What you probably know about Sam Darcy is that he’s the son of Western Bulldogs great Luke, a tough, courageous, 200-game champion and best and fairest winner.
What you probably don’t know about him is that he’s also the son of qualified meditation and yoga teacher Bec, who has been actively practising mindfulness since before Sam was born.
Sam Darcy has all the physical and mental tools to make him a champion of the game.Credit: Daniel Pockett
The combination is an uncompromising, physical, competitive, 208-centimetre beast who may already be the best player in the competition at just 21.
If there’s an AFL footballer who embodies the mantra of boxing legend Muhammad Ali to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” it’s Sam Darcy.
Beautifully barbaric. Majestically monstrous. Unflappable yet uncompromising. And his bite is just as bad as his bark.
“I’m very grateful for the support my parents have given me – giving me great resources and tools to use at different times growing up,” Darcy says.
Darcy is as tough mentally as he is physically.Credit: Daniel Pockett
“Mum is a qualified meditation and yoga teacher, and I definitely look to use some of those avenues. Dad’s been really good with that stuff, he’s very passionate about that as well. They’re also very on their games with their diets. And, definitely, growing up with someone who was a professional athlete has helped as well.
“Without going over the top about it, it’s definitely helped provide great resources for me to tap into.”
Darcy, alongside the returning Marcus Bontempelli, will play in the AFL’s first-ever Easter Sunday night game against Ross Lyon’s St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
It’s difficult to believe that it will only be Darcy’s 34th game at the highest level.
Among them, he’s kicked a bags of seven, five, and four goals (twice). He is a sublime mark above his head, he kicks beautifully on both feet, and he plays with a physicality that is already feared across the competition.
Father of Sam and Bulldogs great Luke Darcy (seen here with fellow Dogs legend Scott West, the father of Rhylee) was part of the club’s 100-year celebrations.Credit: AFL Photos
“I think that’s something I try, and want, to bring myself; being an aggressor and someone who’s not afraid of contact,” he said.
“Bringing that energy, I think, as a young key forward – that’s what I want to bring when defenders are trying to get under my skin and make my days tough. But I want to try to do the opposite, and make them as uncomfortable as possible when I’m out there.”
There’s barely been a defender he’s played on who hasn’t been made to feel uncomfortable by Darcy.
Just ask Collingwood captain Darcy Moore, who had his hands full trying to stop him in round two. In fact, such was Darcy’s domination, Craig McRae had to call on Jeremy Howe to double-team him to reduce his impact. Darcy kicked four, but the Pies got the four points.
A week later, following days of Darcy being lauded in the media for his performance – Darcy says he doesn’t read, listen to, or engage in much footy media – he took on Carlton star and reigning All-Australian full-back Jacob Weitering.
The gun Blue was on top early in a display that would have had most young key forwards throwing in the towel.
But this is where Darcy’s emotional regulation separates him. He’s as tough mentally and emotionally as he is physically.
“Yeah, I think at times in the game, if things don’t go your way, you have to make sure you stay as sharp as possible and be ready to capitalise,” he said.
“Because it might not be your game, but it can be your moment, so you just need to be ready. And it can be frustrating at times. [But] if you feel like you know the ball is not getting down to you, and you feel like you’re a bit off, you’ve still got four quarters to try and do whatever you can to help your team win.
“I try to focus on competing and representing for your team. You just need to make sure you stay sharp and when it comes to your moment, you capitalise.”
Capitalise, he did. After being largely unsighted in the first hour against the Blues, Darcy kicked two second-half goals to help his team to a crucial eight-point win.
While Darcy’s natural talent has gone a long way to making him the player he is, it has still taken hard work and dedication. His elite skill on his non-preferred left foot hasn’t just magically appeared. Nor has his reliable set-shot technique in front of goal. Darcy has kicked 55 goals and 35 behinds so far in his career.
To put that in perspective, Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd – who sits eighth on the all-time goalkickers list – played in 36 games in his first three seasons and kicked 88 goals and 46 behinds. But Lloyd spent most of his career playing out of the goal square. Darcy, by his own admission, is a “forward/ruck”, and he has also spent some time at centre half-back. Who’s to say he couldn’t do a Matthew Richardson and eventually find himself on the wing?
Either before or after each training session, Darcy heads to the Bulldogs’ indoor hangar, where goal posts are set up at either end. He doesn’t over-practice. He likes to have 10 shots; utilising his full routine and putting himself under the type of pressure he’s likely to feel in a game. It’s quality over quantity.
“I like to pretend that it’s game day, taking your full 30 [seconds] and lining up behind the goals and doing the same thing, replicating what you’re doing game day, not just going through the motions or just kicking for the sake of it – trying to think of it and how much you can make it feel like a match,” he says.
With the combination of elite preparation, a clear mind and a physical dominance with the skill set to match, Sam Darcy isn’t just the future of the AFL. He’s the present as well.
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