sport.wikisort.org - Athlete

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 (age 30)
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)	Key Forward
Club information
Current club	West Coast
Number	27
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2011–	West Coast	257 (484)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2022.
Career highlights
AFL premiership player: 2018 4x West Coast leading goalkicker: 2012, 2018, 2019, 2021 All-Australian team: 2019 3× 22under22 team: 2012, 2013, 2014 AFL Rising Star nominee: 2011
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.^{[citation needed]}

On 21 January 2022, the AFL's requirement for Western Australian-based players to get their first COVID-19 vaccine dose passed, with Darling being the only Western Australian player not to get his first vaccine dose. Until he gets vaccinated, he is not allowed to attend training or go to the club's headquarters at Lathlain Park. He remains on the team's list. The AFL requires WA players to get their second dose by 18 February, but the Western Australian government requires players get their second dose by 31 January.[4]

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.[5]

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,[6] 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.[6]

Jack Darling attracted comparisons to AFL greats Wayne Carey and Jonathan Brown.[7]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of round 13 2021[8]

Legend

G	Goals	K	Kicks	D	Disposals	T	Tackles
B	Behinds	H	Handballs	M	Marks

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	27	23	24	11	165	119	284	103	93	1.0	0.5	7.2	5.2	12.3	4.5	4.0
2012	West Coast	27	24	53	25	198	68	266	131	68	2.2	1.0	8.3	2.8	11.1	5.5	2.8
2013	West Coast	27	21	42	27	168	80	248	96	58	2.0	1.3	8.0	3.8	11.8	4.6	2.8
2014	West Coast	27	22	39	29	208	106	314	106	86	1.8	1.3	9.5	4.8	14.3	4.8	3.9
2015	West Coast	27	15	26	18	108	63	171	78	46	1.7	1.2	7.2	4.2	11.4	5.2	3.1
2016	West Coast	27	23	44	21	156	125	281	123	61	1.9	0.9	6.8	5.4	12.2	5.3	2.7
2017	West Coast	27	23	43	25	184	93	277	119	67	1.9	1.1	8.0	4.0	12.0	5.2	2.9
2018†	West Coast	27	21	48	27	188	88	276	129	50	2.3	1.3	9.0	4.2	13.1	6.1	2.4
2019	West Coast	27	14	59	18	114	48	162	51	32	2.3	0.8	8.1	3.4	11.6	4.1	2.3
2020	West Coast	27	18	30	12	112	57	169	64	35	1.6	0.6	6.2	3.1	9.3	3.5	1.9
2021	West Coast	27	13	29	12	110	56	166	76	30	2.2	0.9	8.4	4.3	12.7	5.8	2.3
Career			227	437	218	1673	888	2561	1061	620	1.9	0.9	7.3	3.9	11.2	4.6	2.7

References

External links

• Jack Darling's playing statistics from AFL Tables
• Jack Darling's profile on the official website of the West Coast Eagles
• WAFL Online statistics

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