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Could Matthew Pavlich be the most underrated player of all time?

(AAP Image/Tony McDonough)
Roar Rookie
27th June, 2017
20

When you hear the phrase “a champion of the game”, a distinct type of player will generally come to mind.

They are the players that have performed at an almost superhuman level throughout their careers, impacting on games in a manner that leaves the supporters in a state of awe.

However there is a player that consistently seems to elude the so called experts whenever a list of champions is compiled, and that player is Matthew Pavlich.

After recently reading an article detailing the Herald Sun’s top 25 players over the past 50 years, it was not a surprise to find that of the nine voting experts, only one saw Pavlich as a top 25 player (David King rating Pavlich at 24). I have not been one to buy into the consensus that players from interstate clubs are overlooked by those in Victoria, but in the case of Pavlich, I struggle to come to any other possible conclusion.

To look solely at individual achievements, Pavlich would stand up with any of the names on the Herald Sun’s list. Players such as Dermott Brereton (one time All Australian, one time Best and Fairest) and Stephen Kernahan (two time All Australian, three time Best and Fairest), while being champions, do not come close to Pavlich (six All Australians, six Best and Fairests) in this regard, yet each of them were listed ahead of the ex Fremantle captain.

One may argue that Brereton and Kernahan played in multiple premierships, however it is hard to justify penalising Pavlich for being drafted to perhaps the weakest club in the competition at the time.

Do we think any less of Gary Ablett Jr as a player in his time at the Gold Coast simply because they haven’t been a successful side?

If these indicators weren’t enough to warrant an appearance on these lists, surely his versatility should have been. In order to be selected All Australian, you must have been in the best six or seven players in your position from the whole competition, a feat most AFL players will never achieve.

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What is most astounding about Pavlich’s All Australian selections is the fact that he has been selected as a defender, midfielder and as a forward. How many players in the history of the game have been an All Australian in each key area on the ground at different times of their career? I couldn’t name one.

This versatility makes Pavlich’s 700 career goals all the more statistically impressive, as he spent considerable periods of his time beyond the forward line and still led the goal kicking on eight separate occasions. His versatility was met also with durability, being the only player to play their entire career for either West Coast or Fremantle and play over 300 games.

There have been a number of champion players grace the field throughout the history of this great game. Separating them is a gruelling task that hinges on individual bias and viewpoints, and debate will continue to grow with the game.

Yet over 353 games Matthew Pavlich has set a standard of versatility this game has never seen before, and it’s about time the experts woke up and recognised it.

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