Darcy Fort
{{short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Darcy Fort
| image = Darcy Fort in May 2019.1.jpg
| caption = Fort playing for Geelong in May 2019
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|08|06|df =y}}
| originalteam = South Barwon (GFL)/Central District(SANFL)
| draftpick = No. 65, 2018 national draft
| debutdate = Round 9, 2019
| debutteam = {{AFL Gee}}
| debutopponent = {{AFL WB}}
| debutstadium = GMHBA Stadium
| height = 204 cm
| weight = 99 kg
| position = Ruckman
| currentclub = {{AFL BL}}
| guernsey = 32
| years1 = 2019–2021
| club1 = {{AFL Gee}}
| games_goals1 = {{0}}8 {{0}}(6)
| years2 = 2022–
| club2 = {{AFL BL}}
| games_goals2 = 37 (12)
| games_goalstotal = 45 (18)
| statsend = round 15, 2025
| careerhighlights =
| source =
}}
Darcy Fort (born 6 August 1993) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the {{AFL BL}} in the Australian Football League (AFL). A 2.04-metre ruckman who can also play as a key forward, he played in several state leagues before being drafted by Geelong as a mature-age recruit. He made his AFL debut in round 9 of the 2019 season.
Junior and state-league career
From Geelong, Victoria,{{cite news |last1=Cleary |first1=Mitch |title=Seven years on, new Cat finally realises his dream |url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/138760/seven-years-on-new-cat-finally-realises-his-dream |access-date=16 December 2019 |work=AFL.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |date=30 November 2018}} Fort originally played for South Barwon as a junior and represented the Geelong Falcons in the TAC Cup. Ahead of the 2012 AFL draft he was little-noticed by recruiters until a match with South Barwon in the Geelong Football League, when he rucked competitively against Brad Ottens, a triple-premiership player for Geelong, despite his size and experience deficit. Over his 10 TAC Cup matches for the season, Fort averaged 10 disposals, 3.5 marks, 26 hitouts and 3.4 tackles; the Herald Sun reported that he was regarded as among the best ruckmen in the competition, highlighted Fort's tackling, tenacity and follow-up effort as strengths, and predicted he would be drafted in the late second or early third round (pick 40–50).{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Jay |title=Darcy Fort holds up against the best |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/darcy-fort-holds-up-against-the-best/news-story/a02372935a222aff44b0d3d7ab8216b6 |access-date=16 December 2019 |work=Herald Sun |publisher=News Limited |date=20 November 2012}}
Fort was nevertheless overlooked at the 2012 draft (a snub the Geelong Advertiser called "inexplicable"){{cite news |last1=Wade |first1=Nick |title=South Barwon ruckman Darcy Fort signs at SANFL club Central Districts |url=https://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/sport/south-barwon-ruckman-darcy-fort-signs-at-sanfl-club-central-districts/news-story/195b2b4e4abce08453e4062d8d5704aa |access-date=16 December 2019 |work=Geelong Advertiser |publisher=News Corp Australia |date=9 December 2015}} and entered a stint in the Victorian Football League (VFL) with Werribee. He played four matches of the 2013 season before moving to Footscray. Fort played eleven matches and kicked eight goals over the next two years,{{cite web |title=Darcy Fort |url=https://australianfootball.com/players/player/darcy%2Bfort/20632 |website=AustralianFootball.com |access-date=16 December 2019}} then switched to South Australian National Football League club Central District ahead of the 2016 season. At this point, he was playing as a ruckman with stints as a key defender.
Over the next three years, Fort kicked 29 goals in 52 games as he began to take on a forward-line role. Fox Sports claimed he "might be the best mature-age ruck prospect in Australia" after he averaged 31.5 hitouts for Central District in 2018;{{cite news |title=AFL draft 2018: The best mature-age prospects from SANFL and NEAFL clubs could consider |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-draft-2018-the-best-matureage-prospects-from-sanfl-and-neafl-clubs-could-consider/news-story/bcec00504671e5b3e592131249d95aaf |access-date=16 December 2019 |work=Fox Sports |publisher=News Corp Australia |date=17 November 2018}} journalist Callum Twomey also highlighted Fort as a possible selection in the 2018 AFL draft.{{cite news |last1=Negrepontis |first1=Nic |title=Cal Twomey lists who the next major mature age recruit successes could be |url=https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/06/03/cal-twomey-lists-who-the-next-mature-age-recruit-successes-could-be/ |access-date=16 December 2019 |work=SEN 1116}}
AFL career
File:Darcy Fort's first AFL goal in May 2019.jpg, Tom Hawkins and Gryan Miers after kicking his first AFL goal.]]
Fort was drafted by Geelong with pick 65 in the 2018 national draft, quitting his job as a civil engineer to play for the club. He followed Orren Stephenson (2011) and Ryan Abbott (2016) as mature-age ruckmen selected by the club. Fort began his time with Geelong competing with Abbott, Rhys Stanley and Zac Smith for the ruckman position. The proliferation of ruckmen led to him spending more time as a key forward in Geelong's VFL reserves, where he kicked eight goals in four matches and displayed strong marking ability while rucking alongside Abbott.{{cite news |last1=Guthrie |first1=Ben |title=There's no holding down the Fort |url=http://www.aflplayers.com.au/article/theres-no-holding-down-the-fort/ |access-date=16 December 2019 |work=AFLPlayers |publisher=AFL Players' Association |date=24 May 2019}} After Stanley withdrew late from Geelong's round 9 match against the {{AFL WB}}, Fort replaced him for his first AFL match. He notched 17 hitouts and kicked three goals in combination with Abbott.{{cite news |title=Fort makes impressive AFL debut for Cats |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/fort-makes-impressive-afl-debut-for-cats |access-date=16 December 2019 |work=SBS News |agency=Australian Associated Press |publisher=Special Broadcasting Service |date=18 May 2019}} He played two more matches to complete the 2019 season.
Fort was traded to the {{AFL BL}} at the conclusion of the 2021 AFL season.{{Cite tweet |user=AFL_House|number=1448191743795490820|date=13 October 2021|title=Trade paperwork lodged.}}
Due to first choice ruckman Oscar McInerney's injuries sustained in the preliminary final win against Geelong,{{Cite news |date=2024-09-26 |title=Lions confirm ruck replacement for grand final as Swans make call on Adams |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-26/afl-brisbane-lions-sydney-swans-grand-final-teams-darcy-fort/104402576 |access-date=2024-09-28 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} Fort was part of the Brisbane Lions 2024 premiership winning team, brought into the team for the Grand Final.{{cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/1231476/lion-kings-chris-fagans-heroes-thrash-sydney-swans-in-grand-final-shock|date=28 September 2024|website=AFL|title=Lion Kings: Fagan's heroes thrash Swans in GF shock}}
In May of 2025 Fort signed on with Brisbane until 2026.{{cite web |title=Premiership pair put pen to paper for Lions |url=https://www.lions.com.au/news/1775437/premiership-pair-put-pen-to-paper-for-lions |website=lions.com.au |access-date=12 May 2025}}
Statistics
Updated to the end of the 2024 season.{{cite web|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/D/Darcy_Fort.html|title=Darcy Fort|work=AFL Tables|access-date=30 September 2024}}
{{AFL player statistics legend/ruckman|p=y}}
{{AFL player statistics start/ruck}}
|-
| 2019 || {{AFL Gee}} || 28
| 3 || 5 || 0 || 16 || 7 || 23 || 6 || 5 || 37 || 1.7 || 0.0 || 5.3 || 2.3 || 7.7 || 2.0 || 1.7 || 12.3
|-
| 2020{{efn|The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.}} || {{AFL Gee}} || 28
| 5 || 1 || 0 || 31 || 16 || 47 || 9 || 9 || 107 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 6.2 || 3.2 || 9.4 || 1.8 || 1.8 || 21.4
|-
| 2021 || {{AFL Gee}} || 32
| 0 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| 2022 || {{AFL BL}} || 32
| 18 || 9 || 1 || 127 || 49 || 176 || 31 || 37 || 306 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 7.1 || 2.7 || 9.8 || 1.7 || 2.1 || 17.0
|-
| 2023 || {{AFL BL}} || 32
| 7 || 1 || 3 || 37 || 22 || 59 || 12 || 11 || 90 || 0.1 || 0.4 || 5.3 || 3.1 || 8.4 || 1.7 || 1.6 || 12.9
|-
| scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | 2024#|| {{AFL BL}} || 32
| 3 || 1 || 2 || 22 || 11 || 33 || 7 || 11 || 59 || 0.3 || 0.7 || 7.3 || 3.7 || 11.0 || 2.3 || 3.7 || 19.7
|- class=sortbottom
! colspan=3 | Career
! 36 !! 17 !! 6 !! 233 !! 105 !! 338 !! 65 !! 73 !! 598 !! 0.5 !! 0.2 !! 6.5 !! 2.9 !! 9.4 !! 1.8 !! 2.0 !! 16.6
|}
Notes
{{notelist}}
Honours and achievements
Team
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{Brisplayer}}
- {{AFL Tables|D/Darcy_Fort.html}}
- {{AustralianFootball|20632}}
{{Brisbane player squad}}
{{2024 Brisbane Lions premiership players}}
{{2018 AFL national draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort, Darcy}}
Category:Geelong Football Club players
Category:Brisbane Lions players
Category:VFL/AFL premiership players
Category:Brisbane Lions premiership players
Category:Australian rules footballers from Geelong
Category:South Barwon Football Club players
Category:Geelong Falcons players
Category:Werribee Football Club players
Category:Footscray Football Club (VFA) players