As we hit the halfway mark, I thought it would be an enjoyable exercise to create a team of players who might not be considered for the All Australian side – especially mid-year – but are having unreal seasons nonetheless and deserve their due credit.
Before we get into the side, here is my one honourable mention per zone and coach.
Honourable mentions
Defender: Brandon Starcevich (Brisbane)
Channel Seven got onto his year’s achievements way too late and the fact it took him negating Dustin Martin to get credit? Disrespectful.
Midfielder: Tim Kelly (West Coast Eagles)
Not for the medial injury, he was just the midfielder who got squeezed out but his first half of the year was the best since his fourth placing in the Brownlow in 2019.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Ruckman: Toby Nankervis (Richmond)
Going under the radar is Nankervis but I went with a one ruck strategy here.
Forward: Matt Taberner (Fremantle)
Until his injury, was backing up his All Australian squad form from last season but that injury keeps him out of this side.
Coach: Matthew Nicks (Adelaide)
Adelaide knocked over Geelong and Melbourne when they had really no right to and just 28 games ago, this was the ‘worst side in years’ and now it is threatening to be one or two years away from finals and that credit goes to Nicks.
Okay, with all of that out of the way, let’s get stuck into the team and don’t forget to comment who’s had an unreal season and who isn’t getting their due credit.
Full back line
Daniel Rich (Brisbane)
The wily veteran is taking the mickey out of 2021 so far with 26 disposals, seven rebounds, six marks and 79 per cent efficiency, in a very good team as well. Both he and Brisbane are flying.
Sam Taylor (GWS)
He is a personal favourite but this young man is a genuine star. He rarely gets beaten and has an ability to leave his opponent and affect the contest. He uses it well for a key back too, with 76 per cent efficiency.
Blake Hardwick (Hawthorn)
Hawthorn are no good but Hardwick has been unreal with a career-best 22 disposals at 82 per cent and seven rebounds. He is one of the only young Hawks you could bank on being a 250-game player.
Half back line
Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs)
From a man who could make a moment elite to creating elite moments, he’s having 24 touches, five score involvements and five rebounds. He uses it beautifully.
Jayden Laverde (Essendon)
He has had a bit of a rotten run with injury but from a fringe forward whose talent was outweighing his output, he went back and now beats his opponents regularly, especially his Anzac Day performance, which was unreal, and he helped repel many Eagles attacks on the weekend.
Sam Docherty (Carlton)
From two All Australians to two injury-wrecked seasons, the Carlton co-captain has now had a year and a half back and his 2021 has been fantastic: 26 touches (19 kicks) at 80 per cent with seven marks and six rebounds.
(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Centre line
Karl Amon (Port Adelaide)
The men from Alberton are flying and they’ve got wonderful talent all over the park but the footy world has slept on Amon. Mark Ricciuto may have called it on Sunday but his wingman numbers are unreal: 23 touches, seven marks, four inside 50s, three rebounds and five score involvements.
Touk Miller (Gold Coast)
Gold Coast aren’t a side that attract a lot of love from outside their supporter base but Miller’s year has been unbelievable and career best, averaging 30 touches (11 contested), seven tackles, six score involvements and four clearances.
Paul Seedsman (Adelaide)
He needs to ditch the long sleeves but he’s been a pure winger this year and he is dominating with 25 touches, six inside 50s, marks and score involvements.
Half forward line
Jack Graham (Richmond)
A perennial feature in this series, Graham has teammates who attract headlines but for 18 touches, six tackles, four inside 50s and 74 per cent efficiency, huge tick.
(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Jack Darling (West Coast)
The epitome of ‘makes the hard look simple and the simple look impossible’, Darling has been West Coast’s best player forward of the centre square and is equal sixth on the Coleman with 28 goals.
Kyle Langford (Essendon)
He could be leading the race for most underrated season of anyone in the league. Going from whipping boy to 21 touches, six score involvements, six marks, three tackles and inside 50s is an amazing effort.
Full forward line
Bayley Fritsch (Melbourne)
The Dees are flying at the moment and with it being a more potent forward line than in recent years, Fritsch’s 25 goals is a big reason why and he doesn’t get talked about nearly enough.
Ben King (Gold Coast)
Like Touk Miller, King doesn’t get the credit he deserves and it’s only because of the jumper he wears. Max gets more heat for inaccuracy while Ben is fourth in the Coleman and is capable of clunking huge grabs.
Jake Aarts (Richmond)
The footy community has jumped on Richmond’s ‘downfall’. He was last year’s unluckiest player in terms of missing the grand final but his 2021 has been very good: a dozen touches, 1.25 goals a game, six contested possessions and five score involvements.
Ruck line
Sean Darcy (Fremantle)
Max Gawn is the All Australian ruckman, no doubt about that, but can we take a step back and acknowledge how good this man has been, averaging 16 touches, nearly a goal a game, 29 hitouts, four clearances, marks and tackles, as well as half a dozen score involvements. Unreal.
Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide)
This man should be top five in the Brownlow as we sit here, period. He averages 31 disposals at 70 per cent (14 contested), six score involvements, five clearances, four tackles and marks. If he isn’t in the actual All Australian team at this stage, it’s a joke.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Nat Fyfe (Fremantle)
‘He has the yips’, the bemused naysayers cry with their arms crossed and a wry smile. Sure, Fyfe isn’t in great goal-kicking form but don’t forget, the champion is averaging 26 touches (15 contested), nine score involvements, six clearances, five tackles and 70 per cent efficiency.
Interchange
Jordan Dawson (Sydney)
Sydney’s defence credit wise is made up of Dane Rampe and Jake Lloyd but this man is putting together a very fine season, averaging 22 touches at 80 per cent, seven rebound 50s, four marks and more score involvements, with a lethal left foot.
Callan Ward (GWS)
There is nothing better in footy than seeing good players come back from injury and be back to their best and the former Giants captain’s form line of 25 touches, five score involvements, four marks, four clearances and three tackles is wonderful.
Joel Selwood (Geelong)
The Geelong skipper has had to be durable with injuries around him and is still putting up terrific numbers for a 33-year-old: 25 touches at 75 per cent efficiency, six score involvements, five clearances, five tackles and four inside 50s, which is wonderful.
Shane McAdam (Adelaide)
This is the biggest pick that will shock some. McAdam has stopped being the ‘half a highlight a game’ player he was threatening to be and is becoming well rounded. He has 17 goals from ten games with four score involvements and also averages a contested mark a game.
Coach: Ben Rutten (Essendon)
This should be an obvious one here, given the Bombers were predicted to be a bottom side with the club falling apart after their departures. But to be ninth on the ladder, third for points for and one of the most watchable teams in the competition is a credit to Rutten and his coaching staff.
yes, I didnt read the title correctly - cheers
Scott
Guest
The ruckman should be Naitanui. He is still one of the most underrated players in the game. People watch 1 little highlight that he gets criticised for, or think he gets too little of the basic stats. He is rated by far the best ruckman on champion data again, which takes in every single thing a player does and how it effects the game. Has been rated the best player in the competition averaged out over the last 3 years prior to this season, and is a nostril hair behind Bontempelli for number 1 this year as well. Will be number 1 overall in 7 more games when he reaches the 40 game figure over 2 seasons. Darcy prob deserves to be on this specific list, but Naitanui deserves a shout out for being underrated and over criticised.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Musta happened in the past few weeks, cool, I stand corrected
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
Yes. But there are quite a few stats that don’t make that list. And all those AFL pro stats are supplied by Champion data anyway. Comes down to whether you trust their weighting of multiple ingredients in the total points a player scores per game. Bit of a secret sauce so I really don’t know. Tend to trust however people who make a living from it more than my own number crunching. On Cox: I reckon Cox is a perfect Moneyball candidate. Stats( not just CD) say he has elite qualities. Most pundits are dismissive. Will be underpriced next year and maybe a bargain trade for some team.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Lol I just found the hit outs to advantage stats on the AFL website and Darcy is on top there too :laughing: Lycett in 2021: Hitouts To Advantage - 7.9 (63) Hitout Win % - 47 Hitouts To Advantage % - 30.7 Darcy in 2021: Hitouts To Advantage - 9.9 (99) Hitout Win % - 55.7 Hitouts To Advantage % - 34.5
JamesH
Roar Guru
The Cox comment was a bit flippant, sure, but no one would consider him an elite footballer outside of Champion Data. Most of the stats you mentioned (if not all) are shown for each player on the AFL website. You can also do a stats comparison between different players. It's really handy.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Again, I don't have the stats to know whether you're right or wrong about your hitouts to advantage claim. Happy to check that out if you have a link. Who said anything about being a midfielder? Darcy does what a ruckman should do in general play - he gets around the ground and uses his big frame to create contests and take marks. Max Gawn elevated himself to AA status precisely because he impacts the play so much between stoppages. He is a walking wall. It's not exactly a coincidence that teams avoid recruiting guys who are good with taps but don't offer much else. If hitouts to advantage were all that mattered, Robbie Warnock would have been a 200+ gamer. And I said contested marks, not marks generally. Caleb Daniel is 168cm and only gets into marking contests if he can't avoid them. Brayden Ham (www.google.com.au) is 70kg dripping wet and would get blown over if they opened the roof at Marvel. Our particular argument aside, I find it staggering that a guy of Lycett's size and experience has one contested mark in eight games.
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
Fair enough on Champion data points though it’s the only way an ordinary punter without access to specialist stats feeds gets to see an aggregate that counts a range of indices like hard ball gets, disposal efficiency, score involvements etc. I also reckon Mason Cox gets less love than he deserves. Hard to tell if he’s elite or not in a club that doesn’t get the ball forward and now doesn’t even play him. He looks awkward but in 2018 he had second most contested marks in the entire League. And easily the most for a forward. Cox’s goal kicking accuracy at 91:41 (69%) is also elite With less opportunity Cox is a better chance of converting the marks he pulls down than other developing tall forwards like Harry MacKay (56%), Eric Hipwood (57%), or Max King (46%).
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Also, Caleb Daniel is a half back flankers, he better be taking more marks than a ruckman given he gets given the ball as the designated kicker every time the dogs come out of the backline I don't even know who Brayden Ham is, sooooo
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
I don't agree, I think these big fellas that try and be midfielders hurt their team because clearly they're skills aren't amazing. The only stat that matters is hitouts to advantage, otherwise you would just replace em with someone shorter and more skillful that can take a mark. The only thing these big blokes really get paid for is to put the ball down his midfielders throat and big Scott does that better than Darcy
JamesH
Roar Guru
Firstly, I don't have access to hit-outs to advantage stats so it's impossible for me to debate that point with you. I don't know if you're going off average number of hit-outs per game or % of actual hit-outs to advantage, or what the difference between Lycett and Darcy is in either of those stats. We could be talking only 1-2 per game. Secondly, the idea that this is the only stat important to ruckmen is nonsense. The modern ruckman has to offer something around the ground in general play too. Not to say Lycett doesn't do that, but Darcy clearly has him covered in that respect. The fact that Lycett has taken only 1 contested mark in 8 games is pretty damning. To put this into perspective, Brayden Ham and Caleb Daniel have taken more contested marks than Lycett this year. I can't imagine may neutral supporters would put Lycett above Darcy so far in 2021.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
IMO there's only one stat that's important to ruckman, hit outs to advantage, and before the big Muschtaka went on holiday he was leading the league in that stat. He would have been close to AA selection. I have Darcy in my dream team, he scores well, so I pay attention, but value to the team, Lycett is in front of him for now. Darcy will dominate in years to come though.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Tex Walker is pretty much in everyone's AA team already. He's not underrated at all!
JamesH
Roar Guru
Mills and Lloyd are fair calls, although I wouldn't put too much faith in Champion Data's ranking points. Apparently Mason Cox is 'elite'? I don't think Hickey is underrated. He's been great but he's also had plenty of talk about him - people calling him recruit of the year, etc.
Having McAdam in means you dont watch much Crows footy - he was a better player last season, this year he's been lazy and only wanting to take MOTY. I'd suggest Tex Walker should be in the conversation - he's had a great season so far (save for a couple of quiet ones and rested for the WC trip)
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
well said about Essendon coach.
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
Going to be tribal here. But Swans at 6 on the ladder have had no love with mid year pundits in either best lists or underrated lists. I appreciate the inclusion of Jordan Dawson but others are better but equally underrated. Champion data (SuperCoach) have once again Jake Lloyd as the top point-accumulating defender in the League. No love anywhere. For me Tom Hickey has been the 2nd best ruck to Gawn this year ( As a ruckman he scores 3rd on average data points behind Grundy who has I think has been too inconsistent). And Callum Mills virtually dead heats Darcy Parish and Sam Walsh in rating points in the midfield. He’s, I think, the Swan's most crucial player at the moment. No mention. Maybe these players fall in a gap, being outside Victoria, not quite celebrated yet known just well enough to not qualify as underrated.
JamesH
Roar Guru
I reckon that's a bit one-eyed, Brendon. Lycett trails Darcy in most key stats (on a per game basis) and hasn't played the last few matches. He's also taken just one contested grab total in his eight starts.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Rory Sloane could be in there, Lycett should be in from of both the ruckman mentioned as well.
Seano
Roar Rookie
Tippa? Bloke has never been AA and is flying.