As a footballer, young Adelaide forward Darcy Fogarty is a throwback to the 1980s.

Fogarty, 18, had a greater impact against Richmond than the stats sheet would suggest.

The youngest player on Adelaide Oval, the second-gamer looked and played like a more experienced campaigner.

Fogarty, who was described as the ‘most aggressive and competitive kid’ in last year’s draft and as possessing a ‘bit of mongrel’, delighted in throwing his burly, 193cm, 94kg, frame around.

He crashed packs, applied crunching tackles and even rag-dolled an established Richmond defender to take one of his five marks.

Fogarty is still learning where the line is though, costing his team a goal and being fined for misconduct for a hit on Josh Caddy in the second quarter.

In a Grand Final rematch where Adelaide was challenged and under pressure to respond, captain Taylor Walker was enthused by Fogarty’s presence.

“I love him (Fogarty). He’s just tough … (hard) as a cat’s head,” Walker told Channel 7 after the game.

“He understands the game. He’s got great leading patterns as a forward.

“He’s not afraid to stand up for himself and he’s going to have a bright future.”

Fogarty was bred tough.

He grew up in Lucindale – 345 kilometres south-east of Adelaide – and did manual labour on the family farm.

His dad David was a bull rider, who had one professional ride, and Darcy also grew up riding cattle. Mum Jackie was a talented sportsperson in her own right, playing netball, tennis and basketball.

Fogarty had to learn to hold his own when he started training with Lucindale’s senior team as an 11 or 12-year-old, making his playing debut a few years later.

“I was lucky enough to play a bit of A-grade football at Lucindale,” he said.

“This was as a 15-year-old in my first year boarding at Rostrevor College. 

“I would go back during the breaks and play with them (the Roos).”  

Fogarty’s seven disposals against Richmond were all class.

The first-round draft pick coolly converted two set-shot goals and used his ‘tree-trunk legs’ (as Walker called them) to roost a kick from outside 50m which sailed through for a behind.

Talls Fogarty, Walker (four) and Jenkins (five) combined for 11 goals in Adelaide’s 36-point win.

“It gives great confidence to the midfielders to be able to bomb it in with two power forwards (Walker and Jenkins) up there (especially) when they clunk them like they did tonight,” Fogarty said.

Thursday night’s game was also Fogarty’s first at Adelaide Oval and first AFL win.

The vocal crowd of 49,743 was the biggest the teenager, whose hometown has a population of only a few hundred people, has played in front of.

“It was unreal to hear the final siren go and then the crowd roar,” he said.

“It was a feeling I’ve never felt before, it was crazy.”

Fogarty was considered a potential No.1 pick before an inconsistent 2017 season, which was marred and prematurely ended by a knee injury, saw him slide to No.12 on draft night.

The South Australian Under-18 representative and AFL Academy graduate expected to spend the early part of this year building fitness and proving himself at SANFL level.

Instead, an injury to Daniel Talia saw him earn a late call-up in Adelaide’s opening JLT Community Series match.

He followed up with three first-half goals in the Club’s season pre-season hit-out and now two AFL games to his name.

“I didn’t think it would be like this, coming into a new club,” Fogarty said.

“It’s been really easy to fit with all the good blokes out there and that’s made it all the better.

“To be lucky enough to play in the senior side is an unreal feeling, and I didn’t think I’d be here.”