill for our round 1 clash against GC!

Pffft. Come on mate, Hartung is a lock

 

[naturally north]

Baring any injuries, I would've thought that would be the case from the moment we called his name!

Yeah is good to know though and it shows the value of early picks, not that I need to bang on about the value of early picks. Although I probably still will when pick 19 is rubbished for not being as good as those taken top 5.

Pffft. Come on mate, Hartung is a lock

Yeah well word on the street is he's going ok but hasn't been tackled as yet and he is looking to soon sleep with only a night light

 

[Jack Bradley]

Heard something about a possible elbow injury in practice match?

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Heard something about a possible elbow injury in practice match?

Apparently just a decently bruised elbow.

 

[Jack Bradley]

Apparently just a decently bruised elbow.

Thnx

 

[Yoko and me]

Apparently just a decently bruised elbow.

Was it bruised by an impeccably dressed gent at a godly hour?

 

[shinboner magic]

Yeah is good to know though and it shows the value of early picks, not that I need to bang on about the value of early picks. Although I probably still will when pick 19 is rubbished for not being as good as those taken top 5.



Yeah well word on the street is he's going ok but hasn't been tackled as yet and he is looking to soon sleep with only a night light

Dean laidley doesn’t agree

 

[gokangas]

Dean laidley doesn’t agree

Yeah, nah.

 

[GarnerSmash]

Yeah, nah.

Pfft (scratches head).

 

[giantroo]

JMAC on LDU


Number four draft pick Luke Davies-Uniacke is another reason North fans are excited for the 2018 campaign, and Macmillan says that hype is justified.

“Davies-Uniacke is your modern day footy player,” he said.

“He can play inside, on the wing and can even go up forward.

“He is your stereotypical midfielder in that sense he has a good height, is strong, and he can really mark the footy.

“He will be a good player but he will take a bit of time finding his feet at this level.

“He will play this year and he an exciting aspect of the footy club.”

 

[Kanga Glory]

Channel 7 news reporting LDU hurt his back at training and know likely to pull out of AFLX

 

[scottydougs]

Channel 7 news reporting LDU hurt his back at training and know likely to pull out of AFLX

Hopefully not too serious and we see him in action in JLT

 

[giantroo]

 

[giantroo]

Kangaroos won't rush 'special' Davies-Uniacke
Nick Bowen
Feb 14, 2018 6:37PM

Luke Davies-Uniacke in action during North Melbourne's intraclub match last Friday
Our senior players watch him move at training and they know that he's got some special traits
Related

• Injured Roo facing delayed start to year

LUKE Davies-Uniacke appears ready to step straight into North Melbourne's round one team, but coach Brad Scott says the Kangaroos have to be careful not to place unrealistic expectations on the prized recruit.

North selected Davies-Uniacke with pick No.4 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, the Roos' earliest draft selection since 2006 when they took Lachlan Hansen at pick No.3.

The former Dandenong Stingray has barely put a foot wrong in his first pre-season at Arden St and looked the part in the Roos' fiercely contested intraclub game last Friday.

However, Scott told AFL.com.au North would not rush Davies-Uniacke's development.

"Luke has had a really good pre-season. All of our senior players watch him move at training and they know that he's got some special traits," Scott said.

"He's quite tall for a midfielder, he's quite strong for his age and he's very strong marking above his head. I've been really impressed with how coachable Luke is too; he's very keen to learn and he's thriving in a full-time environment.

"So to look at him you would think he was ready but it takes a very, very rare player to go in and play right from the start – even Joel Selwood didn't play every game in his first year.

"I'm really conscious that he's 18. We would love Luke to push in and play a fair amount of footy for us this year but that will largely depend on the availability of our list and how Luke's handling the expectation.

"I think we've got to be careful with the expectation that we put on him."

North is hoping to unveil another former top-10 draft selection this season, in former Greater Western Sydney midfielder Paul Ahern.

Ahern was 2014's No.7 draft pick but has yet to play an AFL game after undergoing two reconstructions of his right knee in 2016.

The former Calder Cannon spent all of his first season at Arden St rehabbing his injured knee, but is poised to return for his first game in two years after a solid pre-season.

Scott was confident Ahern could become a valuable member of the Kangaroos' midfield in time, most likely as an inside ball-winner. But the North coach said the club would take a patient approach with Ahern in 2018.

"Our hope is just to get him out there playing again. We're not going to set really high expectations in terms of performance this season," Scott said.

"We just want to get him out there and get a bit of the ball, and play with some confidence and get some confidence in his body.

"He's already got through an intraclub game and played well. We think there is a hell of a lot of upside with Paul, but the priority is just to get him healthy and resilient."


"Our senior players watch him move at training and they know that he's got some special traits"

 

[Jindrrk]

Yeh sure why not......lets just start building the damn queue.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Firestarter]

Yeh sure why not......lets just start building the damn queue.

Nekminnit Preuss... someone ban me if that comes true.

 

[Jindrrk]

Nekminnit Preuss... someone ban me if that comes true.

My jynx is better than yours. Now you made me think it. So maybe you'll deserve a ban for making me think it.

 

[blackshadow]

Given the source he's set to win the rising star.

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

 

[generalleftfield]

Kangaroos won't rush 'special' Davies-Uniacke
Nick Bowen
Feb 14, 2018 6:37PM

Luke Davies-Uniacke in action during North Melbourne's intraclub match last Friday
Our senior players watch him move at training and they know that he's got some special traits
Related

• Injured Roo facing delayed start to year

LUKE Davies-Uniacke appears ready to step straight into North Melbourne's round one team, but coach Brad Scott says the Kangaroos have to be careful not to place unrealistic expectations on the prized recruit.

North selected Davies-Uniacke with pick No.4 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, the Roos' earliest draft selection since 2006 when they took Lachlan Hansen at pick No.3.

The former Dandenong Stingray has barely put a foot wrong in his first pre-season at Arden St and looked the part in the Roos' fiercely contested intraclub game last Friday.

However, Scott told AFL.com.au North would not rush Davies-Uniacke's development.

"Luke has had a really good pre-season. All of our senior players watch him move at training and they know that he's got some special traits," Scott said.

"He's quite tall for a midfielder, he's quite strong for his age and he's very strong marking above his head. I've been really impressed with how coachable Luke is too; he's very keen to learn and he's thriving in a full-time environment.

"So to look at him you would think he was ready but it takes a very, very rare player to go in and play right from the start – even Joel Selwood didn't play every game in his first year.

"I'm really conscious that he's 18. We would love Luke to push in and play a fair amount of footy for us this year but that will largely depend on the availability of our list and how Luke's handling the expectation.

"I think we've got to be careful with the expectation that we put on him."

North is hoping to unveil another former top-10 draft selection this season, in former Greater Western Sydney midfielder Paul Ahern.

Ahern was 2014's No.7 draft pick but has yet to play an AFL game after undergoing two reconstructions of his right knee in 2016.

The former Calder Cannon spent all of his first season at Arden St rehabbing his injured knee, but is poised to return for his first game in two years after a solid pre-season.

Scott was confident Ahern could become a valuable member of the Kangaroos' midfield in time, most likely as an inside ball-winner. But the North coach said the club would take a patient approach with Ahern in 2018.

"Our hope is just to get him out there playing again. We're not going to set really high expectations in terms of performance this season," Scott said.

"We just want to get him out there and get a bit of the ball, and play with some confidence and get some confidence in his body.

"He's already got through an intraclub game and played well. We think there is a hell of a lot of upside with Paul, but the priority is just to get him healthy and resilient."


"Our senior players watch him move at training and they know that he's got some special traits"

Wow really looks like Brad knows how to talk a guy up and get his confidence flying!

 

[Bigeasy]

Wow really looks like Brad knows how to talk a guy up and get his confidence flying!

Waite is f***ed next training session.