The michael jordan - most marketable player in the AFL

[Bjo187]

Having watched about 8 episodes of the last dance i was thinking how Jordan is arguably the most marketable sportsman in history.
I was also thinking who is comparable in AFL terms.

Watching the doco the way it was portrayed like a one man team somewhat from the media, the equivalent at the time in the AFL was probably wayne carey. The looks, charisma, x factor and stood out on the field because of his height. It's a shame north didn't cash in more on his profile by generating more support.

In the modern day the only person i can even think comes close would be buddy franklin.

Any other players that people can think of come close or any future players with the same level of marketability in the AFL?. The u.s sports pretty much always have one guy nominated as the figure head of their sports, not that i want us to follow that trend but interested to know who people think it has been in the past, is now and will be in the future?
It doesn't even need to be the best player.

 

[Billy ray]

Damien Peverill

 

[My Tilly]

Ablett Snr was probably the most recognizable AFL player of all time. Mr Nixon would have made a killing off of his name.

 

[Papa G]

Aussie Rules Football isn't a game conducive to having an absolute stand alone head and shoulders above everybody else star. Too many players, too higher scoring, not task specific (like a quarterback/pitcher/high scoring batsman).

 

[Power Raid]

Jack Watts

 

[FRUMPY]

Ablett Snr was probably the most recognizable AFL player of all time. Mr Nixon would have made a killing off of his name.

Biggest issue here was ablett. He didn't want the fame or media coverage

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[My Tilly]

Biggest issue here was ablett. He didn't want the fame or media coverage

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Yeh, I said most recognizable but in terms of marketability, just wasn't inclined to go along with all the crap that players have to do on the side to make all that extra $$$.

Lockett would have made a hell of a lot in terms of overall sales of guernsey's, cereal promotions, tv ads and footy cards etc.
He was massive for NSW.

 

[Pykie]

Having watched about 8 episodes of the last dance i was thinking how Jordan is arguably the most marketable sportsman in history.
I was also thinking who is comparable in AFL terms.

Watching the doco the way it was portrayed like a one man team somewhat from the media, the equivalent at the time in the AFL was probably wayne carey. The looks, charisma, x factor and stood out on the field because of his height. It's a shame north didn't cash in more on his profile by generating more support.

In the modern day the only person i can even think comes close would be buddy franklin.

Any other players that people can think of come close or any future players with the same level of marketability in the AFL?. The u.s sports pretty much always have one guy nominated as the figure head of their sports, not that i want us to follow that trend but interested to know who people think it has been in the past, is now and will be in the future?
It doesn't even need to be the best player.

What do you mean North didn’t cash in?

Carey was on over a million dollar a season 25 years ago.

He was Nike’s poster boy in Australia and there’s stories of uncashed cheques in his glove box of $200k.

Franklin doesn’t come close to how big Carey was in the 90’s.

 

[Bjo187]

In the sense that Norths supporter base didn't seem to go up significantly from carey being the biggest name in the game.

 

[ep2018]

Nic Nat easily, especially here in WA.

 

[Coaster2012]

Literally cant even compare the two. MJ was the figurehead of a world wide sport. Its virtually impossible for AFL to do that. The closest we have now is Buddy Franklin and before that Carey and Gary Ablett Senior. In Perth, NN cant go anywhere without being hassled.

 

[FRUMPY]

In the sense that Norths supporter base didn't seem to go up significantly from carey being the biggest name in the game.

Big difference between Australia and America sports etc. They regularly change teams they support based on players, rarely happens in Australia or AFL footy.

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[Cotchins Hair Piece]

Nic Nat easily, especially here in WA.

Yeh....nah.

 

[Farang83150]

The likes of Messi and C Ronaldon are bigger world wide than MJ ever was, even Beckham could be thrown in as bigger.
NN and Buddy in Australia.

 

[Farang83150]

They regularly change teams they support based on players,

Absolute BS

 

[FRUMPY]

Na hardly anyone changes when LeBron changes teams etc.........

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[DAlembert]

Basketball FFS...An ordinary game. USA is a star based country...Hollywood...NFL...Baseball...CEO's Their whole system is based around Super Star quality. Our media try and create...why who Fckn knows these types but in reality we do not generally speaking go for that crap. Sure we have a fair idea who our best are but the fairdinkum ozzie does not fall for the super star label. NFL has the quarterbacks...Baseball has the pitcher or slugger. Aussie rules is now 36 guys running end to end a sort of cross country basketball game. No one player calls the plays and stands out to dominate the game despite what you hear from the football media.

 

[Catsnlakers]

This era it would be Buddy or Dusty......Gary Ablett Senior would be the one from the past, because he simply did things nobody else could do.

 

[RUNVS]

This era it would be Buddy or Dusty......Gary Ablett Senior would be the one from the past, because he simply did things nobody else could do.

The weird thing is they all have flaws. Buddy doesn't like media attention off the field, Martin is sort of hard to warm to or like, Ablett Snr was a monster and even Ablett Jnr is a bible basher which doesn't really align with the views of most people.

 

[Wardy09]

Cousins (minus the obvious issues)
Dusty (with a reality TV show)
Buddy (is Buddy)

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Buddy, then buddy and before that buddy. Ablett Snr was a great player, but was not marketable in the same way. Buddy has charm, the ability and is a handsome rooster with swagger to boot. Ablett snr was an exceptionally exciting player with an enviable highlight reel - but nothing more, he was a weird gremlin of a human who was about as marketable as smegma.

If not Buddy, then Carey. It’s not just the skills, you need the swagger etc too.

 

[Catsnlakers]

The weird thing is they all have flaws. Buddy doesn't like media attention off the field, Martin is sort of hard to warm to or like, Ablett Snr was a monster and even Ablett Jnr is a bible basher which doesn't really align with the views of most people.

Yes they do all hide from the limelight, but these three in particular have/had the ability to transcend the game & draw people through the gates just to watch them....That is Jordan like in AFL terms.

 

[sr36]

If Judd hadn't had OP and shoulder issues, he may have been our equivalent. But there isn't an eqivalent. You need to be the stand out player of the comp, with swagger and without baggage. That was Judd for a couple of years before OP, but you need to be there for a decade. It might have been Carey before the baggage arrived. But Carey didn't stand tall enough in Grand Finals.

 

[ABSOLUTE MADMAN]

Potentially Tony Modra could have been to Australian rules football what David Beckham was to Association Football (soccer).

 

[HaroLad]

Absolute BS

Is it?

The main reason I don’t like American sports anymore is because it’s far too individualised, and I don’t particularly like the individuals.

It seems a common practice from afar, at least more common than here.