Player Watch Pick #52 (2013) - Darcy Byrne-Jones

[RossFC]

Players with 30+ direct goal involvements this season. (Goal + Goal Assist)

DBJ 44 (22 Goals + 22 Assists)
Georgiades 43 (37 G + 6 A)
JHF 38 (19 G + 19 A)
T.Marshall 34 (20 G + 14 A)
Rioli 31 (24 G + 7 A)

Players with 40+ direct goal involvements this season. (Goal + Goal Assist)

DBJ 50 (25 Goals + 25 Assists)
Georgiades 43 (37 G + 6 A)
JHF 42 (23 G + 19 A)

 

[Tibbs]

Unfairly maligned by many here IMO. Has he had some bad games this year? Absolutely .. Just about everyone in the team says "Hi" in that regards! But he is proving to be a valuable player in his role, and seems to be getting better as the year progresses.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

Unfairly maligned by many here IMO. Has he had some bad games this year? Absolutely .. Just about everyone in the team says "Hi" in that regards! But he is proving to be a valuable player in his role, and seems to be getting better as the year progresses.

Great shout out, Tibbs.

He's been quietly pretty good and finishes well.

 

[Nemisis]

I love the way Darcy plays. He could finish top five in the B&F.

 

[jakey]

Unfairly maligned by many here IMO. Has he had some bad games this year? Absolutely .. Just about everyone in the team says "Hi" in that regards! But he is proving to be a valuable player in his role, and seems to be getting better as the year progresses.

He also has a tendency to kick the goals that matter. In fact I reckon you could mount a case he's the most clutch goal kicker in the side post Roberto.

 

[El_Scorcho]

He had a rocky start to his life as a forward but his class, workrate and toughness has shone through. He's a gun.

 

[glitch01]

As I may have mentioned (once or twice) - I selected DBJ as my buddy this year.

Basically he's been a favourite of mine ever since he scored that goal with blood streaming down the side of his face.

Whilst he can fade in and out of matches a bit I tend to think he is largely underrated here.
Having a good season and has the happy knack of being a pretty reliable goal scorer.

The other reason I selected him as a buddy was the number 33, I was always a Darren Mead

Darren Mead

Age

53

Ht

193cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

4.5

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

1.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

12.8

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.6

4star

M

2.2

3star

T

0.6

3star

and Brett Ebert

Brett Ebert

Age

41

Ht

179cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.4

3star

K

8.6

3star

HB

2.8

2star

M

4.7

4star

T

1.7

4star

G

1.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

13.6

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

6.4

5star

T

0.6

3star

G

1.4

5star

fan, and like them, DBJ comes across as the reliable team man without being an outright star that all teams need to be successful.

 

[Lefti93]

As I may have mentioned (once or twice) - I selected DBJ as my buddy this year.

Basically he's been a favourite of mine ever since he scored that goal with blood streaming down the side of his face.

Whilst he can fade in and out of matches a bit I tend to think he is largely underrated here.
Having a good season and has the happy knack of being a pretty reliable goal scorer.

The other reason I selected him as a buddy was the number 33, I was always a Darren Mead and Brett Ebert fan, and like them, DBJ comes across as the reliable team man without being an outright star that all teams need to be successful.

Who was 33 between Ebert and DBJ? having a mental blank.

 

[tribey]

direct goal involvements

aka Frontal Wow™

 

[MrMeaner]

Who was 33 between Ebert and DBJ? having a mental blank.

According to AFL Tables, no-one. We have only had 3 x 33s since we have been in the AFL.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Yep. Ebo retired in 2013, we drafted Darcy in the 2013 draft.

 

[Lefti93]

Totally forgot Ebo went around in 13. Couldn't get on the park, was only 29 too.

 

[True__Believer]

Ever since he went for the perm he has been killing it. Coincidence? I think not

 

[tribey]

Totally forgot Ebo went around in 13. Couldn't get on the park, was only 29 too.

Brett Ebert and Nick Salter were both on the list, and Liam Jurrah flunked his audition in January for non-football related reasons.

There’s an alternate universe where the 2013 Port Adelaide forward line — any mixture of Schulz, Westhoff, Wingard, Monfries, Gray, Butcher, Neade plus those 3 — is the greatest show on turf.

 

[Tibbs]

He also has a tendency to kick the goals that matter. In fact I reckon you could mount a case he's the most clutch goal kicker in the side post Roberto.

Agree, he is also a slippery & wiry sucker, that seems to get to improbable positions & contests. While Rioli cops a lot of tagging attention from oppo sides, I reckon he goes under their radar a bit, so tends to get of the leash at times. He is a dangerous player that can punish opposition sides!

 

[jakey]

Agree, he is also a slippery & wiry sucker, that seems to get to improbable positions & contests. While Rioli cops a lot of tagging attention from oppo sides, I reckon he goes under their radar a bit, so tends to get of the leash at times. He is a dangerous player that can punish opposition sides!

Wiry and wily. Picks his moment and channel to run beautifully.

 

[Lefti93]

Brett Ebert and Nick Salter were both on the list, and Liam Jurrah flunked his audition in January for non-football related reasons.

There’s an alternate universe where the 2013 Port Adelaide forward line — any mixture of Schulz, Westhoff, Wingard, Monfries, Gray, Butcher, Neade plus those 3 — is the greatest show on turf.

Nick Salter man, I had the highest of hopes. Botched foot op

 

[PortAdelFC1997]

Having an underrated season. Kicking 25 goals with one round left in the H&A as a defensive forward is a pretty good return. If you also add the assists, a real good return. Still has to bridge the gap between his best and worst. Having said that, at least he is getting involved in the play unlike a certain player who is said by Chad Cornes to be a coachable player who offers little blocks and gets single digit possessions.

 

[tribey]

Nick Salter man, I had the highest of hopes. Botched foot op

Chatted with him back at the club after a game once. Lovely fella.

Yet another one of those marginal guys we had who just seemed to have zero luck when an opportunity arose.

Even on that amazing debut he had. 2 fantastic goals for a leading forward, then concussed and off.

 

[bomberclifford]

He's still a fave of mine old Durry.

 

[RossFC]

 

[Peninsula Boy]

I don't have much of a problem with the Perminator going down back until Faz gets his hammy right.

 

[RossFC]

 

[PJ Power]

I re-watched the last half of that game last night. Not a good omen for us unfortunately, as I watched the first half of the mid-year Geelong game before last week's debacle. Interesting that we played the Cats and Hawks back-to-back mid-season and again in finals. We got similar results in the two mid-year games, hopefully not the case tonight.

My observations from the come-back against the Hawks:
1. We were top-heavy - even moreso - in that match. Our forward line had Dixon, Marshall, Finalyson and Georgiades who all had poor games. Georgiades in particular was very poor in the wet conditions, with only three possessions. Marshall was the busiest but wasn't great either and when he did take shots on goal, he sprayed badly. Finalyson was typically unsighted, and Dixon couldn't get in front of his Hawthorn defenders to take advantage of his height. He barely touched it, but competed hard in the ruck in the final quarter.

2. Hawthorn didn't have Sicily or Scrimshaw. Frost and Serong played solid games in defence, and Phillips did quite well on debut.

3. We didn't get it inside 50 for 2.5 quarters. Hawthorn were so good at keeping us from moving the ball. That changed in the second half off the back of JHF first and then Butters. Rozee didn't play, and FWIW Wines was subbed out with palpitations very early in the game.

4. Our defence had the three talls and for a lot of it, the matchups looked terrible with Aliir on Watson.

5. Of most concern, Houston and Farrell were our best players in the first half. Houston kicked 3 goals that kept us in it, before JHF and Butters went to work.

6. Rioli and DBJ were critical in the final stages of the game.

To win tonight, our midfield have to dominate and just keep getting the ball forward. We have to generate a high number of inside 50s and prevent them from doing the same.

 

[FishingRick04]

I re-watched the last half of that game last night. Not a good omen for us unfortunately, as I watched the first half of the mid-year Geelong game before last week's debacle. Interesting that we played the Cats and Hawks back-to-back mid-season and again in finals. We got similar results in the two mid-year games, hopefully not the case tonight.

My observations from the come-back against the Hawks:
1. We were top-heavy - even moreso - in that match. Our forward line had Dixon, Marshall, Finalyson and Georgiades who all had poor games. Georgiades in particular was very poor in the wet conditions, with only three possessions. Marshall was the busiest but wasn't great either and when he did take shots on goal, he sprayed badly. Finalyson was typically unsighted, and Dixon couldn't get in front of his Hawthorn defenders to take advantage of his height. He barely touched it, but competed hard in the ruck in the final quarter.

2. Hawthorn didn't have Sicily or Scrimshaw. Frost and Serong played solid games in defence, and Phillips did quite well on debut.

3. We didn't get it inside 50 for 2.5 quarters. Hawthorn were so good at keeping us from moving the ball. That changed in the second half off the back of JHF first and then Butters. Rozee didn't play, and FWIW Wines was subbed out with palpitations very early in the game.

4. Our defence had the three talls and for a lot of it, the matchups looked terrible with Aliir on Watson.

5. Of most concern, Houston and Farrell were our best players in the first half. Houston kicked 3 goals that kept us in it, before JHF and Butters went to work.

6. Rioli and DBJ were critical in the final stages of the game.

To win tonight, our midfield have to dominate and just keep getting the ball forward. We have to generate a high number of inside 50s and prevent them from doing the same.

Our i50 count last week was almost equal to Geelong, our delivery diabolical