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

[Frank Thring]

Lol you idiot.

I know, I know. This leaves me with my guard down. But he's fast, big and bustling and a long, driving kick rather than a super precise one (a la Wells).

All traits that translate to the HB role the way David King or now Aaron Hall play it.

That said I hope beyond hope he becomes a midfield star and this notion just gets bumped everytime he plays another premiership team mid role for us.

Handle confirmed.

 

[King Corey]

Handle confirmed.

Sprung. On that note I'm signing off to enjoy my humble abode.

Thanks all. Bigfooty has been a blast.

 

[Psicosis]

This is not meant sarcastically, but has LDU played HBF in juniors?

His natural inclination to charge off and kick long would seem suited there.

(I don't want to move him out of the midfield was just a 'feel' based on his attributes)

Mother of God...

 

[Kangaroos techno]

This is not meant sarcastically, but has LDU played HBF in juniors?

His natural inclination to charge off and kick long would seem suited there.

(I don't want to move him out of the midfield was just a 'feel' based on his attributes)

I don't hate it. Natural inclination for mids is to rotate through the forward line - With jy, thomas, cunnington, greenwood, jed etc. all switching to the forward half. It'd be refreshing seeing someone do it through the back half.

Not sure he has the defensive attributes if he got caught 1v1...but then again neither does Hall tbh and he wasn't really exposed all that often. With turner and lmac playing back we'd have enough discipline and smarts to cover him if he went on a dash.

Goater and LDU could rotate HBF and mid.

 

[Mjs94]

This is not meant sarcastically, but has LDU played HBF in juniors?

His natural inclination to charge off and kick long would seem suited there.

(I don't want to move him out of the midfield was just a 'feel' based on his attributes)

Pretty sure he was exclusively a centre square mid for the Stingrays and at school. That he was considered the best mid in his draft class probably suggests he wasn't played elsewhere

Don't think he has the defensive nous to play back and his biggest asset is his ability to work through congestion which he is going to get more of as a mid then a defender.

I could also see a situation where he charges and kicks long from HBF to a paddock with no one forward or an oppo spare leading to him being torn to shreds on this board. Of all the players on our list I think he is most suited to exploit the 6-6-6 with that ability to break a line and kick it 55m.

Spent a fair bit of his first 3 years being wasted in the forwardline and when he finally gets a crack as one of our starting mids he puts together some really good footy. I would hate to now see him moved back (fully appreciate you're not saying he should be moved)

 

[pupstar]

Pretty sure he was exclusively a centre square mid for the Stingrays and at school. That he was considered the best mid in his draft class probably suggests he wasn't played elsewhere

Don't think he has the defensive nous to play back and his biggest asset is his ability to work through congestion which he is going to get more of as a mid then a defender.

I could also see a situation where he charges and kicks long from HBF to a paddock with no one forward or an oppo spare leading to him being torn to shreds on this board. Of all the players on our list I think he is most suited to exploit the 6-6-6 with that ability to break a line and kick it 55m.

Spent a fair bit of his first 3 years being wasted in the forwardline and when he finally gets a crack as one of our starting mids he puts together some really good footy. I would hate to now see him moved back (fully appreciate you're not saying he should be moved)

I dont think his time in the forward line in his first 3 years was a waste at all. You have to learn your trade once you enter the AFL big step up . He would have been murdered in the middle playing the roll he is doing now. Its exactly what Noble is doing with Will to a T

 

[King_AFL]

 

[Del191229]

This is the year he starts to go bang

 

[DesertRoo]

This is the year he starts to go bang

He goes bang, TT improves, we’ll make the 8...

 

[Del191229]

He goes bang, TT improves, we’ll make the 8...

LDU is now big enough to play seniors like he did juniours.

 

[DesertRoo]

LDU is now big enough to play seniors like he did juniours.

give it another 18m and he‘ll be untacklable like Cunners.

 

[Shermanator]

give it another 18m and he‘ll be untacklable like Cunners.

Saying that 10 times as fast as you can gives you a headache

 

[ferball]

give it another 18m and he‘ll be untacklable like Cunners.

I know Cunners is going thru a lot but I hope it doesn't cost him his tackle.

 

[shinboner magic]

He needs to tidy up his kicking big time if he's going to go to the next level. His short kicks especially seemed to fly off the boot last season.

Yeah I noticed this to but seemed to hit every pass on his left.

 

[Lomas]

Yeah I noticed this to but seemed to hit every pass on his left.

So he needs to go back, and to the left? Sounds a bit conspiracy theory to me.

 

[shinboner magic]

So he needs to go back, and to the left? Sounds a bit conspiracy theory to me.

You’re a wordsmith

 

[roos_fanatic08]

As much as I want to see him averaging 28+ touches per game I would much prefer to see him improve his physicality and tackling. Im not saying his soft or anything like that but it’s the area of his game that’s lacking the most. At times he can still be tentative/flat footed around the contest.

I’m desperate for him to have the same tenacity at the contest as someone like Jed. If he had that, with his now mature body and explosiveness he’d be just about unstoppable.

To me he still has the most amount of potential of any of our young midfielders.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Specimen

 

[the big lebowski]

Is Tarryn ever not smiling?

 

[Val Keating]

Specimen

Gonna be a monster

 

[Merlin007]

As much as I want to see him averaging 28+ touches per game I would much prefer to see him improve his physicality and tackling. Im not saying his soft or anything like that but it’s the area of his game that’s lacking the most. At times he can still be tentative/flat footed around the contest.

I’m desperate for him to have the same tenacity at the contest as someone like Jed. If he had that, with his now mature body and explosiveness he’d be just about unstoppable.

To me he still has the most amount of potential of any of our young midfielders.

The point is well made, but it’s also about the sum of the parts being more than the individual components; you don’t see Dustin Martin smashing too many tackles (neither did Higgo when he was with us). LDU can do his thing in a balanced midfield

 

[Frank Thring]

The point is well made, but it’s also about the sum of the parts being more than the individual components; you don’t see Dustin Martin smashing too many tackles (neither did Higgo when he was with us). LDU can do his thing in a balanced midfield

Wtf?

 

[Merlin007]

Wtf?

First off, I’m not sure there’s a need to imply I’m mentally deficient for having a view.

And then as to the substantive issue, the point I’m making is that not all A grade talent comes as a tackling machine - Martin averaged 2.2 tackles in 2021 and 2.3 in 2020. Or put another way, LDU has plenty to offer without topping the tackle count

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

LDU has a long way to go before he can play the ...I don't need to tackle or chase card....a long long way.

 

[Frank Thring]

First off, I’m not sure there’s a need to imply I’m mentally deficient for having a view.

And then as to the substantive issue, the point I’m making is that not all A grade talent comes as a tackling machine - Martin averaged 2.2 tackles in 2021 and 2.3 in 2020. Or put another way, LDU has plenty to offer without topping the tackle count

First of all I never suggested you were just perplexed at your statement.

Second of all your point above is not what I was questioning, you spoke about breaking tackles not making them.