Speculation Luke Davies-Uniacke [RFA 2025]

[rye]

And with another year under the young mids like Wardlaw, Powell , with McKercher, Sheezel playing more midfield and Simpkin back in the midfield once his hand ligament injury is sorted, it could turn pretty quickly.

The cautionary example LDU needs to look at Taranto and Hopper.

taranto and hopper left a team that was consistently competitive over their tenure at the club which still had an elite core of senior players in greene, coniglio and kelly.

ldu would be leaving a rabble that has been a consistent wooden spoon contender for the majority of his time there.

they are nowhere near comparable.

 

[fargothegreat]

taranto and hopper left a team that was consistently competitive over their tenure at the club which still had an elite core of senior players in greene, coniglio and kelly.

ldu would be leaving a rabble that has been a consistent wooden spoon contender for the majority of his time there.

they are nowhere near comparable.

Taranto and Hopper leaving GWS made GWS better because their midfield had too many similar types. I'm not sure that happens with North.

 

[Val Keating]

taranto and hopper left a team that was consistently competitive over their tenure at the club which still had an elite core of senior players in greene, coniglio and kelly.

ldu would be leaving a rabble that has been a consistent wooden spoon contender for the majority of his time there.

they are nowhere near comparable.

When they left GWS, the club was struggling and the general narrative was that the gws had reached their peak and would fall away…and that Richmond could pull a Geelong and stay as competitive a finals contender.

Obviously GWS, Sydney and the other northern clubs have the huge advantage of their academies, but I’m pretty confident in my take. Moving to a top 4 side doesn’t guarantee success.

 

[anotherletdown]

When they left GWS, the club was struggling and the general narrative was that the gws had reached their peak and would fall away…and that Richmond could pull a Geelong and stay as competitive a finals contender.

Obviously GWS, Sydney and the other northern clubs have the huge advantage of their academies, but I’m pretty confident in my take. Moving to a top 4 side doesn’t guarantee success.

Your take on the academies is wrong but we're use to the solely one side of the coin analysis VFL fans give so freely

anyway, at the time, I thought GWS could have gone either way but they got great value for Hopper and have generally drafted and traded quite well recently. Very dangerous side when they're 'on'

 

[TigerTime88]

When they left GWS, the club was struggling and the general narrative was that the gws had reached their peak and would fall away…and that Richmond could pull a Geelong and stay as competitive a finals contender.

Obviously GWS, Sydney and the other northern clubs have the huge advantage of their academies, but I’m pretty confident in my take. Moving to a top 4 side doesn’t guarantee success.

It's probably just as much about being part of a bigger club than it is about success.

North will eventually turn it around due to weight of talent from the draft, but LDU is losing his best years.

I can see him going to a team on the up rather than a top four team right now.

 

[Val Keating]

It's probably just as much about being part of a bigger club than it is about success.

North will eventually turn it around due to weight of talent from the draft, but LDU is losing his best years.

I can see him going to a team on the up rather than a top four team right now.

LDU was a slow burn, as predicted by all savvy draft watchers. He’s only just now started to enter his prime and has plenty of footy ahead of him. North are stacked with elite young players so I think it’ll turn pretty quickly and when it does he’ll be better for it.

The big club thing gets overblown by supporters of big clubs. Winning is the only motivation for genuine competitors, not how many members the club they play for have.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Agree to disagree. It will still be a tough 4-5 years before they are winning more games then they lose.

I think their start will be like the other expansion teams into traditional footy states.

West Coast made finals in their second season, a preliminary in their 4th, made a grand final in their 5th season, and I'm pretty sure that footy got cancelled in their 6th year.

Freo won as many games from their first 24 matches as North has since 2019.

Crows first game ever they knocked off the Hawks, that years premiers. Crows second season they went 11-11 and made a preliminary in their 3rd.

Port went 10-1-11 in their first season and made finals in their 3rd. Season 5-6-7-8 went semi-prelim-prelim-premiers.

The history of clubs stood up in areas that like footy looks very different to the history of clubs that may as well have been stood up on Mars for all the support. Players will want to go there and that makes it very very different

 

[Wild Bill]

I think their start will be like the other expansion teams into traditional footy states.

West Coast made finals in their second season, a preliminary in their 4th, made a grand final in their 5th season, and I'm pretty sure that footy got cancelled in their 6th year.

Freo won as many games from their first 24 matches as North has since 2019.

Crows first game ever they knocked off the Hawks, that years premiers. Crows second season they went 11-11 and made a preliminary in their 3rd.

Port went 10-1-11 in their first season and made finals in their 3rd. Season 5-6-7-8 went semi-prelim-prelim-premiers.

The history of clubs stood up in areas that like footy looks very different to the history of clubs that may as well have been stood up on Mars for all the support. Players will want to go there and that makes it very very different

WA and SA are big football states. Recent history shows it’s a really tough 4-5 years.

19 teams - dilated draft pool due to father sons and academy picks. Tassie isn’t an easy sell like warm sunny Perth.

 

[TigerTime88]

LDU was a slow burn, as predicted by all savvy draft watchers. He’s only just now started to enter his prime and has plenty of footy ahead of him. North are stacked with elite young players so I think it’ll turn pretty quickly and when it does he’ll be better for it.

The big club thing gets overblown by supporters of big clubs. Winning is the only motivation for genuine competitors, not how many members the club they play for have.

Tend to disagree. I think a up and about Carlton and Essendon certainly have draw cards smaller clubs don't. Plenty of players have stated it. Obviously cash and future prospects are important.

 

[rye]

LDU was a slow burn, as predicted by all savvy draft watchers. He’s only just now started to enter his prime and has plenty of footy ahead of him. North are stacked with elite young players so I think it’ll turn pretty quickly and when it does he’ll be better for it.

The big club thing gets overblown by supporters of big clubs. Winning is the only motivation for genuine competitors, not how many members the club they play for have.

is it though?

carlton were able to attract cerra, mcgovern, saad, williams etc whilst being rather poor.

north havent been able to attract anyone worth the coin whilst bottomed out and struggled to do so even whilst consistently competitive.

 

[Val Keating]

is it though?

carlton were able to attract cerra, mcgovern, saad, williams etc whilst being rather poor.

north havent been able to attract anyone worth the coin whilst bottomed out and struggled to do so even whilst consistently competitive.

Depends on the type of person I guess. Not all players want the fanfare that goes with playing for a big club, it’s why Buddy went to Sydney.

It is a draw for some superficial types I suppose. Most just want to win.

 

[Val Keating]

Tend to disagree. I think a up and about Carlton and Essendon certainly have draw cards smaller clubs don't. Plenty of players have stated it. Obviously cash and future prospects are important.

‘Up and about’ is doing the heavy lifting there.

 

[rye]

Depends on the type of person I guess. Not all players want the fanfare that goes with playing for a big club, it’s why Buddy went to Sydney.

It is a draw for some superficial types I suppose. Most just want to win.

money and prospects after football arent really superficial reasons to prefer a bigger club.

i dont think fans or clubs really care why a player moves or stays at any given team as long as they prove to be solid contributors.

 

[Purple7x08_24]

Thought about this tonight.

He's going to be offered as much if not more at North than any other club. His prime motivation to leave would be for success. Money is going to come irrespective of his decision.

Adelaide is looking at bringing him in but Adelade are in a mess at the moment and probably need some really solid recruiting which isn't going to happen in one season. LDU would have to resettle, buy a new house etc. I can't see him moving to Adelaide.

Likely outcome is he goes to a club like Geelong/Hawthorn/Collingwood/Carlton etc. If I was in his shoes I wouldn't hesitate to go to a good side. I'd almost certainly go to Collingwood given Sidebottom and Pendlebury are at the back end of their careers

 

[Wild Bill]

He is elite. Just on a completely differently level tonight.

Going to be a rich man with his next contract.

 

[Yoda_]

Shiel devalues that trade.

Crazy to trade him when we will get a top 3 pick next year.

that's before free agency kicks in too

 

[Yoda_]

He is elite. Just on a completely differently level tonight.

Going to be a rich man with his next contract.

Wasn't even in the Roos top 5 imho, good player, potential to be elite. Lets stop pretending he's in the same class as your Cripps, Bontempelli's, Merrett's, Serongs.

Hes a step or two below with Miller, Steele, Taranto

 

[FootyGuru]

All clubs are going to wait a year on this. North will get better compo from free agency and all other clubs would prefer not trade draft currency, but if ldu is actually sick of the losing he can’t even leave this season. North also saying we would prefer the compo rather than trade is also admitting they plan to also be poor in next year too.

North should do right by ldu and trade him if he asks and the club ponies up a first for him. North simply can’t force him to stay and then continue to be so bad that his compo is in the top 3. Ldu maze well sit out the season.

 

[Wild Bill]

All clubs are going to wait a year on this. North will get better compo from free agency and all other clubs would prefer not trade draft currency, but if ldu is actually sick of the losing he can’t even leave this season. North also saying we would prefer the compo rather than trade is also admitting they plan to also be poor in next year too.

North should do right by ldu and trade him if he asks and the club ponies up a first for him. North simply can’t force him to stay and then continue to be so bad that his compo is in the top 3. Ldu maze well sit out the season.

So if Merrett said to ess he wants out at years end because ess just don’t win finals and wants to win a flag with the Pies - you would be ok if they offered their 1st round pick - around pick 16?

End of the day Merrett wants success so ess should just do the right thing and take 16?

FWIW - The above post is truly mazing. Well done.

 

[Val Keating]

This thread is about to be closed. Not sure how long for though.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

All clubs are going to wait a year on this. North will get better compo from free agency and all other clubs would prefer not trade draft currency, but if ldu is actually sick of the losing he can’t even leave this season. North also saying we would prefer the compo rather than trade is also admitting they plan to also be poor in next year too.

North should do right by ldu and trade him if he asks and the club ponies up a first for him. North simply can’t force him to stay and then continue to be so bad that his compo is in the top 3. Ldu maze well sit out the season.

They can force him to stay and they will. He will leave next year.

 

[cybercrab]

They can force him to stay and they will. He will leave next year.

How do you know that?

 

[Val Keating]

How do you know that?

Doesn’t matter. He’s staying.

 

[Sphynx]

Wasn't even in the Roos top 5 imho, good player, potential to be elite. Lets stop pretending he's in the same class as your Cripps, Bontempelli's, Merrett's, Serongs.

Hes a step or two below with Miller, Steele, Taranto

You may need to create another tier because Merrett sure as shit isn’t in Bontempelli and Cripps tier.

 

[FootyGuru]

They can force him to stay and they will. He will leave next year.

Yes I know north can force ldu to stay for an extra year, it actually suits both north and any club chasing him for it to be in free agency, but what if ldu wants to leave at the end of this season? If he is hoping to leave at free agency why stay another year.
Say a club did offer their first pick 6- 18 or so, and north said no we think we will get more in fa compo, what would that say to ldu? Not only are we gonna hold on to you, but we are also going to have another pathetic season.
Ldu probably would have also potentially just witnessed Zurhaar leave also.
What incentive does that give ldu? Why would he risk serious injury in a fa year?

I know this is all hypothetical, but ldu has witnessed plenty top players leave and have great careers elsewhere. Including the first overall pick who bailed after one season.