Western Bulldogs great Luke Darcy has caused a frenzy after being moved to a different commentary role on Saturday night while calling his former side’s clash with Fremantle in Perth.
Darcy has been one of Channel 7’s most popular play-by-play commentators for the network’s prime time games, along with the likes of Brian Taylor and James Brayshaw.
The 48-year-old has worked on Channel 7’s Saturday night time slot since the start of the season, but the decision to keep him in the commentary box while watching his 20-year-old son Sam play raised eyebrows and led to a few interesting moments during the game.
The term “Luke Darcy” was trending on Twitter, now known as X.
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Darcy was shifted to the “expert commentator” role for the Optus Stadium clash, where Fremantle kicked away late to win by 24 points.
Seven’s commentary team was made up of game callers Jason Bennett, Alister Nicholson and four-time premiership winner Shaun Burgoyne, who was used in an “expert commentary” role.
It’s not the first time Darcy has called a game his son has played in since the 2.05m tower made his AFL debut in 2022.
Sam kicked a goal in the second quarter and two more majors in the third term and it seemed his dad was careful not to come across as a biased supporter.
Darcy was noticeably quiet when his son touched the ball but did offer some insights when his son took a mark inside 50.
“Great kick from Lachie Bramble there,” said Darcy.
“Saw that Sam had the mismatch and needed the ball out the back.”
He also had some words of wisdom when Sam took a mark and lined up goal on the stroke of three quarter time.
“(He) has a habit of getting a little bit close to the man on the mark,” Darcy said of his son’s routine.
“Maybe go back another two steps.”
Nicholson joked: “Stop giving his secrets away Darce”, while Bennett said Darcy was showing off “20 years of research on your part”.
Darcy, who is also a Bulldogs board member, also hosted Seven’s post-game coverage from inside’s Fremantle’s changerooms.
Many footy fans said they preferred Darcy as an expert commentator, the role he started out with in Channel 10 many years ago.
“These two commentators are by far the best in the game at the moment,” one fan wrote on X:
“Just simply calling the play. No one talking over each other. Even Luke Darcy isn’t that bad on special comments.”
A second said: “Luke Darcy was actually fair and didn’t call the game. Did well. Also knew Freo names etc.”
A third commented: “Luke Darcy back on special comments is well and truly a blast from the past.”
Another quipped: “You can hear the cogs turning while Luke Darcy struggles to commentate Sam.”
But others questioned whether he should be allowed to commentate Bulldogs games.
One viewer said: “Tough gig for Luke Darcy, in the Western Bulldogs board and his son part of the losing side, now has to host the post-game show in the Freo rooms.”
A second said: ‘Another example of a caller calling his own team. Luke Darcy calling the Bulldogs and his own son. This simply has to stop.”
Another said: “How on earth is Luke Darcy allowed to commentate his son? Surely someone should else is available …”
It far from the first time Darcy senior has commentated a Bulldogs game — who could forget his emotion as the Bulldogs defeated GWS in a thrilling preliminary final to book their place in the 2016 decider.
The younger Darcy has had an injury riddled start to his career and the game against Fremantle was just the 13th of his career after he made his AFL debut in 2022.
Darcy has been played in defence with Jamarra Ugle-Hagan out for personal reasons, he moved forward alongside Aaron Naughton to provide a target for the Bulldogs.
Darcy told The West Australian earlier in the week his move to the expert analysis role was made because of the nerves he gets when watching his son play.
“I’m looking forward to sitting in the expert comments chair, I haven’t done that since I first left the game,” Darcy said.
“I always wanted to call the game ball-by-ball, it was something my Dad did when I was growing up as a kid, I sat in a commentary box and heard Dad call the game.
“But I have been wrestling with the idea of calling a game that my son plays in and I just haven’t been able to get my head around the idea.”
Darcy’s stint as an expert commentator is a return of sorts to his media roots after he found himself in the headlines earlier this month.
The former Bulldogs ruckman accused Kane Cornes of having a “nasty and mean spirited” style in an icy exchange on Triple M radio during the AFL’s Gather Round in Adelaide.
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