Jack Darling

Jack Darling (born 13 June 1992) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL).Additionally, he was recruited from West Perth in the WAFL with pick 26 in the 2010 AFL Draft.[1]

Jack Darling
Darling playing for West Coast in July 2019
Personal information
Full name Jack Darling
Date of birth (1992-06-13) 13 June 1992
Original team(s) West Perth (WAFL)
Draft No. 26, 2010 National Draft
Height 191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 95 kg (209 lb)
Position(s) Centre half-forward
Club information
Current club West Coast
Number 27
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2011– West Coast 214 (408)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2020.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life

Too young to enter the 2009 AFL Draft, he was predicted during the 2009 season to be a top-five draft pick, but some off-field incidents, including being suspended from his school and spending time in hospital following a fight at a nightclub, saw him slip to the first selection of the second round in the 2010 Draft.[2]

AFL career

Darling made his AFL debut for West Coast against North Melbourne in round 1, 2011, kicking 2 goals.

In round 6, Darling was nominated for the 2011 AFL Rising Star after an impressive 3 goal display against Melbourne.[3]

Darling was a part of West Coast's 2018 Premiership Side, which defeated Collingwood by 5 points in the 2018 Grand Final. He had a very quiet first half, failing to register a mark and having close to zero influence on the game. However, he turned that around in the third quarter and finished the game with 7 marks, 12 disposals and a goal, playing a pivotal role in helping West Coast achieve a remarkable comeback.

Playing style

Whilst Darling predominantly played in the forward line early in his career, from 2014 onwards, he enjoyed stints in the midfield where he prospered in a tall half-forward role.[4]

As a forward, Darling is renowned for his tackling pressure and goal sense. He often creates unlikely goal-scoring opportunities through his unrelenting pursuit of opposition defenders in possession of the ball. His athleticism and endurance allow him to regularly find space from his opponents throughout the course of a game, and he continually strives to make himself a viable marking target inside his team's forward 50. He is just as effective on the ground as he is in the air. Darling has a black belt in martial arts and taekwondo,[5] and often performs rapid lunges to propel himself from the ground using his hips and torso. His father, David, teaches martial arts as a discipline in Perth.[5]

Jack Darling attracted comparisons to AFL greats Wayne Carey and Jonathan Brown.[6]

Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of round 10, 2019[7]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2011 West Coast 27232411165119284103931.00.57.25.212.34.54.0
2012 West Coast 2724532519868266131682.21.08.32.811.15.52.8
2013 West Coast 272142271688024896582.01.38.03.811.84.62.8
2014 West Coast 27223929208106314106861.81.39.54.814.34.83.9
2015 West Coast 271526181086317178461.71.27.24.211.45.23.1
2016 West Coast 27234421156125281123611.90.96.85.412.25.32.7
2017 West Coast 2723432518493277119671.91.18.04.012.05.22.9
2018† West Coast 2721482718888276129502.31.39.04.213.16.12.4
2019 West Coast 271432111144816251322.30.88.13.411.64.12.3
Career 186 351 194 1451 775 2226 921 555 1.9 1.0 8.0 4.3 12.2 5.1 3.0

References
  1. Washbourne, Michael (24 November 2010). "West Coast recruit Jack Darling tells critics to back off". Herald Sun. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  2. Quayle, Emma (17 November 2010). "Jack's not every club's Darling". The Age. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  3. Holmesby, Luke. "Sweet Darling". afl.com.au. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  4. Hagdorn, Kim (16 February 2014). "West Coast's Jack Darling set for midfield stint in NAB derby showdown". Herald Sun. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  5. Anderson, Jon (14 September 2012). "Eagle Jack Darling one of the great draft mysteries after slipping through net to pick 26". The Advertiser. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  6. Malcolm, Alex (2014). "Young Eagle flying like giants". afl.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  7. "Jack Darling". AFL Tables. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
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