Opinion Most underrated player(s) in the AFL currently?

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Nice list, but I think many of these guys are just now getting some recognition

I'd say Brent Daniels, Tom de Konig and Josh Battle are all pretty under-rated
Agreed. Brent Daniels is a gun. Battle now a gun. De Koening emerging (but hes a Blue so no doubt we will hear all about it from Blues fans).
 
My current most under-rated

  1. Gryan Miers
  2. Bailey Fritsch
  3. Jesse Hogan
  4. Alex Neal Bullen
  5. Ollie Henry
  6. Jason Horne Francis
  7. Jack Viney
  8. Brodie Kemp
  9. Luke Jackson
  10. Nic Martin
Decent list, I think Port have been missing JHF. ANB only just beginning to be called out, usally makes the most of his opportunities, as does young OH. Throw Baker for the Tigers in there as well possibly.
 
Answerth.

Not often do we see an AFL player who shows he is genuinely qualified to take up a profession outside of footy.

Rubbing a pretend bald spot on the mark and then rubbing dust out of his eyes……….. Sam Pang’s spot on the Front Bar might be under threat!
 

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Josh Battle? Apologies if mentioned.

Also Neal-Bullen although footy media are starting to notice him the usual year or so after a player becomes v important to a team.
 
Kieran Briggs
Jack Steele
Tom Powell
Dan Houstan
Jack Viney
George Hewett
Tristan Xerri
Sam Collins
Gryan Miers
Jack Buckley
Rowan Marshall
Bailey Banfield
Mitchell Hinge
Will Setterfield
Ed Richards
Josh Battle
ANB
James Rowbottom
Brent Daniels
Jordan Clark
Darcy Wilmot
 
Blake-Hardwick has always been underrated by the general football public, going right back to his 3rd season when he was runner up in Hawthorn's 2018 best and fairest (behind the Brownlow Medalist Tom Mitchell), but he was snubbed for the All Australian Under 22 team for inferior small defenders such as Conor McKenna, Andy McGrath, and Alex Witherden.

It was a joke that he wasn't able to crack those U22 teams in 2018 or 2019.

The struggling Hawks have gone under the radar over the past 5 or 6 years, but Hardwick has been one of our most reliable, dependable players in that time, regularly shutting down the opposition's most dangerous small forwards, courageously putting his body on the line, winning contests and not turning the footy over.

Twice runner up in the Hawthorn best and fairest behind Mitchell, plus a 4th place and a 5th place.

He slotted in so seamlessly from a young age and always looked much older than he was, that I think many people thought he was a 27yo, 28yo veteran and not a 21yo, 22yo gun.



After reading through the last Sunday's match thread on the Collingwood board and seeing all the disparaging comments towards him, their sheer amazement and disgust that the Pie defenders would let a d-grade hack score 4 second half goals, it just confirmed my suspicion that most rival fans don't have a clue and they severely underrate him.
 
Blake-Hardwick has always been underrated by the general football public, going right back to his 3rd season when he was runner up in Hawthorn's 2018 best and fairest (behind the Brownlow Medalist Tom Mitchell), but he was snubbed for the All Australian Under 22 team for inferior small defenders such as Conor McKenna, Andy McGrath, and Alex Witherden.

It was a joke that he wasn't able to crack those U22 teams in 2018 or 2019.

The struggling Hawks have gone under the radar over the past 5 or 6 years, but Hardwick has been one of our most reliable, dependable players in that time, regularly shutting down the opposition's most dangerous small forwards, courageously putting his body on the line, winning contests and not turning the footy over.

Twice runner up in the Hawthorn best and fairest (behind Mitchell), plus a 4th place and a 5th place.

He slotted in so seamlessly from a young age and always looked much older than he was, that I think many people thought he was a 27yo, 28yo veteran and not a 21yo, 22yo gun.



After reading through the last Sunday's match thread on the Collingwood board and seeing all the disparaging comments towards him, their sheer amazement and disgust that the Pie defenders would let a d-grade hack score 4 second half goals, it just confirmed my suspicion that most rival fans don't have a clue and they severely underrate him.

Amazing that he's never truly received his flowers.

Has been incredibly stiff to not have at least 2 All Australian squad nominations.
 
Macintosh is the most underrated player in the history of the game. Most people don’t even know he exists and he looks like a librarian. Bloke is extremely fit and can run all day and a vital role player in our flags.

Non-Richmond I’d say Mihocek is pretty underrated. Has been holding up the fwd line so well most of the time on his own as the sole KPF. Does he get injured a lot? I always see him playing.
 
Blake-Hardwick has always been underrated by the general football public, going right back to his 3rd season when he was runner up in Hawthorn's 2018 best and fairest (behind the Brownlow Medalist Tom Mitchell), but he was snubbed for the All Australian Under 22 team for inferior small defenders such as Conor McKenna, Andy McGrath, and Alex Witherden.

It was a joke that he wasn't able to crack those U22 teams in 2018 or 2019.

The struggling Hawks have gone under the radar over the past 5 or 6 years, but Hardwick has been one of our most reliable, dependable players in that time, regularly shutting down the opposition's most dangerous small forwards, courageously putting his body on the line, winning contests and not turning the footy over.

Twice runner up in the Hawthorn best and fairest behind Mitchell, plus a 4th place and a 5th place.

He slotted in so seamlessly from a young age and always looked much older than he was, that I think many people thought he was a 27yo, 28yo veteran and not a 21yo, 22yo gun.



After reading through the last Sunday's match thread on the Collingwood board and seeing all the disparaging comments towards him, their sheer amazement and disgust that the Pie defenders would let a d-grade hack score 4 second half goals, it just confirmed my suspicion that most rival fans don't have a clue and they severely underrate him.
You know the 22 under 22 is a popularity contest, yeah?

And Hawkes fans still seething over McGrath is hilarious.

But yeah, Hardwick is much like his namesake playing wise. Good player.
 
Zac Merret is criminally under rated, genuinely in the conversation for a top 10 player in the comp but wouldn't rate in most peoples top 20's because he's not a sexy player that does the flashy stuff

Great player.

Bont, J Cameron, Green, Greene, Rozee, N Daicos, Gawn, Oliver, Petracca, Curnow are 10 blokes however who are honestly very clearly well over and above him as a player.

Then you have the likes of Neale, Heeney, Guilden, Andrews, Taylor, C Cameron, May, De Goey, Guilden, Anderson, Stewart, Butters who I think you would find very few suitors to say aren't better players (and nothing to do with a weight for age type analysis).

I did that off the top of my head.

No shame in not being in the top 20. But its correct. He isn't in the ballpark for top 10. But I could agree he is a bit underrated.
 

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From the Cats it would have to be Zach Guthrie
 
Most underrated from each club IMO:

Adelaide: Reilly O'Brien
Brisbane: Jarrod Berry
Carlton: Caleb Marchbank
Collingwood: Beau McCreery
Essendon: Jordan Ridley
Fremantle: Andrew Brayshaw
Geelong: Mitch Duncan
Gold Coast: Sam Collins
GWS: Isaac Cumming
Hawthorn: Blake Hardwick
Melbourne: Tom Sparrow
North Melbourne: Eddie Ford
Port Adelaide: Miles Bergman
Richmond: Nick Vlaustin
St Kilda: Josh Battle
Sydney: Justin McInerney
West Coast: Liam Duggan
Western Bulldogs: Rhylee West
 
Most underrated from each club IMO:

Adelaide: Reilly O'Brien
Brisbane: Jarrod Berry
Carlton: Caleb Marchbank
Collingwood: Beau McCreery
Essendon: Jordan Ridley
Fremantle: Andrew Brayshaw
Geelong: Mitch Duncan
Gold Coast: Sam Collins
GWS: Isaac Cumming
Hawthorn: Blake Hardwick
Melbourne: Tom Sparrow
North Melbourne: Eddie Ford
Port Adelaide: Miles Bergman
Richmond: Nick Vlaustin
St Kilda: Josh Battle
Sydney: Justin McInerney
West Coast: Liam Duggan
Western Bulldogs: Rhylee West
Good call on Duncan. Well past his best now, but spent basically his whole career as a severely underrated player.

Never received a B&F, nor an All Australian selection either (not sure he has ever even made the AA squad). His best was surely pushing into the A grade category. A truly elite user of the football.
 
Great player.

Bont, J Cameron, Green, Greene, Rozee, N Daicos, Gawn, Oliver, Petracca, Curnow are 10 blokes however who are honestly very clearly well over and above him as a player.

Then you have the likes of Neale, Heeney, Guilden, Andrews, Taylor, C Cameron, May, De Goey, Guilden, Anderson, Stewart, Butters who I think you would find very few suitors to say aren't better players (and nothing to do with a weight for age type analysis).

I did that off the top of my head.

No shame in not being in the top 20. But its correct. He isn't in the ballpark for top 10. But I could agree he is a bit underrated.

It all comes down to the eyes of the beholder and perhaps your confirming my point. He, right now would be on 8 Brownlow votes imho.


It's widely accepted he is a true A grader. Would definitely be in my top 20.

One of a select few who rate him, well done
 
He was properly rated as a bit of a spud prior to this year but if you're not on board the Melicopter this season you're underrating him!
 
Zac Merret is criminally under rated, genuinely in the conversation for a top 10 player in the comp but wouldn't rate in most peoples top 20's because he's not a sexy player that does the flashy stuff

Would have Merrett top 20 but the top 10 is hard to crack although from about 8 or 9 it becomes very much eye of the beholder.

At the end of the day though unless you’re kicking goals or dominating in the air most people are going to have a preference for players who’ve been a part of a successful side.
 
Would have Merrett top 20 but the top 10 is hard to crack although from about 8 or 9 it becomes very much eye of the beholder.

At the end of the day though unless you’re kicking goals or dominating in the air most people are going to have a preference for players who’ve been a part of a successful side.
Being from my side puts some bias on top as well
 
You hear about Jack Ginnivan for everything but his actual output on the footy field.

On Saturday he had 22 disposals, 3 tackles and kicked 2.3.
If you didn't watch the game, did you even know that?
All we've heard about is the 'blow up' with Will Day and missed goal when he had other options available.

For the season he's averaging a tick under 16 disposals, 3 tackles, 4 marks and over a goal a game. In a team rapidly on the rise. He's a big part of the turn around in form.

If he came without the excess drama of being one of the most polarising figures in the game, he'd be spoken about as one of the best value recruits of the season.

He's likely not going to be an elite level small forward, or have games of 27 touches and 5 goals like his vice captain, but largely everything written the kid ignores his actual footballing ability. For that, I'd say he's actually underrated.
 

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Opinion Most underrated player(s) in the AFL currently?

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