Adelaide forward Darcy Fogarty’s AFL career nearing critical stage
He’s the perfect replacement for former captain Taylor Walker, but Adelaide Crows forward Darcy Fogarty has to take charge of his career now or may well be a potential star that never was.
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Adelaide forward Darcy Fogarty is nearing the end of his third year in the AFL, and his career is at the crossroads.
His future can go one of two ways. It can mimic the uber-talented Carlton forward Mitch McGovern, who continues to frustrate and has never maximised his potential due in part to questionable application and professionalism. Or it can follow the path of Melbourne’s Christian Petracca, where, after six years in AFL system, the penny has finally dropped.
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Fogarty has yet to show he has the discipline and work ethic of a great player. He needs to trim down, harden his body and dramatically increase his aerobic capacity so he can force his way into Adelaide’s under-siege midfield.
His aggression, toughness and penetrating kick would be a significant weapon in the engine room for rookie coach Matthew Nicks.
Fogarty was dropped, not for the first time, following a nine-disposal performance in Adelaide’s loss to Collingwood in round 11.
Adelaide football boss Adam Kelly told SENSA on Monday, the message to Fogarty is simple, he must get fitter.
The perfect blueprint for Fogarty to follow is that of Petracca, who this year has turned himself into a top ten player in the competition.
The catalyst for Petracca’s blistering form, which sees him the second favourite for the Brownlow Medal, has been a change in professionalism and training standards that have allowed him to thrive in midfield.
“This is my sixth year and the first couple of years do go so quickly, you don’t realise it you’re 23, 24, and you’ve only got seven, eight years left of your career,” Petracca said.
“I think every player goes through a pre-season or some time in their life when they realise they have to grow up. I needed a wake-up call, and this year; this pre-season was massive for me.”
That wake-up call has undoubtedly arrived for Fogarty. He’s been overlooked for selection in a team that is the worst side in over 50 years and is desperate to blood young talent. Even the out-of-form Taylor Walker is getting the nod at selection over him.
Petracca and Fogarty share similar frames. Fogarty is five centimetres taller (193cm) yet Petracca weighs 96 kilograms while Fogarty tips the scales at 94.
The Crows selected Fogarty with pick 12 in the 2017 draft despite struggling with form and injury in his draft year. It was the pick the club received from the Brisbane Lions in exchange for All-Australian forward Charlie Cameron.
“He’s probably the most competitive, aggressive kid in the draft. I think all clubs and AFL Academy staff would admit that.” Adelaide head recruiter Hamish Ogilvie gushed after the club called Fogarty’s name.
Crows fans would agree with that assessment, but his lack of improvement in other areas of his game is alarming.
It forced former Adelaide coach Don Pyke to experiment with Fogarty as a defender in the SANFL last year, a move that ultimately failed.
When played in his preferred role as a forward, his limitations have been highlighted. He can mark strongly on a straight-line lead and is one of the most accurate set shot kicks in the competition. However, he hasn’t shown the speed, agility and defensive pressure to influence the game when he doesn’t impact in the air.
It means a shift into the midfield is vital to prolong his career and maximise his attributes.
If Fogarty wants to be great, he should phone Petracca and find out what he did to transform his floundering career.
Hiring a personal trainer and a dietitian would also be worthwhile investments this off-season.
AFL football history is littered with players who have wasted their talents and had their careers end prematurely.
Fogarty has a decision to make, and he needs to make it quickly. Is he prepared to put the work in and morph into a professional athlete in all aspects of his life? If the answer is yes, the rewards will be significant for Fogarty and most importantly, his under-fire football club.
WINNERS
GREAT SCOTT
Every year I leave Geelong out of my predicted pre-season top eight and each year they make me look silly. Coach Chris Scott is building one of the most enviable coaching records in history, the Cats will be hard to beat in September.
FAGAN FIRES UP
Chris Fagan has largely been a calm, father figure type coach since taking the reins at Brisbane. That changed at half time against North Melbourne on Saturday when the change room camera caught him blowing up at his team with an almighty spray. Every great coach has a hard edge.
DOCKERS BLUEPRINT
Fremantle suffered a heartbreaking loss against Carlton on Saturday night but rookie coach Justin Longmuir is providing the blueprint on how to conduct a rebuild while still remaining competitive. The Dockers two best players Nat Fyfe and Michael Walters played in the forward half while young midfielders Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Adam Cerra were given vital midfield minutes when the game was on the line.
MARVEL MARCUS
Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli played his best game for the year against Adelaide on Sunday collecting 33 disposals, nine tackles, 12 clearances and two goals. He sits comfortably among the game’s best five players.
EDDIE’S MASTERPIECE
Adelaide’s first indigenous player Eddie Hocking has designed the Crows’ guernsey for Sir Doug Nicholls round this weekend. It is a work of art and the most striking of all the 18 indigenous guernseys that will be worn in round 13.
LOSERS
POWER ON MUTE
On Wednesday, Port Adelaide were quizzed by multiple media outlets over rumours there had been a coronavirus breach by two of its players after Peter Ladhams and Dan Houston were absent from training. The club said they knew nothing about it, which was clearly misleading, the Port Adelaide fans deserved better.
DOUGAL BLUNDER
Port Adelaide’s decision to trade Dougal Howard last year was perplexing and it could cost the Power a shot at this year’s premiership. Tom Hawkins exposed the small defence, kicking six goals but he’s not the first opposition power forward to get a hold of the undersized defence this year. Howard has been a key reason for St Kilda’s surge up the ladder in 2020.
MIDFIELD MESS
For the majority of Sunday’s loss against the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide ruckman Reilly O’Brien (202cm) was up against Josh Dunkley (190cm). With this height and hitout advantage, it’s staggering Adelaide’s midfield were smashed in clearances by 25 and had 73 points scored against them from stoppages.
TALIA TORCHED
You could count on two hands the amount of times Adelaide veteran Daniel Talia has been beaten in his 197 games. It was concerning to witness him get destroyed by Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton, who kicked six goals in only his second game back from a long-term injury.
UMPIRE FARCE
There are three field umpires, four boundary umpires and two goal umpires that are in control of every AFL match. It is inexcusable not one noticed Carlton’s Michael Gibbons was the closet player to the ball that went out of the full in the dying stages of Saturdays game in Perth. The obvious oversight cost Fremantle the win.
Originally published as Adelaide forward Darcy Fogarty’s AFL career nearing critical stage