Opinion Top 10 Overrated and Underrated Players

[EFL Boy]

Fletch has been AA twice; 2000 and 2007.

He also won the Club B&F in our dominant year of 2000.

He was also the Co-Captain of the International Rules Side in 2006.

 

[collingwill]

Lets be honest here... Maxwell is the biggest joke of a captian in the league. Even Collingwood didnt seem too keen on giving him the captiancy but they had no other suitable candidates..

I'm gonna shoot my arguement in the foot here but fletch has only been AA once. Probably due to Scarlett and Silvagni being around for most of his carrer.

why would you say that, the blokes leadership qualitys have never been doubted, what was doubted early doors was wether he was good enough to hold his spot in the team as every captain should, i think he's past that test and with flying colours, is he or is he ever going to be a champion? no but that doesnt mean he's shit or a joke as a captain, i could say watson is the biggest joke of a captain in the league and id be closer to the mark than you IMO.

 

[EFL Boy]

Watson isn't captain, though. Don't know what you're on about.

No doubting Maxwell's leadership qualities, but I think Hank was meaning to say that in terms of playing skill and quality, Maxwell is nowhere near the top when comparing to the other captains.

 

[The Panther]

but I think Hank was meaning to say that in terms of playing skill and quality, Maxwell is nowhere near the top when comparing to the other captains.

Skill/quality is purely for aesthetic purposes. Brad Sewell is one of the premier midfielders in the AFL, skill & quality wise, he's hardly in the league of a Didak, Goddard, Black & co.

Hodge/Maxwell have been the dominant 3rd defenders in the last 2 years.

 

[EFL Boy]

I would class Sewell in that category. He is a fantastic player and is arguably Hawthorn's best midfielder.

I would also add Fletcher and possibly Fisher to that list also.

 

[collingwill]

Watson isn't captain, though. Don't know what you're on about.

No doubting Maxwell's leadership qualities, but I think Hank was meaning to say that in terms of playing skill and quality, Maxwell is nowhere near the top when comparing to the other captains.

my mistake, i thought he was favoured to get the gig since velvet left, who's your captain now ?

i dont think you need to be a great player to be a great captain, as long as you show courage and commitment and lead by example.

 

[EFL Boy]

We have not chosen a captain as of yet.

 

[hank31]

Fletch has been AA twice; 2000 and 2007.

He also won the Club B&F in our dominant year of 2000.

He was also the Co-Captain of the International Rules Side in 2006.

Sorry man i was going by memory and i thought it was only 2000 he was AA..

 

[hank31]

Watson isn't captain, though. Don't know what you're on about.

No doubting Maxwell's leadership qualities, but I think Hank was meaning to say that in terms of playing skill and quality, Maxwell is nowhere near the top when comparing to the other captains.

Spot on!

 

[collingwill]

But Maxwells an AA now, not every captain can lay claim to that.

So im guessing either Watson or Hille will be captain yeah? who else is in the mix?

 

[GetDimmaBack]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned Ryan Hargrave yet.

Has been so underrated for so long that he rarely even makes anyone's underrated list...

In the AA squad this year. Someone's catching on!

 

[hank31]

But Maxwells an AA now, not every captain can lay claim to that.

So im guessing either Watson or Hille will be captain yeah? who else is in the mix?

I'd say Welsh, McVeigh and even maybe Stanton (he was just added to the leadership group this week with Fletch.) Thinking about it there are a shit load of AA captians around.. Reiwolt, Judd, etc. i cant be bothered going right into it or ill get sacked from work haha

 

[EFL Boy]

But Maxwells an AA now, not every captain can lay claim to that.

So im guessing either Watson or Hille will be captain yeah? who else is in the mix?

Yeah true, but AA is all opinionated, but congrats on him getting AA, whether he deserved it or not.

Matthew Pavlich - 6 Time AA.
Brad Johnson - 6 Time AA.
Simon Goodwin - 5 Time AA.
Nick Riewoldt - 4 Time AA.
Chris Judd - 4 Time AA.
Brent Harvey - 4 Time AA.
Adam Goodes - 3 Time AA.
Darren Glass - 2 Time AA.
Craig Bolton - 2 Time AA.
Jonathan Brown - 2 Time AA.
Brett Kirk - 1 Time AA.
Nick Maxwell - 1 Time AA.
James McDonald - 1 Time AA.
Domenic Cassisi - Has not been AA.
Chris Newman - Has not been AA.
Sam Mitchell - Has not been AA. (Very surprisingly)

So equal sixth, but this is obviously not accurate towards their overall skill and quality as Brown is low and Judd could be higher etc.


Watson, Hille, McVeigh, Welsh, Fletch are the main candidates.

 

[WN123]

Maxwell impressed me every time I saw him play this year. Didn't think much of him before that............

 

[collingwill]

Maxwell impressed me every time I saw him play this year. Didn't think much of him before that............

He's no star and doesnt pretend to be, what he is though is a super hard worker who gets the most out of himself, great leader IMO, i remember going to a match while Buckley was still captain, 06 maybe, and maxwell was the one talking to the huddle before the game, just a born leader.

 

[collingwill]

Yeah true, but AA is all opinionated, but congrats on him getting AA, whether he deserved it or not.

Matthew Pavlich - 6 Time AA.
Brad Johnson - 6 Time AA.
Simon Goodwin - 5 Time AA.
Nick Riewoldt - 4 Time AA.
Chris Judd - 4 Time AA.
Brent Harvey - 4 Time AA.
Adam Goodes - 3 Time AA.
Darren Glass - 2 Time AA.
Craig Bolton - 2 Time AA.
Jonathan Brown - 2 Time AA.
Brett Kirk - 1 Time AA.
Nick Maxwell - 1 Time AA.
James McDonald - 1 Time AA.
Domenic Cassisi - Has not been AA.
Chris Newman - Has not been AA.
Sam Mitchell - Has not been AA. (Very surprisingly)

So equal sixth, but this is obviously not accurate towards their overall skill and quality as Brown is low and Judd could be higher etc.


Watson, Hille, McVeigh, Welsh, Fletch are the main candidates.

I nearly fell of my chair when i heard he was AA, but i suppose the spare man rolls getting the respect it deserves from the AA selectors now, everyone uses the spareman so its almost a position now, i dare say Fletch has been the best at it for a long time, maybe it cost him a few AAs because the selectors didnt rate the postion before.

maxwell pretty much gets flogged against the bigger FWDs one on one, so his role is either the spare man or on the 3rd tall types, he knows his limitations as does MM.

 

[hank31]

Hey EFL Boy do you think Ryder is in the hunt? He is the face of the membership campaign but i'd highly doubt he would be in the running... Its just knights has said its out of 7 people and he isn't in the 6 player leadership group! I also remember sheeds wrote an article a year or so after he had left talking up Ryder taking up the Captiancy! It would be one from left field, but i would like it!

Exactly right about AA too guys.. Remember its just the opinions of a few selectors.. Just because Mike Sheehan has whoever in his top 50, doesnt mean that they are in everyones top 50, same thing i guess just an opinion. Personally i think the highest indivdual award would have to be the AFLPA MVP. If there was a similar AA side which afl players voted on players best suited to different positions, id love to see who would make that side!

 

[Vdubs]

I think Garry Ablett Jrn is a bit overrated at the moment- he is getting a heap of the ball, but mostly handballs, and I think he was more damaging in 07 and 08 compared to this year. Still a very good player though.

A lot of defenders are underrated. Boyd from the Dogs as well, he is an excellent player.

An embarrassing ridiculous statement about a Brownlow medalist, dual premiership player, and triple AFLMVP recipient, being chased by your mob

 

[Thrawn]

He can be mentioned in the same breath as Scarlett and even Silvagni.

There is no way Fletcher is on the same level as SOS was.

 

[collingwill]

An embarrassing ridiculous statement about a Brownlow medalist, dual premiership player, and triple AFLMVP recipient, being chased by your mob

yep, im totally bemused with posters saying abletts overrated, alls i can say to them is watch the guy play once, any game, he is easily the best player in the comp and probably the best player ive seen (midfielder), he just never has a bad game, doesnt have a weakness, kicks goals, breaks tackles, is supurb by foot or hand, great clearance player, very good one on one mark, super endurance, speed, big game player, incredibly evasive, the list goes on.

 

[Wally Carter]

Top 10 Overrated players:
1. Joel Bowden - The uncontested cheap disposal king.
2. Dale Thomas - The cult hero who is too inconsistent.
3. Jordan Russell - I don't know what Ratten sees in him.
4. Dane Swan - Waddles around the ground kicking mongrels. Works hard but lacks class.
5. Russel Robertson - Doesn't look like a footballer and has never impressed me apart from his aerial antics.
6. Mark Williams - Carried by superior teammates, no longer does enough.
7. Daniel Wells - Move to HB might be good, but so far in his career he hasn't done much.
8. Luke Ablett - A famous last name can only get you so far. Never seen him as a good player.
9. Matthew Priddis - During the match you'll barely notice him and then look at the stat sheet to see he got 30+ touches.
10. Jonathan Brown - Good player, but overrated in terms of his standing in the game. Media hype has oversold him.

Top 10 Underrated Players:
1. Tyson Edwards - I think he's been a star for ages doesnt seem to get enough recognition
2. Daniel Bradshaw - Playing with Lynch and now Brown he has never seen the spotlight but he is a powerhouse.
3. Matthew Boyd - In all the AA team threads I don't see his name enough, seriously good this year.
4. Simon Prestigiacomo - Nearly the best 1-on-1 defender in the game.
5. Roger Hayden - When fit he is one of the best small defenders in the game.
6. Bernie Vince - Adelaide are building a good solid young midfield with Vince a key cog.
7. Steven Salopek - A very good player this season before he had injury troubles.
8. Tarkyn Lockyer - Seems to get forgotten in all the Davis, Didak and Thomas euphoria.
9. Warren Tredrea - Seems to get forgotten in debates for the best players of the past decade.
10. Daniel Jackson - With Deledio, Foley, Tuck and Tambling the bigger name draftees, Jackson has stood out this year.

Good lists.

From a North supporters perspective, I would not say that Wells was overrated as the vast majority of punters consider him to be an underachiever.

Scott Thompson is a good candidate for your underrated list. He gets nowhere near the respect that his 2009 season should bring him.

 

[HFF]

AG's list lost all credibility when he put Dane Swan and Jonathon Brown in it.

Brown is the greatest CHF and captain in the modern game. His standing is not over-hyped. He is a genuine megastar.

Dane Swan went from battler to A-grader. Consistently dominates midfield opponents week-in, week-out and never racks up cheap stats. Running machine.

Funny how Brown's standing in the game is "over-hyped", yet Adam Goodes' standing as a two-time Brownlow medallist is on the money.

If Brown's standing in the game is in question, Goodes' should be in trouble.

 

[smiddaz123]

Most people concede that Goodes probably was lucky to win two Brownlow's though. The general public rate him fairly well imo, some even under rate him due to the fact he is seen as an umpires favourite at times.

Brown has been a great forward, but I'd say your description of him is an example of over rating him. Greatest CHF in the modern game? Tredrea was better at his best. Riewoldt is better now.

In his list, I'd disagree with Thomas. He isn't really the cult figure at Collingwood, and how many people honestly rate him highly? I can't see how Thomas is over rated, everyone bags the shit out of him and don't even realise that he works hard on the field.

 

[Wally Carter]

Most people concede that Goodes probably was lucky to win two Brownlow's though. The general public rate him fairly well imo, some even under rate him due to the fact he is seen as an umpires favourite at times.

Brown has been a great forward, but I'd say your description of him is an example of over rating him. Greatest CHF in the modern game? Tredrea was better at his best. Riewoldt is better now.

In his list, I'd disagree with Thomas. He isn't really the cult figure at Collingwood, and how many people honestly rate him highly? I can't see how Thomas is over rated, everyone bags the shit out of him and don't even realise that he works hard on the field.

I think the view of Thomas is not helped by his relative overexposure in the media. Relative meaning relative to achievements and ability.

 

[smiddaz123]

Nobody would deny he is over exposed in the media. It's fairly well known that the media don't use Thomas as an image due to footballing ability though. It's because he generally plays with flair when he gets the ball, and he simply stands out with his long blonde mop. Sure, the media labels him a star at times, but they even labelled Cam Cloke and ohAilpen stars in an article from memory.

I don't think the media tries to pretend he's one of the best players in the AFL, or even one of the most promising players in the AFL these days. They definitely never mention the fact he's one of Collingwood's harder runners, or the fact he played multiple games as a tagger in 2009. Thomas was just turned into a player who burst onto the scene, and hasn't progressed at the rate expected of him, and people tend to see him as over rated because of it.

AG is generally spot on with his opinions, but I cannot see how he can consider Thomas to be the most over rated player in the AFL.

Edit: I'd also dispute Thomas being labeled out cult here. There are plenty ahead of him, such as Didak, Harry O and Davis.