AFL 2025: North Melbourne's Jack Darling to be given every chance to play
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
North Melbourne could wait until an hour before the first bounce on Saturday to confirm the selection of veteran forward Jack Darling.
Darling suffered an unusual cut leg from a rogue boot during the Kangaroos' 11-point win over Carlton last weekend.
The new Roo played through the pain of the gruesome wound but required stitches and has been held back from training this week.
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson said he would name Darling before putting the forward through his paces ahead of Saturday's match against Hawthorn.
'It was obviously a pretty significant injury as it turned out (and) enormously courageous for him to come back out onto the field,' he said.
'Our docs did a great job to be able to do that and his courage to accept it could be wrapped up, get back out on the ground and contribute to our win was really important for us.
Jack Darling's blood soaked sock after his leg was opened up.
'Needless to say he's had that stitched up and hasn't been able to do much training yet. Because of the stitches he's unable to get it too moist with sweating and stuff.
'He'll be a test, we'll select him tonight to play and hope that he gets up, but that decision might be made an hour before the game … he gives himself a chance to play but we won't know until an hour before the game, more than likely.'
Darling has kicked 13 goals over 14 games in his debut season at North Melbourne after 532 in 298 at West Coast.
Clarkson said the 33-year-old was eager to play and his fitness would come down to movement and expert advice.
'Yeah, yeah he wants to play, he said that right from the get-go even before he got it stitched up last week,' he said.
'We will wait and see what his function is like and more importantly whether the surgeon and the docs think him doing too much exercise or getting a knock on it might have the stitches bust.
'We need to be mindful of that. He might play with some sort of guard if he does play, but we will cross that on Saturday morning.'
North Melbourne defender Jackson Archer had a hamstring scare in the VFL and will also be put through a fitness test.
The Kangaroos, with four wins, are chasing their best season since 2019 when they tackle Hawthorn in Tasmania.
Originally published as AFL 2025: North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson to give forward Jack Darling every chance to play
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
43 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Inside the share house where Saints players learn to clean the bathroom and put the bins out
'I was saying to Liam, I actually think it's really healthy for them to get to know someone that's not living in their world, that's not in the AFL bubble. 'I really don't think it's anywhere as bad as what people assume it would be – I've really enjoyed getting to know all of the guys and I genuinely like all of them. I think it would be different if you had a bad egg, but we don't. 'We're four years in, so at this point I guess I don't know any different!' Mason and Mikaela have rules. Every week, the chores whiteboard is updated and everyone's tasks are laid out in black and white. It's not just there for show, either. It's punitive. 'There are fines for it,' Mikaela explained. 'So, if you don't do your chores by the due date, it's a $50 fine.' The money goes towards having people over for dinner, which happens regularly. Hastie and Tauru both have girlfriends, while O'Connell is single but has no problem admitting that he's ready to mingle (he's 22, from County Cork in southern Ireland and is a professional athlete, for any girls who are interested). Wood, who has come a long way since his days as a young, brash, North Melbourne forward, is nearing 32 and completing a masters in high performance. 'We actually call it the house of high performance,' O'Connell laughed as he rocked on his chair at the kitchen table. Wood wants the young men who live with him to be more prepared for life as professional athletes – more prepared than he was. Along with Mikaela, he mentors his three younger housemates. 'It's more modelling than anything else. Watching, observing and a little bit of supporting,' he said, leaning up against his kitchen bench. 'It's not that you want to do it all again because, obviously, they were great times, but you reflect on it knowing that you weren't doing everything that you should have been doing. 'But you just want to give guys the opportunity to make all of the hard decisions really easy. Whether that's getting to bed slightly earlier or eating a little bit better – those sorts of things. 'And that's what we're doing here; supporting, modelling and trying to get everyone to bed before 9:30!' The early bedtime has been easy enough to conquer; teaching the younger players how to cook has been an entirely different challenge. Tauru, last year's No.10 draft pick dubbed 'the Flying Viking' for his aerial ability and Swedish heritage, has learned to make one meal –chicken, rice and broccoli, but it's not without drama. Loading 'We come out and the smoke alarm is raging, and it's just like a fog – not sure if that's Alix or the rangehood,' Wood said with a laugh. Hastie is still trying to ween himself off pre-prepared Hello Fresh meals, but O'Connell is a 'proficient cook', according to Wood. 'I don't expect guys coming in to be able to cook. I mean, I certainly couldn't,' he joked. There are plenty of jokes and even more laughter, but Wood believes there is a serious side to what he and Mikaela are doing. 'Parents are keen to get their kids in somewhere that is going to provide them with the best chance,' Wood said. 'When a kid is drafted … how many kids don't have enough talent to make AFL footy? Basically, none. But the environment then plays a massive part – getting in good habits nice and early. Food, [and] sleep [are] the two biggest recovery modalities, and they are completely up to the individual to get right. Alcohol consumption is a big one as well. 'Even just talking through the four walls of a football club – it can be really difficult to navigate for young kids. People who are in and out of the team, what does that mean? Trying not to drop your bundle because that's a lot of what I experienced at North. 'If I'm not going to use those experiences to help others, then what was the point?'
News.com.au
43 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Adelaide v Richmond AFL Round 16: Live updates, SuperCoach scores, teams
Can the Crows get their three-headed monster back up and running as well? At the start of the season the three-tall forward line of Riley Thilthorpe, Taylor Walker and Darcy Fogarty – with Dan Curtin flicking between a wing and attack – looked like it could be a point of difference for Matthew Nicks. While the question was around how would the Crows' defence stack up against the good sides of the competition. At the midway point of their season, the questions have been reversed. Against the top nine sides of the competition, the Crows defence is standing up quite nicely. Their clearance to score against is the best in the competition, their score per inside 50 against is third in the competition, while their intercept to score against is seventh in the competition. It isn't being reflected offensively though. The Crows are 16th for intercept to score and score per inside 50 against top nine sides, while their clearance to score is 17th. Only twice against top nine sides, Round 4 against Gold Coast and Round 5 against Geelong have the Crows scored above 70 points so far this year. And the weather is only getting colder and wetter, and the ball only more slippery. Port Adelaide premiership player Dean Brogan said ground ball games became extremely important as the season went on. 'The three talls are starting to become a talking point,' he said on Grandstand SA. 'They haven't performed of late, they were really good at the start of the year when the grounds were dry. 'They are not getting off the chain like they were at the start of the year, it is something they will probably have a look at during their week off. 'Are they getting the output they want from these three talls? Because in the middle of winter and towards the back-end of the season the ground ball game becomes very important and the best teams in the comp have really good ground ball games and if you are two tall you get found out. 'I think the three talls have to be looked at.' In the Crows' last game against Hawthorn, Thilthorpe, Walker and Fogarty combined for just the seven points. The week before against Brisbane just Thilthorpe and Walker finished with a goal, in a pleasing sign that the Crows can win without the three firing on all cylinders. But the issue will be can the Crows go so tall – Curtin has been performing well prior to the bye – at a stage of the season where the ball is more on the deck? Adelaide coaching director Murray Davis said the Crows would take seven shots from their three-tall attack most weeks, and they wanted to have multiple avenues to goal. 'If you look at the last two games, Hawthorn and Brisbane, both teams really struggled to hit the scoreboard,' he said. 'So let's look at the bigger picture and what we were able to do. 'When we get our ball movement going and we are able to give those guys the opportunities they have shown and we have shown that we are a pretty hard team to stop. 'What makes a really good team is having a lot of difference avenues to goal. 'We don't want to rely on our three key forwards being the ones impacting the scoreboard each week because I think if you do have that it becomes easier to defend.' Davis knows just how potent a firing three-tall forward line can be. Previous side Brisbane won last year's flag with Joe Daniher, Eric Hipwood and Logan Morris – although he is 191cm – spearheading the Lions' forward line. So it can work and bring the ultimate success.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Inside the share house where Saints players learn to clean the bathroom and put the bins out
'I was saying to Liam, I actually think it's really healthy for them to get to know someone that's not living in their world, that's not in the AFL bubble. 'I really don't think it's anywhere as bad as what people assume it would be – I've really enjoyed getting to know all of the guys and I genuinely like all of them. I think it would be different if you had a bad egg, but we don't. 'We're four years in, so at this point I guess I don't know any different!' Mason and Mikaela have rules. Every week, the chores whiteboard is updated and everyone's tasks are laid out in black and white. It's not just there for show, either. It's punitive. 'There are fines for it,' Mikaela explained. 'So, if you don't do your chores by the due date, it's a $50 fine.' The money goes towards having people over for dinner, which happens regularly. Hastie and Tauru both have girlfriends, while O'Connell is single but has no problem admitting that he's ready to mingle (he's 22, from County Cork in southern Ireland and is a professional athlete, for any girls who are interested). Wood, who has come a long way since his days as a young, brash, North Melbourne forward, is nearing 32 and completing a masters in high performance. 'We actually call it the house of high performance,' O'Connell laughed as he rocked on his chair at the kitchen table. Wood wants the young men who live with him to be more prepared for life as professional athletes – more prepared than he was. Along with Mikaela, he mentors his three younger housemates. 'It's more modelling than anything else. Watching, observing and a little bit of supporting,' he said, leaning up against his kitchen bench. 'It's not that you want to do it all again because, obviously, they were great times, but you reflect on it knowing that you weren't doing everything that you should have been doing. 'But you just want to give guys the opportunity to make all of the hard decisions really easy. Whether that's getting to bed slightly earlier or eating a little bit better – those sorts of things. 'And that's what we're doing here; supporting, modelling and trying to get everyone to bed before 9:30!' The early bedtime has been easy enough to conquer; teaching the younger players how to cook has been an entirely different challenge. Tauru, last year's No.10 draft pick dubbed 'the Flying Viking' for his aerial ability and Swedish heritage, has learned to make one meal –chicken, rice and broccoli, but it's not without drama. Loading 'We come out and the smoke alarm is raging, and it's just like a fog – not sure if that's Alix or the rangehood,' Wood said with a laugh. Hastie is still trying to ween himself off pre-prepared Hello Fresh meals, but O'Connell is a 'proficient cook', according to Wood. 'I don't expect guys coming in to be able to cook. I mean, I certainly couldn't,' he joked. There are plenty of jokes and even more laughter, but Wood believes there is a serious side to what he and Mikaela are doing. 'Parents are keen to get their kids in somewhere that is going to provide them with the best chance,' Wood said. 'When a kid is drafted … how many kids don't have enough talent to make AFL footy? Basically, none. But the environment then plays a massive part – getting in good habits nice and early. Food, [and] sleep [are] the two biggest recovery modalities, and they are completely up to the individual to get right. Alcohol consumption is a big one as well. 'Even just talking through the four walls of a football club – it can be really difficult to navigate for young kids. People who are in and out of the team, what does that mean? Trying not to drop your bundle because that's a lot of what I experienced at North. 'If I'm not going to use those experiences to help others, then what was the point?'
