Strengths: Jacobs is the archetypal football – not the brilliant athlete that so many clubs recruit nowadays and try and turn into footballers. Jacobs is a very natural footballer and that is a major strength. He understands the game, reads the flow well and that was probably a major reason he succeeded across half back. He left his man at the right time and turned dour defender at the right time. Skill-wise it is Jacobs marking that is a standout. Contested or on a lead he has a great pair of hands. At just 22 years of age he will only get better – particularly as the self-belief grows.
Position: Jacobs has shown he can play just about anywhere. He played defence very well in the early part of last season and he can be a dangerous target up forward where his marking ability is a thorn in the side of opposition defenders. Where he plays in 2003 may depend on what the coaching panel do with Scott Lucas and to a lesser extent Adam McPhee. If both head to the back half, Jacobs may be asked to play centre half forward. It would be an enormous challenge but he undoubtedly has the talent to handle it.
2003: It is an important year for Jacobs to establish himself as one of the players that will carry the Bombers into next year and beyond. He now has more than 50 games experience behind him. He has had the grounding – he now needs to repay the faith the coaching panel has shown in him. With a big pre-season (a knee injury interrupted him in 2002) behind him, Jacobs shapes as a player critical to the fortunes of Essendon in 2003.
Kevin Sheedy says: Danny has outstanding ability, so if he develops a top attitude to go with it, he could become a very accomplished player. He is definitely at the crossroads now between becoming a “Top-class Player” or a “Good Player”. We need him to step up and take over from 100 game players like Justin Blumfield, Chris Heffernan and Blake Caracella before he actually is a “100 game” player himself. With fantastic dedication he could achieve all goals he sets for himself but if Danny only puts in 70% he will only get 70% - if he puts in 100% like a Tim Watson or a Francis Bourke that is what he will get from footy and life. In fact Danny could be a superstar, he should be setting himself a goal to be as good as Glen Archer {Kangaroos} with the ability to play either on the backline or up forward.
