Brisbane defender Darcy Gardiner is suited to Mr Fixit role
Darcy Gardiner is flying under the radar but his versatility in defence has made him a key member of Brisbane’s line-up.
Lions
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lions. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Darcy Gardiner is a blue collar footballer.
Each weekend, Brisbane’s Mr Fixit gets to work on some of the competition’s best forwards.
And every Wednesday, he trades the boots for the tape measure and tool kit as he works his way through a carpentry apprenticeship.
LYNCH: MID-SEASON TRADES DOESN’T SIT WELL WITH ME
TOUGH BREAK: LIONS DEALT BERRY BAD INJURY NEWS
“I always thought I would go to uni, and I did for a while, but I wanted to be more hands on and be outdoors,’’ he said.
“The club always harp on, in a good way, about making sure you have something else outside of footy and I’ve found something I really enjoy.’’
Most defenders can almost predict their 22 likely opponents, injury permitting, for the season once the fixtures come out.
For Gardiner, it is not so simple.
The 23-year-old old has played on power forwards Jeremy Cameron and Buddy Franklin, electric goal sneaks like Eddie Betts, and everyone in between.
The statistics don’t always do Gardiner justice in the age of rebounding defenders.
He is not among the AFL elite for possessions or metres gained.
However, he is an excellent intercept player and official statisticians Champion Data rank him as elite for spoils.
But the real figure his coaches value is how hard he is to score against.
Other than Betts’ three goals at the Gabba in Round 9, no opponent has really got a hold of him this season – and he has beaten the Crows’ gun in the past.
Of his main opponents this season, he has kept clean sheets against Port’s Robbie Gray, Sydney’s Tom McCartin, Bulldog Billy Gowers and Fremantle’s Brandon Matera on the weekend.
He can also hold his head high for keeping Essendon’s Jake Stringer, Eagles premiership forward Liam Ryan and North’s Kayne Turner to one goal each.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SUPERFOOTY PODCAST
In all, he has conceded 10 goals from 10 games.
Gardiner says he is reasonably pleased with his form but is more interested in the side’s improvement.
“There were some tough years and definitely times when you weren’t enjoying it too much,” Gardiner said.
“But, at the same time, the positives were that I was getting exposed to senior footy at a young age and we were building resilience among the group.
“For those of us that are still around from those times, being able to turn it around together makes it extra special.
“And from where we have been in the past, we know guys won’t take it for granted because where we are now is a hard place to get to.’’
‘Just playing it up’: Lions brush off Neale concerns
A Brisbane star has played down any concerns for a Lions co-captain ahead of Saturday’s blockbuster preliminary final.
Fagan impact hailed as Lions look to lock down coach until 2026
Brisbane Lions are poised to extend Chris Fagan’s tenure as one of the club’s veterans hailed this season as the best coaching performance of near-decade at the helm.