Underrated (poster boy) Josh francou

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This is a great thread, I agree with most mentions, and I like how most posters nominated players not from their own club.

For me, I always thought some playing with Freo often did not get their deserved recognition - Luke McPharlin, Paul Hasleby, Paul Medhurst and Shaun McManus being four that come to mind - maybe never the most talented player in the squad, but almost always put in their shift and often played good to great games.
 
PhatBoy said:
As odd as this sounds I don’t think even to this day people appreciate how good Brendon Goddard was.

He was tough as nails in that 09 decider and there was nothing more he could have done against the Pies in the drawn decider. For a while he was as good as just about anyone getting around
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I'm still trying to work out how Goddard missed out on the Norm Smith Medal in the drawn Grand Final.

His big moments in that game were massive, and I remember when he kicked that goal after taking the hanger 20 metres out, I was thinking I'm not sure I've ever seen a better individual performance in a Grand Final.
 
Fadge said:
I'm still trying to work out how Goddard missed out on the Norm Smith Medal in the drawn Grand Final.

His big moments in that game were massive, and I remember when he kicked that goal after taking the hanger 20 metres out, I was thinking I'm not sure I've ever seen a better individual performance in a Grand Final.
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This.
I just sort of assumed he was going to get it and didn’t think another thing about it.
 

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Hayes was better for the four quarters IMO and was more deserving of the NS than Goddard. Goddard had the highlight reel but Hayes willed his side back into the game after highlight. Massive crunching tackle and a big time goal. IIRC he also kicked it to Milne which bounced through for a point.
 
Blackhawk42 said:
I was stuck watching these highlights for 15 minutes the other day. Remembered as being a tough nut and who gave 100% but Campbell Brown had some seriously good highlights.

Also largely forgotten that he made an All Australian team playing a season at centre half back despite being 178cm tall.

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The poster boy for fake tough guy - probably the most overrated player I've seen in 40 years.

When I think of Brown, I think of him talking tough saying he was going to square up with Matthew Lloyd for his hit on Sewell next time they play - everyone knew Lloyd was retiring and Brown had a half of footy to do something but ran around in the shadows making sure he didn't go anywhere near Lloyd, knowing there was no chance he would have to follow through on his empty threat.

It was just so cringeworthy seeing him being a fake tough bloke. He spent his career trying to pretend he is as tough as his dad but was pretty much the opposite.
 
SSSSSS said:
Hayes was better for the four quarters IMO and was more deserving of the NS than Goddard. Goddard had the highlight reel but Hayes willed his side back into the game after highlight. Massive crunching tackle and a big time goal. IIRC he also kicked it to Milne which bounced through for a point.
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Yeah, maybe when you look at the stats sheet and notice Hayes had 14 tackles to go with however many possessions he had you might think that, but Goddard was far more influential IMO.
 
Luke Shuey - disgraceful he never won an AA, was a top 5-10 player in the league for a few years there.

Glad he got the Norm to cement his greatness as he truly could do what not many can, very rare skill set in being able to win contested ball but also burst from a stoppage and pinpoint a forward on his opposite foot.
 
James Clement was an incredible footballer. Small/Medium forwards just couldn't get a kick on him.
 
GWT6 said:
The poster boy for fake tough guy - probably the most overrated player I've seen in 40 years.

When I think of Brown, I think of him talking tough saying he was going to square up with Matthew Lloyd for his hit on Sewell next time they play - everyone knew Lloyd was retiring and Brown had a half of footy to do something but ran around in the shadows making sure he didn't go anywhere near Lloyd, knowing there was no chance he would have to follow through on his empty threat.

It was just so cringeworthy seeing him being a fake tough bloke. He spent his career trying to pretend he is as tough as his dad but was pretty much the opposite.
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He did some dumb stuff but he put his body on the line constantly. He was courageous when it was his turn to go as nearly any other Hawthorn player in the last 30 years
 
hawkman said:
He did some dumb stuff but he put his body on the line constantly. He was courageous when it was his turn to go as nearly any other Hawthorn player in the last 30 years
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Take the goggles off mate - was the biggest fake tough bloke to ever play - ran around the packs getting cheapies and looking for easy targets. Absolutely embarrassing to be fangirling over him.
 

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RonnieRaven said:
Great call one of the best defenders of the AFl era gets overlooked.
4x AA
2x BNF
2 flags and over 300 games
If he played for Geelong he would of been an 8 time all Australian !
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IMO was our best player in the 1998 grand final....basically kept North at bay, especially in the first quarter when the heat was really on.

Should have won the Norm Smith medal.
 
Luke Parker
 
Trent Sporn kept James Hird to 16 touches

When does he get his due?
 
Sav Rocca- 748 goals and often forgotten when talking about the great forwards over the past 30 years.
Warren Tredrea- didn't have the career of Carey, Pavlich, Riewoldt yet still was a phenomenal player whose best was sublime.
 
Ricky Vaughn said:
James Clement was an incredible footballer. Small/Medium forwards just couldn't get a kick on him.
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James Clement would be my first pick too, probably a slightly better version (player type wise) than Dylan Grimes for the Tigers who has also been a wonderful player.

Footnote - For Geelong Max Rooke is a stand out, not many people would be aware of this but Max Rooke received 3 Brownlow votes playing on Chris Judd when Chris was at West Coast but he also received 3 Brownlow votes when matched up against Adam Goodes for the Swans, I'm pretty sure he was the only footballer to ever achieve this remarkable feat against those two champion players. Max was extra tough but he could also play great footy, his hammy's were his greatest threat.
 
Rabish Binney said:
IMO was our best player in the 1998 grand final....basically kept North at bay, especially in the first quarter when the heat was really on.

Should have won the Norm Smith medal.
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I've often related a story about Hart after one of the grand final wins (so 23-24 years old) taking the microphone at the after party and telling the audience to put their car keys away, because they'd be shattered to hear about any road accidents/fatalities the next day following the celebrations.

Best off ground too 👍

For Geelong, he probably didn't really qualify at the time, but no-one talks about Joel Corey anymore. When they're reeling off names of the stars in that side, he might come in about 10th, if he's mentioned at all.

Probably because he was so low key, he made Matthew Scarlett look like Kevin Hart, but he was comfortably the equal of Bartel, Chapman, Johnson and that ilk and was a nose hair away from his third B&F in 2011. Which in fairness, I thought was Pops Kelly's Carji to win - Enright did - and Kelly's probably also worth a mention.

I think if Geelong wins the flag, Jed Bews would be one who'd start getting a lot of post-premiership attention "When did Bews become a top notch defender?" I think he's been rock solid for us for a while.
 
Fadge said:
Yeah, maybe when you look at the stats sheet and notice Hayes had 14 tackles to go with however many possessions he had you might think that, but Goddard was far more influential IMO.
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watch it again, Hayes played such a heroic game, as a neutral I was genrally sad he didnt walk off with a premiership medal.
 
Falconista said:
Sav Rocca- 748 goals and often forgotten when talking about the great forwards over the past 30 years.
Warren Tredrea- didn't have the career of Carey, Pavlich, Riewoldt yet still was a phenomenal player whose best was sublime.
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Tredrea didn’t have the career of pavlich and Riewoldt? You’re right, he was a premiership captain.
 
Mr39 said:
Tredrea didn’t have the career of pavlich and Riewoldt? You’re right, he was a premiership captain.
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Shows how underrated he was 😉
Tredders was the AA chf 4 years in a row to start the 2000s.
I’d still have him 3rd behind rooboy and Pav but all three along way ahead of brown
 
Son son Walters as a big game player.
Played 11 of 12 finals before the age of 25 in a supposed dour team with an anti football coach.
Finals records:
Stevie J 26finals 44 goals
Cyril 19 finals 22 goals
Robbie gray 10 final 10 goals
Dusty 16 finals 27 goals

Son son 12 finals 28 goals
If only he played for a successful VIC team the plaudits he would receive!
 

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Underrated (poster boy) Josh francou

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