So who is the most underrated player in the AFL?

Spending the past couple of weeks banned (although I was here in spirit with how many st kilda fans mentioned my name) I read a lot about how s**t Tory Dickson is and how people can't believe he is kicking goals against them.

He played just his 50th game on the weekend (mature recruit and has been injured in the past) and has kicked 30.8 this year. His total career output is 78 goals and 28 behinds.

This season he's kicked the same amount of goals as Tom Hawkins, Jeff Garlett and Pav. Only one less that a similar type of forward in Mark LeCras. He's kicked more goals than: Shaun Higgins, Michael Walters, Jamie Elliott, Drew Petrie, Jamie Cripps, Cyril Rioli.

He even kicked a bag of seven against one of the best defensive sides in the competition in Fremantle.

For a guy taken pick 57 in his draft he's been a great pickup. Certainly not the spud people claim he is.

Yeah, but hes no Boyd.
 

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Spending the past couple of weeks banned (although I was here in spirit with how many st kilda fans mentioned my name) I read a lot about how s**t Tory Dickson is and how people can't believe he is kicking goals against them.

He played just his 50th game on the weekend (mature recruit and has been injured in the past) and has kicked 30.8 this year. His total career output is 78 goals and 28 behinds.

This season he's kicked the same amount of goals as Tom Hawkins, Jeff Garlett and Pav. Only one less that a similar type of forward in Mark LeCras. He's kicked more goals than: Shaun Higgins, Michael Walters, Jamie Elliott, Drew Petrie, Jamie Cripps, Cyril Rioli.

He even kicked a bag of seven against one of the best defensive sides in the competition in Fremantle.

For a guy taken pick 57 in his draft he's been a great pickup. Certainly not the spud people claim he is.

30.8 being the thing there, if he kicks at AFL average and ends up with 18.12 its not anywhere near as good
Which is not to talk him down, its to say thats the level of impact AFL players should be having
 
30.8 being the thing there, if he kicks at AFL average and ends up with 18.12 its not anywhere near as good
Which is not to talk him down, its to say thats the level of impact AFL players should be having


That's the thing though. I know you don't mean to talk him down but he's an above average shot for goal, which should count for him and not against him.

Interestingly enough, Jamie Elliott has a very similar conversion rate. He's kicked eight behinds and a handful of goals less than dicko
 

Topkent

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That's the thing though. I know you don't mean to talk him down but he's an above average shot for goal, which should count for him and not against him.

Interestingly enough, Jamie Elliott has a very similar conversion rate. He's kicked eight behinds and a handful of goals less than dicko

Kicking goals in itself is a skill, so he is a talented player by definition
It doesnt count against him, even if he has a poor game if he can kick 3.0 from 3 chances instead of 1.1 and a shot that doesnt make the distance etc he has contributed to the team
 
Kicking goals in itself is a skill, so he is a talented player by definition
It doesnt count against him, even if he has a poor game if he can kick 3.0 from 3 chances instead of 1.1 and a shot that doesnt make the distance etc he has contributed to the team

True.

But every week he gets called a VFL level spud. He's been an excellent Giansiracusa replacement. Has benefited from having a true forward structure around him rather than having Liam Jones run and jump into every contest without having much of an effect.
 
Only correct answer to the question this thread poses is Nick Smith.
You sure?
Plenty of people recognize him as one of the best small defenders in the game and one of the most consistent footballers in the competition
 
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Ryan Schoenmakers is the clear winner here. Would be top 3 in the most mocked list in the entire AFL, yet is quickly putting his stamp on CHF / HFF.

Quietly kicking a goal or 2 a week, taking marks, crashing packs, etc. Great ground work too.

I may get in trouble here, because I think Hawthorn are quite happy that he goes unnoticed in our forward line.
 
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Only correct answer to the question this thread poses is Nick Smith.

You sure?
Plenty of people recognize him as one of the best small defenders in the game and one of the most consistent footballers in the competition

If you're a small defender who doesn't get that much of the footy, yet still manages an All-Australian selection, I think you can officially be considered "rated", and rated very highly.
 
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