After forming one of the most potent goalkicking partnerships in the competition with Josh Kennedy over the past decade, Darling stepped up as one of the more experienced spearheads in combination with budding star Oscar Allen in 2023. The veteran key forward booted 26 goals last year including his 500th career goal, now sitting just four majors behind Peter Sumich (514) for second-most goals in West Coast history. The 30-year-old was sidelined for multiple games in 2023 with injury, sustaining a fractured arm in round nine against Gold Coast Suns, but returned to play out the second half of the season. Darling was a premiership player in 2018, became an All-Australian the following year and has six top-five finishes in the John Worsfold Medal from his 13 seasons to date.
At a Glance: Junior Clubs: Sorrento-Duncraig (WA). Debut: Round 1, 2011. Recruited from: West Perth (WA). Brownlow Votes: 33.
