He’s been dubbed ‘The King’ by his teammates, and West Coast forward Jack Darling will need to live up to his title if the Eagles are to dethrone Sydney in Sunday’s top-of-the-table AFL blockbuster at Patersons Stadium.
With Josh Kennedy out injured and the hulking Quinten Lynch facing a one-match ban for tripping, much will rest on Darling’s shoulders as the team’s only recognised key forward.
Darling has coped well this season in the absence of Kennedy, with the 20-year-old booting 28 goals from 14 games to go with his excellent defensive pressure.
But his strong form isn’t the reason why he’s earned the nickname ‘The King’.
“I think it started because I get lots of treatment,” Darling explained.
“Shannon Hurn just made up something, saying: ‘The King just gets what he wants’.
“One time I was getting my ankle strapped and someone was strapping my thumb at the same time, so everyone’s just like: ‘Oh, The King’.
“That’s how that started. So I didn’t call myself ‘The King’.”
Lynch has chosen to contest his one-match ban for tripping, while midfielder Luke Shuey will also try his luck at the tribunal after being offered a two-match suspension for elbowing North Melbourne’s Lindsay Thomas in the groin.
The Eagles, who will be without injured vice-captain Beau Waters (knee) for up to five weeks, will be desperate to have at least one of Shuey or Lynch available against the ladder-leading Swans.
Darling said he was looking forward to Kennedy returning to the side later this year.
Kennedy (ankle) is still listed as being 6-7 weeks away from resuming at any level, and faces a race against time to be fit and firing for the finals.
Darling said even if Kennedy failed to return in time, the Eagles would still be a good chance of snaring a premiership.
“I reckon we can do it without him. But if he’s there, I’d definitely take him,” Darling said.
“I’ll be looking forward to when Josh gets back so I can have a bit more of a run at half-forward and hopefully get a bit more of the footy.
“I’m kicking a few more goals than last year and being a fairly good target. So I feel like I’m doing my role.”
Darling grew up a supporter of West Coast, and joked he was “probably in tears” when Sydney beat the Eagles in the 2005 grand final.