AFL

9 months ago

“I moved on pretty quickly”: Darcy offers his perspective on Maynard collision, Beveridge’s response

By Seb Mottram

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Bulldogs forward Sam Darcy is staring at weeks on the sidelines after his collision with Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard – but he says the contest didn’t rattle him.

Darcy drew the ire of up to a dozen Magpies players and plenty of the crowd for a late bump on Maynard in a marking contest early in the Bulldogs’ 18-point win, with the Collingwood defender sent for a concussion test shortly after.

Darcy, still only 20 years of age and playing just his 18th game of AFL football, came straight to the bench and took a phone call. He then conceded what was his second 50-metre penalty as Collingwood got on top in the first term.

But the young star hit back to have several important moments in a tense win and eventually end the night with three majors.

He was asked post-game what coach Luke Beveridge’s response to the bump was.

“He gave a good little bake, (he) said ‘pull your head in mate and move on’,” Darcy told Channel 7

“It’s all part of it.

“I just had to get out of my own head and keep competing… I was just trying to keep backing myself in.”

Asked if he was rattled by the incident, Darcy responded: “Not really, I moved on pretty quickly.”

He also enjoyed a game-high five contested marks, five score involvements and two inside 50s.

Club great Luke Darcy, Sam’s father, also spoke to Seven from the winning rooms but wouldn’t be drawn into discussing the incident.

“They’ll have a look at that one I’m sure,” he said of his son’s bump.

Maynard passed his concussion test and returned late in the first term, eventually finishing the contest as one of the Magpies’ best.

But he was powerless to stop a final quarter onslaught from the Bulldogs, who kicked five goals to none after the final break to claim their sixth win of the season.

Western Bulldogs