Who do you think is better at the end of the year?
My mate firmly believes the Lions made a huge mistake for not taking Darling. I believe otherwise and think we have the best player from the draft.
These 2 players have been in the system for 3 preseasons now. Karnezis was pick 25 and Darling pick 26. Darling was a ready made player likened to Jonathon Brown with seemingly "bad" off field behaviour. Phantom drafts all agreed that he was a top 10 pick CHF who could play stints in the midfield (although that seems unlikely now as he seems to be rooted in the f50). Darling is acknowledged for his speed, power and attack on the football, a somewhat rare commodity for a 190 cm+ player. Being 191 cm and weighing in at 91 kg it was obvious Darling would have excelled from the start. There is but one problem, he hasn't really come on as some observers might have expected, although of course WCE supporters will beg to differ. Sure he is a good player but can he improve enough to be a great? He has only averaged 11.7 disposals over his short career and in 2012 his output declined (although obviously playing more in the deep forward he has managed to bag 2.2 goals per game in a top 4 side). There will be only one question football supporters will be asking this year. Has he peaked already?
Karnezis on the other hand was a nobody, an unknown who had everybody rushing to the phantom drafts to see who the heck he was. A very controversial pick as the Lions were expected to snap up Darling who would have "solved" the Lions forward problem for 10 years. In most phantom drafts he was not even acknowledged in the ND/Rookie or PSD. A skinny lad from a tight knit Greek family, hardly anyone knew him. Being struck down with glandular fever in his drafting years it was probably not a surprise he didn't perform to his best and thus why the media didn't hype him up like a Darling. Being extremely thin it was a surprise he even managed a few games in his first year and he was known for his 2 goal a game efforts. He finished the year out and was the surprise of the lions picks of 2010. In 2012 Voss and co. demanded more than just a few goals a game and he was dropped to work on his defensive play and running. Once known as a specialist forward, he was thrown in the midfield at reserves level to improve his running game and to the surprise of many he dominated from the get go. With 6 months of midfield training in his playing career he was likened to Pendlebury for his ability to make time stop and always choose the right option. From a 3rd tall to now one of the most important cogs in the Lions engine room. A player with unimaginable ceiling yet still very raw could. Can he reach or even surpass Pendlebury?
My mate firmly believes the Lions made a huge mistake for not taking Darling. I believe otherwise and think we have the best player from the draft.
These 2 players have been in the system for 3 preseasons now. Karnezis was pick 25 and Darling pick 26. Darling was a ready made player likened to Jonathon Brown with seemingly "bad" off field behaviour. Phantom drafts all agreed that he was a top 10 pick CHF who could play stints in the midfield (although that seems unlikely now as he seems to be rooted in the f50). Darling is acknowledged for his speed, power and attack on the football, a somewhat rare commodity for a 190 cm+ player. Being 191 cm and weighing in at 91 kg it was obvious Darling would have excelled from the start. There is but one problem, he hasn't really come on as some observers might have expected, although of course WCE supporters will beg to differ. Sure he is a good player but can he improve enough to be a great? He has only averaged 11.7 disposals over his short career and in 2012 his output declined (although obviously playing more in the deep forward he has managed to bag 2.2 goals per game in a top 4 side). There will be only one question football supporters will be asking this year. Has he peaked already?
Karnezis on the other hand was a nobody, an unknown who had everybody rushing to the phantom drafts to see who the heck he was. A very controversial pick as the Lions were expected to snap up Darling who would have "solved" the Lions forward problem for 10 years. In most phantom drafts he was not even acknowledged in the ND/Rookie or PSD. A skinny lad from a tight knit Greek family, hardly anyone knew him. Being struck down with glandular fever in his drafting years it was probably not a surprise he didn't perform to his best and thus why the media didn't hype him up like a Darling. Being extremely thin it was a surprise he even managed a few games in his first year and he was known for his 2 goal a game efforts. He finished the year out and was the surprise of the lions picks of 2010. In 2012 Voss and co. demanded more than just a few goals a game and he was dropped to work on his defensive play and running. Once known as a specialist forward, he was thrown in the midfield at reserves level to improve his running game and to the surprise of many he dominated from the get go. With 6 months of midfield training in his playing career he was likened to Pendlebury for his ability to make time stop and always choose the right option. From a 3rd tall to now one of the most important cogs in the Lions engine room. A player with unimaginable ceiling yet still very raw could. Can he reach or even surpass Pendlebury?
