Young Western Bulldogs tall Sam Darcy looks set to go to a new level in 2024 if his performance in the practice match against Hawthorn last Friday was anything to go off.
The 20-year-old split his time between the ruck and forward line and kicked three goals.
Having started his career at either end of the ground so far, his work in the ruck was perhaps most impressive as he more than held his own against Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek.
With Tim English playing in the second game of the day, Darcy looked like he could easily fill a second-ruck/forward role ahead of Rory Lobb in 2024 and SEN host Tim Watson expects his development to affect the club’s long-term thinking.
As English becomes a free agent at the end of the season and is likely to receive mammoth offers to leave the club, particularly from West Coast, Watson pondered whether having Darcy at the club would allow the Bulldogs to let their star ruckman walk.
While the Dogs would no doubt like to keep all of their A-grade players, Watson thinks the club will have to weigh up how much they want to spend on the Perth native knowing that Darcy could potentially fill his role at an elite level going forward.
Watson: “Did you see any of Sam Darcy playing last week?”
Lyon: “I did. I picked him for the Rising Star last year as my winner and then he just kept picking up these rare injuries.
“So I'm hoping he's got all his bad luck out of the way because I think he's absolutely special.”
Watson: “The interesting discussion about that is obviously Tim English and he becomes a free agent … that contract deal, it’s going to put enormous pressure (on the club) and a whole other level of conversation around the extension.
“How much do you pay him to keep him when you've got this other kid who, if he gets a good run at it, is going to be a super big man of the competition?”
Lyon: “I’m reading a lot into what you just said then, I’m reading into that you want them to get rid of English and not be held to ransom.
“But, I don't want to put words in your mouth.”
Darcy will hope to impress again when the Bulldogs face the Hawks in a Community Series clash at UTAS Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Dogs open their season officially against Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday, March 17.
