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

[The Warlord]

Re: pick 64, we can generate a pick similar to that if we have the list vacancies. One of the reasons that R4 picks are not valuable.

Isn't there some shenanigans where we can Cat B Stevo's kid or some such if nobody bids on him too, obviating the need even for that throwaway pick?

 

[perplexed]

Isn't there some shenanigans where we can Cat B Stevo's kid or some such if nobody bids on him too, obviating the need even for that throwaway pick?

Not Cat B. But if nobody bids we can rookie him before the rookie draft.
Also, if he is bid on after 56 you just need a list spot to match.

 

[kool kangas]

If we end up with Darling, Parker, Houston and get Armstrong with our 1st pick then l will be estatic...

and...

I DON'T WANT ADAMS!!!

 

[hilly]

Isn't there some shenanigans where we can Cat B Stevo's kid or some such if nobody bids on him too, obviating the need even for that throwaway pick?

Perplexed is correct. Clubs generally won't bid late on f/s fwiw.

 

[apollo_creed]

Darlings (191cm) potential impact on Duursma (190cm) - who multiple people have suggested is a hyper talented player with a tendency to coast - can't be understated either

Let's instil some work ethic and give him an example to chase

They’re not even remotely similar players.

 

[shinboner magic]

Just saw Stephen Wells fall to his knees in a Barwon Heads shopping center car park

Was the premier walking past

 

[apollo_creed]

Responses from eagles fans when I asked what darling would bring to north

* best answer may be no 7

1:

-Defensively Darling is still good
-Will still attract a good defender, so will take some heat off Larkey
-Has been durable and a good trainer
-Knows where to lead/block to free up his partner (think Kennedy/Allen/Waterman)
-Likely contribute 20+ goals a season
-Will help set standards for the young forwards to match

Most importantly though
He isn't Pink or Teakle

Could be your Drew Petrie, who still has a role at the Eagles and is loved by the players.

2:

He'll run hard. He's lost his agility and any jump. For some reason he prefers to concede front position and try and shift his opponent under the ball (not very successfully mostly). He'll train hard, present in excellent nick and probably not get injured. He's happy to share the ball around when he gets it if there's a better option on.

3:

Jack is durable and will present well for the next 2 years

He has lost some of his leap so you won’t get as many pack marks as say 3 years ago

As a sidekick to Larkin, he will do well and probably get you 30 goals a year

He will straighten you up and command a decent defender man him up

He is also useful taking forward ruck knocks

He is also a pretty good set shot

4:

He moves like a brick shithouse, but he’s still great defensively, will draw a defender away from the other forwards and will run in patterns to open space up in the forward line. Durable player too so should help set training standards (just don’t ask him about vaccinations).

5:

Hes been the #3 or 4 target for us this year, with a very weak midfield kicking it in f50. Hes always going to find it hard to kick goals in that situation, he plays as a tall not a small so our structure just didnt work for him.
He copped a lot of shit for realistically being played out of position in a poor team.

He is still very good to elite for tackling/pressure inside 50. He doesnt lose many marking 1 on 1s, despite not winning them either.

I presume your club will want to draft a KPF, and then have Darling hold the fort for a couple of years with Larkey + Teakle/whoever(ruck/fwd) until your young KPF is actually ready. This makes sense and idk why your fellow supporters cant see this, a 18 year old KPF generally cant do much in their couple of years of footy.

Instead of having Pink or Teakle as an important part of your fwd structure who arent natural KPFs, you get a guy who knows how to play a FF or CHF role and knows how to be the #2. Should improve forward structure straight away.

I dont think you guys want Zurhaar to be forced to play as a pseudo tall either, Darling frees him up too to play whats more natural or even allow Zurhaar to have stints onball. I know you guys probably lack a big body mid with aggression

6:

Not a lot of scoreboard impact but he should would help alot in the defensive side and take pressure off larkey. He will be non competitive if he isn’t fit but like Simmo said this week, he hardly lost a contest this year (didn’t win a heap tho) but neutralised most of them. Think his slow down and being undersized he would be more suitable if he was the third tall tho

7: *

Has been said but by far his best remaining strength is halving contests. Sounds like a bad thing (shouldn’t forwards be winning them?) but so much of our ball movement plan over recent years has been dump it long to the wing to a 2v1, and Darling will somehow manufacture a stoppage from it more often than not. Very clever at tap ons, timely spoils, stuff you don’t want as your ace from your KPFs but it’s how he’s remained viable.

Work rate can’t be questioned. Regular impact can however. He’ll be in the right spots and you can see his old man body chasing and working, but some games he just doesn’t get anywhere near it with any regularity. As shown this year though, he still has these bizarre quarters and games where you think he’s 10 years younger and he drags you into periods of momentum.

As a work horse to guide a young forward line, and to halve some contests when you’re panic exiting D50, he’ll be an asset. As a match winner or scoreboard impact, he’ll make you tear your hair out with the quarter by quarter rollercoaster experience, and more often than not with where we’re both at you’d simply rather someone younger get the minutes. But if Clarko’s MO is get some experience in to set standards - can’t fault it at all.

For the Eagles, if we got a meaningful pick back (eg 40s not pick 75 or some nonsense) it would be a no brainer and a bit of a win for all parties. If that’s too rich for North, I’d prefer he just ring up game 300 here or test the market elsewhere to see if someone will give up a third rounder for him. But he’s about to be fourth/fifth in line for the only position our list has in absolute spades, so it all makes too much sense if the deal is there to be done.

There’s pretty much nothing positive there.

summarised - he will try hard and be popular with the players but he cant jump or move so dont expect much.

 

[Devington]

Was the premier walking past

Nah, it was the bloke who signs off on zoning permits right after the players buy the land.

 

[Devington]

There’s pretty much nothing positive there.

summarised - he will try hard and be popular with the players but he cant jump or move so dont expect much.

Just ignoring the consensus that he actually knows how to lead and still offers consistent defensive pressure?

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Just ignoring the consensus that he actually knows how to lead and still offers consistent defensive pressure?

If he can draw an opponent we’re benefiting. Zurhaar and Teakle haven’t really stopped Larkey getting double teamed so he should get an easier job, something he was battling for this year.

 

[perplexed]

Perplexed is correct. Clubs generally won't bid late on f/s fwiw.

They can, but you just need a list spot to match because the mimimum discount is 197 points - which is greater than the point value of late picks.

 

[apollo_creed]

A club champion at west coast, but they don’t want him.

Don’t want him teaching their young forwards. Don’t want his one percenters. Don’t want him driving their training standards.

That’s alright, at North he will be an invaluable resource.

It’s amazing reading this thread. Anyone who has watched him knows how finished he is. Yet we have the delusional in here all desperately looking for positives and none of them relate to him not being shit next season. The guy can barely ****ing move and the ball exits our forward line with ease already.

Fast forward to next off-season after another bottom 2 finish and the same people will mount every argument they can for any player we trade/draft.

And then go off making excuses for why we continue to be shit. Not just shit bit historically shit. But apparently according to these people it’s not because of any decisions we’re making as a club and continue to make.

 

[apollo_creed]

Just ignoring the consensus that he actually knows how to lead and still offers consistent defensive pressure?

He knows how to lead… that is the bar for getting selected in our side

I honestly can’t believe some of the shit I’m reading in here.

Do I need to quote our record over the past five years and the fact we got worse in 2024?

The club is a joke and we continue to make terrible decisions that consign us to being shit for the foreseeable future.

 

[Devington]

He knows how to lead… that is the bar for getting selected in our side

I honestly can’t believe some of the shit I’m reading in here.

Do I need to quote our record over the past five years and the fact we got worse in 2024?

The club is a joke and we continue to make terrible decisions that consign us to being shit for the foreseeable future.

Our forwards have shit leading patterns. Some don't even have patterns. It's 100% a weakness our squad has, and yes it is shit.

I don't even particularly like the idea of recruiting Darling, his best is obviously some way behind him, but if we can't attract any walk up starts or better quality stopgaps... then yeah, Darling it is.

 

[buttox]

It’s amazing reading this thread. Anyone who has watched him knows how finished he is. Yet we have the delusional in here all desperately looking for positives and none of them relate to him not being shit next season. The guy can barely ****ing move and the ball exits our forward line with ease already.

Fast forward to next off-season after another bottom 2 finish and the same people will mount every argument they can for any player we trade/draft.

And then go off making excuses for why we continue to be shit. Not just shit bit historically shit. But apparently according to these people it’s not because of any decisions we’re making as a club and continue to make.

Some of us were outraged a week ago and have come to terms with it.
It's part of being an adult
You learn to move on and accept things you don't like but can't change.
Tony Abbott as pm taught me this lesson.

 

[zoomba23]

He knows how to lead… that is the bar for getting selected in our side

I honestly can’t believe some of the shit I’m reading in here.

Do I need to quote our record over the past five years and the fact we got worse in 2024?

The club is a joke and we continue to make terrible decisions that consign us to being shit for the foreseeable future.

Have you seen our side? None of them actually know how to lead. Larkey gets ok mark on lead numbers because we go out of our way to look for him. There's no point repeating how shit we've been if you're doing it for the sake of repetition. For you and a few others, Bigfooty seems to be a place of self-flagellation. I don't see what that adds, for you or for anyone who reads it. I logged off when it all got too much and things were better for it

 

[Hearts to hearts]

It’s a shame to bring negativity into the Jack Darling

27

Jack Darling

Age

32

Ht

191cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

4.2

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.9

5star

D

8.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

3.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.4

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

14.6

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.0

5star

M

6.0

5star

T

4.0

5star

G

1.4

5star

thread.

Haha.

I’m fine if Clarko can get North back on track, to where we can attract good players, good assistants and a good next senior coach. I’m invested in North being rebuilt, not in his role in rebuilding it.

 

[choppy]

If you know where they currently have this kid hidden under a rock, tied up and at the bottom of a cave…then go and get him… but l get the concern with all things north related.


Well reading through the last 24 pages…wow my head hurts and the general mood l get from some of these posts is

View attachment 2114442


Am l over the moon…no…but looking at the position he is being brought in to do over a two year period and assist larkey, Comben ect in the fwd line ….great.
l hope he screams and yells and tells them which bloody way to run ..good. If it gives them time to learn and takes the triple team off Nick..tick.
Do l expect him to set the world on fire…nope.
Is he going to probably not.
If he can make help create options in the fwd line tick
Drag an opponent tick
Barrel / run through some opposing backs…tick
If he can kick 20 goals as a min tick…any more bonus…(that’s adding to what we currently have)
Drag teammates in preparation at training tick ( durability equals someone who’s not cutting corners)

All for pick Pick 64…. A junk pick…free swing .

We can argue until the sun comes up..
but l heard a good conversation between Kane, Johnson and Healy..tonight the unholy trinity . Kane was quick to sink in with why him why not some younger a young gws player who’s a key fwd, and conveniently gave no names.
Johnson and to my shock even Healy ….name some Kane …which young KPD ….to utter silence…then riccard was tossed out.( not happening as far as l know ) And ignored by the other two. Followed byJohnson stating you have no idea who was on their list and who they approached.
They would have Done their homework.
They might have had 10 names on the list, approached the other 9 and he was number 10. …more silence then topic changed to l think ports…

Just interesting….

However Jacks in the north jumper and so I’ll support him ….and if he sticks out the 2 years, plays most games and can achieve the small things I’ve thought about above …then that’s more we got from that abnoxious ice bath of a brat who packed up and left when the tough got going. Think about that.
Welcome to North Jack.

This is the best post I've read here in 8 years

You get it

 

[choppy]

I'm 62 I can remember watching North in the late 60's and early 70's. We were terrible. I think it was 1972 or '73 and we beat Carlton at Princes Park who had won the flag in 1970 and '72. It was like a premiership for us. Two years later in 1974 we were playing off in the Grand Final with Barassi as coach. The following year I was at the Grand Final with my Dad. He bought a couple of tickets off scalpers before the game. It was one of the happiest days of my life to be there when we won our first VFL Premiership. I barrack for the Roos because of my Dad of course. He and Mum were Irish immigrants who came to Australia in the 1950's. Dad got a job driving trams and as did many of the Irish in those days, and they were mostly either North or St Kilda supporters. Fortunately Dad chose North! Yes the last few years have been putrid, but the sun rises again tomorrow morning, and we still have a team to support. It will turn, the plethora of young talent will eventually turn the wheel in our favour again. Hopefully the experience and support Darling and Parker (please come to North) will see us beginning to bear fruit in 2025.

Yes

I was 15yo later

You get it

The new generation will eventually get it

The next 10 years are going to be like the 90s

It's going to be a ride

 

[choppy]

The guy is cooked. It’s obvious isn’t it? Do the shit for brains down at north think he’s going to turn it around? He will struggle to hold his spot in the seniors if he doesn’t.

If he turns up unfit after the Xmas break it could be the final straw for me.

You are just dissolutioned

 

[chubbspeterson]

It’s amazing reading this thread. Anyone who has watched him knows how finished he is. Yet we have the delusional in here all desperately looking for positives and none of them relate to him not being shit next season. The guy can barely ****ing move and the ball exits our forward line with ease already.
Fast forward to next off-season after another bottom 2 finish and the same people will mount every argument they can for any player we trade/draft.

And then go off making excuses for why we continue to be shit. Not just shit bit historically shit. But apparently according to these people it’s not because of any decisions we’re making as a club and continue to make.

I don't think anyone is suggesting it's great. He's a cooked former AA premiership player who is an upgrade on Teakle/Pink. I don't know what the alternative is other than just do nothing. We do nothing and we're still shit.
What decisions would you make? Just play a couple out of a Teakle/Comben/Maley/Larkey and go to the draft?
Go small ball? Well we ain't got the pressure forwards either to make that shit happen.
Sign Membrey (wasn't too interested in us)? Cooked Day? Cooked Tabener? Young DFA (Kuek)? VFL key forward?
I'd love them but incredibly slim chance a contracted Gruzewski, Ricciardi, Lord are coming to us.
So what do you think we should be doing instead? At least put forward what you would do.

 

[Catsace]

(I acknowledge Wells is far more likely to find some bloke playing for Grovedale thirds and draft him with #64, then develop him into a 4x AA half back who plays 318 games but never leaves the greater Geelong city limits, than Brady is to do anything good with the pick)

Can I politely just say that pick 63 last season is now Geelong's regular defender Lawson Humphries? So there are gems late in the draft. In any case Darling's not a bad option, he's not especially old for a KP forward and he's a Premiership player, so he could well impart some handy knowledge to North's younger players, and also be a big body to make a few walk taller.

 

[amaz199]

I don't think Jack Darling

27

Jack Darling

Age

32

Ht

191cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

4.2

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.9

5star

D

8.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

3.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.4

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

14.6

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.0

5star

M

6.0

5star

T

4.0

5star

G

1.4

5star

will be the answer to our troubles but he will help with Larkey's ability to get separation and shots on goal. We are still working really hard to score and it tires us more when our forwards do not get separation from their opponent.

If Parker comes over as well that will give the midfield some confidence in terms of setting up the play. We seemed to be quite hesitant to will the ball forward due to a combination of poor skills and poor leadership.

 

[viccles]

We need experience in the midfield
so we can get people like Jy out of there

 

[Devil Fish]

You have to ask yourself this question re Darling:

Why are WC so desperate to offload him, when they are in the same position as we are?
Last time I checked, they’re a struggling team with young key forwards……..why don’t their young forwards need help and guidance?

Also, anyone who suggests Darling is in the J Waite mould, has been sniffing glue for too long.