West Coast forward Jack Darling is a lucky man and he knows it.

Last year, Darling's life was rocked when he suffered bruising to his brain and a fractured skull after being king hit and knocking his head on the pavement in an unprovoked attack outside a Subiaco hotel.

Last weekend, promising WAFL ruckman Luke Adams - a teammate of Darling's in the Western Australia Under 18s squad - suffered a similar blow during a night out in Northbridge.

But while Darling has made a full recovery and is living out his AFL dream, Adams is in hospital on life support and isn't expected to survive the ordeal.

Darling said his own experience and hearing about Adams' plight had given him a new outlook on life.

"It could happen to anybody. It's pretty unfortunate what happened to him and it's really sad and does make you feel a bit of a tingle down your spine thinking that could be me," Darling said on Tuesday.

"My attack was unprovoked.

"Some people out there are just a bit crazy. I know that the guys that attacked me were actually on drugs and they admitted to it and have gone to court and pleaded guilty.

"With myself, I don't go out too much these days.

"But when I do it's in a controlled environment; out with good friends around me and I just go home early."

A standout season for Darling as a 16-year-old in 2009 had many football experts tipping the talented youngster would be a top-three pick in the 2010 national draft.

But Darling's progress stalled last year, with a couple of off-field incidents and indifferent form in the WAFL seeing him slip down the pecking order.

Darling was overlooked by every club in the first round of last year's national draft before West Coast took a punt on him with pick No.26.

The gamble has already paid massive dividends, with the 191cm, 87kg key position player earning the round six nomination for the rising star award following his three-goal haul against Melbourne last week.

Darling, who has booted 7.2 in five matches and is averaging four tackles a game, said he wasn't fazed about missing out on being a first-round selection.

"To me it was just a number. As long as I got picked up I didn't really care," Darling said.

"I'm just happy with where I am now. It's the club I barracked for growing up."

Darling is still somewhat shy in front of the media, but his confidence around friends and teammates is sky high.

Even Mark LeCras' 12-goal haul against Essendon last year doesn't overly impress him.

"I'm going to try to beat it this week, kick 13," Darling joked ahead of Sunday's clash with the Bombers at Etihad Stadium.

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