Player Watch #9: Luke Davies-Uniacke [Part II] - [Herald Sun] LDU has parked contract talks with the club & is expected to command offers of more than $1m a season

[pupstar]

There is zero point analysing LDU’s form this season. How can he be expected to play top shelf football in this current shlt show?
We know he is capable of A Grade football. We know this.
If he had Reid and T Thomas, and a half-decent Jy alongside him, I’m sure he’d be having a bigger impact.
It wouldn’t surprise me, as concerning as it would be, if his form drops off like Ben McKays did in his final year at the club.

The bottom line is, if we lose LDU, it might be time to hand back the keys and call it a day at Arden St. There’s no sugar-coating losing LDU.

And spare me the “if he doesn’t want to be at the club, see ya later” notion. Who the hell would seriously want to be at the club at the moment with the environment that has been created by those in charge?
The club needs to do something, or find a way, to make him want to stay.

Question: If Harley Reid was at Arden St, would LDU be more, or less likely, to stay? The collateral damage of beating the Suns in round 24 last year is immeasurable.

Who just sign massive deals to stay at the club oh Larkey and Sheez, So there's to straight up who could walk into any club that want to be here.

 

[Dirty_11]

We are on target to be the worst side in the history of the comp.

No player is willingly signing to us unless they are on their last chance (Fisher, Stephens).

If LDU walks it will be devastating for the club, we need to pull out every stop to keep him.

At the moment supporters are walking out the door, can't really begrudge the players for doing the same.

 

[pupstar]

We are on target to be the worst side in the history of the comp.

No player is willingly signing to us unless they are on their last chance (Fisher, Stephens).

If LDU walks it will be devastating for the club, we need to pull out every stop to keep him.

At the moment supporters are walking out the door, can't really begrudge the players for doing the same.

NOT THIS SUPPORTER.

 

[sutcliffe's hotel]

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

We are on target to be the worst side in the history of the comp.

No player is willingly signing to us unless they are on their last chance (Fisher, Stephens).

If LDU walks it will be devastating for the club, we need to pull out every stop to keep him.

At the moment supporters are walking out the door, can't really begrudge the players for doing the same.

As supporters we get the joys - or in our case - the anguish from watching them play.

He gets 700 k plus a year. For a player averaging 18 games a season, he is getting after tax roughly $20 k a match.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

There is zero point analysing LDU’s form this season. How can he be expected to play top shelf football in this current shlt show?
We know he is capable of A Grade football. We know this.
If he had Reid and T Thomas, and a half-decent Jy alongside him, I’m sure he’d be having a bigger impact.
It wouldn’t surprise me, as concerning as it would be, if his form drops off like Ben McKays did in his final year at the club.

The bottom line is, if we lose LDU, it might be time to hand back the keys and call it a day at Arden St. There’s no sugar-coating losing LDU.

And spare me the “if he doesn’t want to be at the club, see ya later” notion. Who the hell would seriously want to be at the club at the moment with the environment that has been created by those in charge?
The club needs to do something, or find a way, to make him want to stay.

Question: If Harley Reid was at Arden St, would LDU be more, or less likely, to stay? The collateral damage of beating the Suns in round 24 last year is immeasurable.

If you are going down What If? Fantasy Lane, we may as all start thinking about that phantom premiership in 2017 where we have Martin, Harvey, Petrie, Wells, Higgins, Swallow, Waite, Tarrant and Brown on the Dias.

Yes, we have been taking a pounding in the luck-game, but great players can still play well in terrible teams.

LDU is at the point in his development where he should still be tearing games apart, even with the lack of support he has.

 

[StrokerAce]

NOT THIS SUPPORTER.

Not this one either! I love this team with every fiber of my being. If supporters want out, well see you later and have fun barracking for Richmond. If players walk out, all the best to them. It could be the best thing that’s ever happened to us. The trade that we make in exchange for them or the draft picks we receive could lift us to our next premiership. Us supporters need to hold two things in our mind; an unswerving belief that we will prevail no matter what the circumstances are, and at the same time, we must confront the most brutal aspects of our reality- whatever they might be. Clarko is the man to rebuild this football club, the players who stick around will (by means of attrition) be the ones who are aligned with the clubs values and will reap the rewards of the hard times, we will be successful, BUT it’s going to be a hard ******* journey to that success. Bring it on.

 

[pupstar]

Not this one either! I love this team with every fiber of my being. If supporters want out, well see you later and have fun barracking for Richmond. If players walk out, all the best to them. It could be the best thing that’s ever happened to us. The trade that we make in exchange for them or the draft picks we receive could lift us to our next premiership. Us supporters need to hold two things in our mind; an unswerving belief that we will prevail no matter what the circumstances are, and at the same time, we must confront the most brutal aspects of our reality- whatever they might be. Clarko is the man to rebuild this football club, the players who stick around will (by means of attrition) be the ones who are aligned with the clubs values and will reap the rewards of the hard times, we will be successful, BUT it’s going to be a hard ******* journey to that success. Bring it on.

Dead right and i still thing LDU will be playing for us for many years to come. He will sign later in the year i reckon.

 

[archereleven]

If you are going down What If? Fantasy Lane, we may as all start thinking about that phantom premiership in 2017 where we have Martin, Harvey, Petrie, Wells, Higgins, Swallow, Waite, Tarrant and Brown on the Dias.

Yes, we have been taking a pounding in the luck-game, but great players can still play well in terrible teams.

LDU is at the point in his development where he should still be tearing games apart, even with the lack of support he has.

Not sure if serious, but if that is the case, we should be ripping into Souv then for having 3 defenders each week and not kicking bags...

The game is hard with 1 opponent. The game grinds you down when you're playing a lone hand against multiple opponents.

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Not sure if serious, but if that is the case, we should be ripping into Souv then for having 3 defenders each week and not kicking bags...

The game is hard with 1 opponent. The game grinds you down when you're playing a lone hand against multiple opponents.

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

He has three other players there pretty much (structurally at least) on equal footing.

One is possibly the most aggressive ruck in the league. Yes, he has issues with his taps, but is doing an enormous job in protecting his young midfield.

One (Powell) is a silky but still inconsistent mid that has shown an aptitude for tackling and the defensive stuff.

One (Wardlaw, when played) is a defensive predator inside but is still only 19 and inconsistent.

Compare that to Larks:

Larkey has no mistral footing. He has to wait for the ball to be won and come to him.

He is all alone down there with a half-checked out flanker in Zurhaar and Curtis. The rest are young or bit-players.

There is no structural neutrality or advantage for Larkey. Because of our list management choices, he remains down there with 2-3 defenders breathing down his back.

 

[Val Keating]

Whilst I agree...welcome to the era of free agency.

Clubs who don't blow their list to shreds will have an advantage.

If we (NMFC) thought we wouldn't have issues retaining players whilst firmly rooted to the bottom of the ladder and could rely on someone 'honoring' their contract money and tenure at the club then we are with the fairies.

We’ve already lost players. At some point as Arthur Cloke would say is that we have to draw a lion in the sand.

Also I’m of the opinion that we had to bottom out otherwise we would have been stuck in no man’s land, that middle of the table average team, can’t get better because you don’t have access to top end youth, but you get decent enough picks that you don’t really drop down the ladder, see Essendon and StKilda for example.

The club tried to lure top end talent through trade but just couldn’t land a needle mover type player that a club like Geelong consistently does.

 

[archereleven]

He has three other players there pretty much (structurally at least) on equal footing.

One is possibly the most aggressive ruck in the league. Yes, he has issues with his taps, but is doing an enormous job in protecting his young midfield.

One (Powell) is a silky but still inconsistent mid that has shown an aptitude for tackling and the defensive stuff.

One (Wardlaw, when played) is a defensive predator inside but is still only 19 and inconsistent.

Compare that to Larks:

Larkey has no mistral footing. He has to wait for the ball to be won and come to him.

He is all alone down there with a half-checked out flanker in Zurhaar and Curtis. The rest are young or not players.

There is no structural neutrality or advantage for Larkey. Because of our list management choices, he remains down there with 2-3 defenders breathing down his back.

You acknowledged he has a lack of support in your previous post - nobody is consistently tearing games apart without support.

X is half the problem. Tapping the ball to his feet and then crashing his way through the stoppage isn't helping any of our midfielders. The fact he is 2nd in the league for tackles and 4th in the league for clearances is partly why our mids aren't winning it from the middle...



On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[archereleven]

He has three other players there pretty much (structurally at least) on equal footing.

One is possibly the most aggressive ruck in the league. Yes, he has issues with his taps, but is doing an enormous job in protecting his young midfield.

One (Powell) is a silky but still inconsistent mid that has shown an aptitude for tackling and the defensive stuff.

One (Wardlaw, when played) is a defensive predator inside but is still only 19 and inconsistent.

Compare that to Larks:

Larkey has no mistral footing. He has to wait for the ball to be won and come to him.

He is all alone down there with a half-checked out flanker in Zurhaar and Curtis. The rest are young or not players.

There is no structural neutrality or advantage for Larkey. Because of our list management choices, he remains down there with 2-3 defenders breathing down his back.

You acknowledged he has a lack of support in your previous post - nobody is consistently tearing games apart without support.

X is half the problem. Tapping the ball to his feet and then crashing his way through the stoppage isn't helping any of our midfielders. The fact he is 2nd in the league for tackles and 4th in the league for clearances is partly why our mids aren't winning it from the middle...



On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

Long way to go with LDU - especially if we were to pick up Smilie at the end of the year and we also move Sheez into the mids.

LDU would then see a nicely balanced midfield group that would allow himself to flourish.

At the moment it is pretty much all on LDU - and that clearly isn't sitting well with him.

If we can show LDU a good mid field mix (and a better team structure overall) then I think he will be ok to stay but if we make him a workhorse 1 out in the mids for the next 12 months I suspect we will have to say good bye to him and take the top 5 pick.

 

[Archer_11]

At the moment supporters are walking out the door

Walking out the door how Dirty_11? There is no reliable way to track this and reads like fear based speculation.

Last Sunday was well attended and a good reminder of what happens when there is a chance we can win against another Victorian team. Pundits will say it's 'pumping up the numbers', what I saw was a bunch of blended families and friends having a bittersweet afternoon and spending time together. That is what you lose when you play GC etc and 14k turn up, and won't the media jump on it when it happens.

While on the topic, supporters around the place saying 'shut the doors! Fold the club!' - these dead set peanuts need to watch (or rewatch) the Keep North South doco.

 

[shinboner magic]

Was Max Holmes part of a side who has had 4 coaches in 7 years, won 19 of 85 games and 0-6 and will be lucky to win 2 games?

No he wasn’t, next.

I can’t confirm as I didn’t follow his junior career

 

[shinboner magic]

I swear I can’t read as I haven’t seen LDU or his management confirm he wants out.

 

[Horace]

Because they weren't winning?

Won 9 games in 92 and 10 games in 93, I guess not qualifying for finals but i think it was more what Fitzroy could pay these players as opposed to other clubs.

Players leaving us now will still be paid about the same.

Its weak. Be part of the solution, don't run for the hills and says so much about their weak minds as to why we are struggling so badly.

I don't think we should compare our situation today with "our" situation at Fitzroy in the early 1990's when so many players left. The circumstances were significantly different, with a lack of money, the constant speculation about extinction, merger, relocation and the over-riding one, being the AFL wanted to get of a club in Melbourne so they could bring in that s***stain of an outfit port adelaide.

 

[DrZaius]

Sorry, but that is such a defeatist attitude. Players his age, 24 + should be the driving factor in increasing our performance. It’s literally his job, and he gets paid a ******* lot of money to do it.

I have the same issue with Zurhaar apparently holding off contract to see if we improve…hey guess what *face, you’re the senior players and are responsible more than anyone else for how we go on game day.

They literally have the greatest coach of the modern era guiding them.

If they want to run away and take the easy road, then fine, just own it.

Fed up with this bullshit.

I was replying to a post that implied he was looking to jump ship because he isn't willing to do the hard yards despite being a top 5 pick.

He's been here for the better part of a decade and we haven't improved at all in that time (in fact we have gone very very far backward). Whilst players of his experience do take some responsibility for that, it is a team sport and they don't play in a vacuum.

 

[DuckYeah]

I don't think we should compare our situation today with "our" situation at Fitzroy in the early 1990's when so many players left. The circumstances were significantly different, with a lack of money, the constant speculation about extinction, merger, relocation and the over-riding one, being the AFL wanted to get of a club in Melbourne so they could bring in that s***stain of an outfit port adelaide.

Fitzroy players weren’t getting paid, they ended up walking because it meant getting coin to play. Fitzroy were broke as a joke.

So you are right, its not the same. Its also a completely different era of footy, the game is nothing what it was. We are s**t but comparing apples with oranges using such a broad statement

 

[Horace]

We are on target to be the worst side in the history of the comp.

No player is willingly signing to us unless they are on their last chance (Fisher, Stephens).

If LDU walks it will be devastating for the club, we need to pull out every stop to keep him.

At the moment supporters are walking out the door, can't really begrudge the players for doing the same.

Well clearly you were not around in 1964, when Fitzroy failed to win a solitary game. I was and it was just "absolutely splendid".

But we made it to 1996 and methinks you musn't have been here then either, because that was a terrible side to witness playing. To make it worse playing out at the old Western Oval mainly. Horrible place in those days.

One win that year against Freo. Here's a link

TBT: Fitzroy's last victory

This week's TBT heads back to Round 8, 1996, when the Fitzroy Lions defeated Fremantle for their last-ever victory before merging with the Brisbane Bears.

www.lions.com.au

I'm not sure which team was worse out of the 1964 or the 1996 versions, but the team we have at North now, is in my opinion, not as bad as those Fitzroy teams.

Interestingly a number of the players from 1996 went on to have reasonable careers at other clubs, led by Pikey, Brad Boyd (career ruined by injury), Chris Johnson, Steve Paxman, Jarrod Molloy, John Barker, Matthew Dent, Rowan Warfe and Shane Clayton.

Given time and the concessions that other clubs received, that 1996 squad, if kept together, might have eventually become a half decent team.

Which is what we have to think will eventually happen with our current list. There was not one player on that 1996 Fitzroy list who was in the class of Sheezel now, Wardlaw, McKercher, Duursma (all three potentially) Davies-Uniacke and Larkey.

Anthony Mellington, the hero of that 1996 games played a further 20 games for North, along with Brett Chandler who played 44.

 

[Val Keating]

I was replying to a post that implied he was looking to jump ship because he isn't willing to do the hard yards despite being a top 5 pick.

He's been here for the better part of a decade and we haven't improved at all in that time (in fact we have gone very very far backward). Whilst players of his experience do take some responsibility for that, it is a team sport and they don't play in a vacuum.

Fair enough. Tbh I’m a bit prickly at the moment so apologies if I came across as a dick, which I felt I did when I read that this morning.

 

[big_e]

Because they weren't winning?

Won 9 games in 92 and 10 games in 93, I guess not qualifying for finals but i think it was more what Fitzroy could pay these players as opposed to other clubs.

Players leaving us now will still be paid about the same.

Its weak. Be part of the solution, don't run for the hills and says so much about their weak minds as to why we are struggling so badly.

Horace would know more but I was under the impression that in the last few years, Fitzroy players often didn't get paid at all.

 

[DuckYeah]

Horace would know more but I was under the impression that in the last few years, Fitzroy players often didn't get paid at all.

Its exactly right. No doubt about it

 

[NMFC49]

We are on target to be the worst side in the history of the comp.

No player is willingly signing to us unless they are on their last chance (Fisher, Stephens).

If LDU walks it will be devastating for the club, we need to pull out every stop to keep him.

At the moment supporters are walking out the door, can't really begrudge the players for doing the same.

Check out the other board my friend. You'll see Melbourne and carlton well and truly eclipse our five year stretch of low ladder performance.