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Every AFL club has players who, while cherished both by their team and supporters, escape the notice of the wider public. Typically, they aren’t flashy players who do freakish feats on the field.
Instead they are workman-like, competitive beasts with a very narrow gap between their best and worst performances. I decided to choose the one player from each AFL side who I thought did not receive enough acclaim.
Did I get it right? Who would you choose?
Adelaide: Richard Douglas
The 2010 Crows Club Champion does a power of grunt work and one percenters which go unnoticed. But he doesn’t lack class and has been dangerous near goal this season with six majors in four games, while averaging 22 touches and more than five tackles a match.
Douglas typically lifts when the game is in the balance.
Brisbane: Jed Adcock
The 27-year-old utility has quietly notched up 145 games for the Lions, impressing with his ferocious tackling, defensive work and tidy foot skills. He is regarded so highly by the Lions that he was named co-captain alongside Jonathan Brown this season.
Carlton: Mitch Robinson
Since debuting as a raw, hot-headed 19-year-old in 2009, Robinson has refined his game while retaining the win-every-contest-at-all-costs approach that first endeared him to Blues fans. He sets the standard for Carlton with his attack on the footy.
Collingwood: Alan Toovey
Often entrusted with the thankless task of minding the opposition’s most potent small forward, Toovey has held his own against players the calibre of Hawthorn superstar Cyril Rioli and Blues goalsneak Eddie Betts.
The left footer wears opponents like a glove but can also be dangerous setting up play on the rebound.
Essendon: Heath Hocking
While he hasn’t racked up a huge amount of disposals this season, his 26 tackles from four games highlight the fanatical attack on both the man and the ball which is the cornerstone of his game.
He has become an influential member of the Bombers’ leadership group.
Fremantle: Matt de Boer
As tough as a cage fighter, De Boer is the kind of player team mates and coaches cherish. There is never any doubt what he will offer each game – utter commitment, boundless courage and an inexhaustible reservoir of effort.
A two-time winner of the Dockers’ Best Clubman award, De Boer had a remarkable 10 tackles in his side’s titanic tussle with Essendon in round three
Geelong: Andrew Mackie
In most AFL sides he would be a franchise player – the kind of athlete you build a team around.
Tall, quick, courageous, highly skilled, great in the air and blessed with so-called “footy smarts”, Mackie is respected around the competition.
But he has still flown well under the radar because of the phenomenal glut of talent which has surrounded him in the Cats all-conquering side.
With the likes of Gary Ablett, Matthew Scarlett, Cameron Ling, Brad Ottens and Cam Mooney no longer steering Geelong towards premiership glory, Mackie’s importance has soared.
Gold Coast: Matthew Shaw
Given the Suns have completed only two seasons in the AFL, it’s hard to say at this early stage that any of their players are truly underappreciated. But mop-headed Shaw has received fewer plaudits that many of his flashier young teammates while played 38 of 48 possible games for the Suns.
He loves to dash down the wing and is developing into a handy linkman for the Suns.
GWS: Jonathan Giles
The 25-year-old former Port Adelaide big man has shouldered a huge burden in the ruck since joining the competition’s newest side. While perhaps lacking the skill of many of his towering opponents, Giles’ aggression and dedication cannot be questioned.
Neither can his leadership in a side teeming with rookies. He complemented his 22 hit outs per game last season with 18 goals as he floated forward to offer a strong marking target.
Hawthorn: Ben Stratton
Rarely beaten, this versatile defender has been ultra-consistent for the Hawks the past three seasons. While Hawthorn’s star-studded forward line and powerful midfield attract all the attention, their no-name backline has stood up remarkably well.
Stratton has been a key component of that defensive unit with his tight checking, interceptions and aggressive spoiling.
Melbourne: Nathan Jones
Perhaps the man who should be captain of the Demons, Jones certainly is one of their few inspirational on-field leaders. If more of his teammates showed similar desperation and appetite for the contest, Demons fans would have cause for hope.
He was a leading light as Melbourne registered their first win of the season last round against GWS, earning 19 contested possessions.
North Melbourne: Scott Thompson
A versatile defender capable of playing on spearheads or fleet-footed forwards, Thompson has become arguably his side’s most valuable backman.
His ability to read the play saw him finish the 2012 season as the AFL leader in intercept possessions. Has averaged 20 touches a game so far this season, adding an attacking edge to his game.
Port: Alipate Carlile
As Port floundered last season, full back Carlile was one of the few bright spots for his team, producing the sort of strong-willed efforts that have made him the backbone of the Port defence.
Carlile’s robust form has continued during Port’s unbeaten start to this season, peaking with a career-high 25 disposals in his side’s win over Gold Coast last round. He is one of a select group of defenders in the competition to have had success against Hawthorn goliath Lance Franklin.
Richmond: Shane Tuck
The son of AFL games record holder Michael Tuck has had to do it tough.
Despite his pedigree, he was forced to wait until age 23 before debuting in the AFL via the Rookie system.
Since then he’s had to endure numerous setbacks, including a couple of high-profile dumpings from the side. But he’s battled through the adversity to remain a key member of the Tigers team at age 31.
He led the resurgent Tigers in tackles and hard-ball gets last season.
St Kilda: Ben McEvoy
It’s well-known that ruckmen take longer to mature than other types of players.
For example, the greatest ruckman of the past 20 years, Dean Cox, was 23 years old by the time he usurped Michael Gardiner as West Coast’s number one.
McEvoy is that same age now and is starting to reward the Saints for their patience.
This season he’s averaged 27 hit outs and 16 disposals a game to be a standout for St Kilda. His improved overhead marking has made him a great target around the ground for the Saints.
Sydney: Jarrad McVeigh
The Swans co-captain is a triumph of substance over style. He doesn’t catch the eye with spectacular marks, blistering runs or ridiculous goals, but consistently inspires his teammates with his gut-busting endeavour and selfless approach.
So far this season he’s added to his game some serious potency near goal, with 10 majors in four matches, while also averaging 25 touches and four tackles a game.
West Coast: Eric Mackenzie
Dependable key defenders are as valuable as Scarlett Johansson’s phone number. Mackenzie has blossomed to the extent that last season he was often given the job of blanketing the opposition’s spearhead while captain and gun full back Darren Glass took on a less demanding task.
The 24-year-old is an old-school defender who gets few disposals but crawls all over his opponents.
Western Bulldogs: Will Minson
Once labelled by former Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade as the “dumbest smart bloke” in the AFL, Minson was for years maligned as a lumbering, unthinking, old-school ruckman.
But the hulking 28-year-old took a giant leap last season as he exploited his massive frame to regularly give his midfielders first use of the ball, averaging a whopping 32 hit outs per game.
Minson has continued that form surge this season to be one of the most influential ruckman in the competition. He monstered Fremantle in round 2, racking up a phenomenal 48 hit outs to go with 16 touches.