Most Underrated Player 2007-2011

[marshhhhh]

Ok so sort of extending on from Reg's thread of most influential player for the 07-11 period, it got me thinking about players that made a big difference but never really got the accolades.

Who in your opinion did the things that matter, but never got their just reward?

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Lets say the most under-rated by the wider football world, and not Geelong supporters who know better. lol

Having said that, Rooke.

He influenced the way team-mates around him played.

 

[marshhhhh]

I think Jim Kelly has been underrated for years, and still is. Only towards the end of this season were people starting to stand up and take notice.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

James Kelly getting the ball in heavy traffic and holding onto it and waiting to kick to the right target. I got my heart in my throat he holds onto it for so long. But he hardly ever gets tackled. It is a freaky talent he has.

 

[Strangled Cat]

Corey Enright was underrated for a long time but now receives all the accolades he should, including a cargi greeves medal this year. I would have to agree that Kelly has been extremely under rated for a long time, and funnily enough playing in the international rules series demonstrated to the AFL community how much of a talent and natural leader he is.

 

[marshhhhh]

Corey Enright was underrated for a long time but now receives all the accolades he should, including a cargi greeves medal this year. I would have to agree that Kelly has been extremely under rated for a long time, and funnily enough playing in the international rules series demonstrated to the AFL community how much of a talent and natural leader he is.

It's funny that a 4 time all australian, 2 time best and fairest and 3 time premiership player can be underrated yet Enright still seems to be.

Still hugely underrated specifically by opposition fans IMO.

 

[dazbroncos]

JAMES KELLY.... ( with honourable mention to Smithy...)

I see that about 5 of 6 posts have said the same and it is 100% deserved.

He is a monster out there and like Jimmeh, can play just about anywhere.

Now before you all jump over me about his goal kicking ( or lack of it really) I think he would be great small forward type if he was asked to do it. His strength and lead to the ball would be awesome and good luck getting the ball out of defense with his forward defensive pressure.....

His absence from our 22 would be and is noticeable. Like I have said before, he might not be the first one picked in the 22, but when he isn't there, he is the first one noticed by his absence.

Bit too much man love for him - perhaps.....

But I think it's hard to argue against... First AA this year too..... That to me says under the radar...

Total Gun

Go Catters...

 

[Boxhead_31]

Has to be Wojack we have never lost a Grand Final when he has played

 

[marshhhhh]

Has to be Wojack we have never lost a Grand Final when he has played

Has he been consistent enough over the journey though?
Really stood up this year, but has been hit and miss the past 3 or 4 seasons.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

2007: Enright
2008: Enright
2009: Kelly
2010: Lonergan
2011: Lonergan/Corey

EDIT: Looking back at the criteria, I guess it's impossible to have Enright and Corey. Lonergan is a fair nomination and I think Kelly (despite his AA this year) has a case as well

 

[Vdubs]

Milburn.
Kelly
Wojo
over the 5 year period

 

[marshhhhh]

Surely Taylor and Mackie deserve a look in here too.
H stands up in the big games and in big moments and Mackie despite his sometimes inconsistent form has been a big part of the dominant backline of the era.

 

[Stoney]

Wojcinski isn't super consistent - but when he gets the ball and takes a run, things generally happen - even though 50% of his kicks are mongrel punts... they seem to either go through for a goal or lead to a scoring chance.

Massively underrated, and is still one of the most important players in our side.

From memory, mick malthouse came out and said that Wojcinski was our most important player / one of our most important players (or words to that effect) at some stage during 2011?
- it was definitly an afl coach, for some reason I thought it was MM.

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

without a shadow of a doubt it's Joel Corey!

Still rate him amongst the top midifeld players in the AFL even at 29 years of age.
Has never attracted attention from the media but you ask any player or coach and they will tell you they do their homework on Geelong and Corey is one who's at the top of their list in trying to stop.
He's a ball magnet and his gut running ability is right up there with the very best.

2011 he was slightly quiet after a comeback from knee injury in 2010 but he seemed to get better and better. Even his 2011 GF wasn't talked about but his 25 touches were very similar to Chapman and he did most of the in and under hard & contested tough stuff but he along with Chappy, Bartel and Selwood lifted in the 2nd quarter when it was needed to get us back in the game.

Kelly at least get talked about from time to time but Corey just seems to be a forgotten figure amongst opposition supporters and the media.

2nd most underrated player would be Lonergan and as it was mentioned in this forum only a week or so ago, he almost died on the footy field but came back in 2008 went forward and booted over 30 goals and then has gone down back to become one of the best kpb in the league and his job on a firing Travis Cloke in the GF wasn't talked about as much as it should have but he seems to stop the best players and his stats on Buddy Franklin are also very impressive.
Lonergan has been a major part of our recent success and Scarlett's loose style of play in recent years is a major factor to Lonergan's dominance down back.

 

[marshhhhh]

It's not surprise that it's primarily defensive types that go under the radar (the 6 AA defenders this year polled 1 vote between them)

I think Corey has been rated reasonably high in the football world specifically around 07-09 but dropped off especially this season.

Would be on a very even par with Kelly I'd say.

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

'hell!', even a player like Jobe Watson who's 26 years of age and been around long enough to do more than what he has done seems to get more accolades than what Joel does.

Who you going to take into a final Corey or Watson

 

[marshhhhh]

'hell!', even a player like Jobe Watson who's 26 years of age and been around long enough to do more than what he has done seems to get more accolades than what Joel does.

Who you going to take into a final Corey or Watson

Fair call. Let's bear in mind that Jobe plays with a bunch of hacks who couldn't steal an accolade between the lot of them.

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

Fair call. Let's bear in mind that Jobe plays with a bunch of hacks who couldn't steal an accolade between the lot of them.

ok what about Luke Ball?
Corey is and has been a more dominant midfield player than Luke Ball has ever been right?

What about Simon Black?

He's no better than Corey, he uses the ball better than Corey but in clutch games I'd take Corey as his performances in big games suggest he's been the better performer.

Daniel Kerr, Del Santo & Boyd would be talked up more often than Corey. Umpires have never really voted for him either which doesn't help his cause amongst the media but 2012 he'll play yet another major factor towards our success in making top 4.
I guess when you are playing alongside Bartel and Selwood and of course Gary Ablett....you are up against good company

 

[marshhhhh]

ok what about Luke Ball?
Corey is and has been a more dominant midfield player than Luke Ball has ever been right?

What about Simon Black?

He's no better than Corey, he uses the ball better than Corey but in clutch games I'd take Corey as his performances in big games suggest he's been the better performer.

Daniel Kerr, Del Santo & Boyd would be talked up more often than Corey. Umpires have never really voted for him either which doesn't help his cause amongst the media but 2012 he'll play yet another major factor towards our success in making top 4.
I guess when you are playing alongside Bartel and Selwood and of course Gary Ablett....you are up against good company

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he isn't underrated I agree. I do think though that through this era he has played in the most star studded team of any in the league, making it hard for him to be shown for the player he is.

And like I said, he was more highly rated by the greater football world a couple of years ago than recent.
07, 08 All Australian guernseys for emaple... Not to mention a dual AA.

He was then what James Kelly is now IMO

 

[you pick one]

ok what about Luke Ball?
Corey is and has been a more dominant midfield player than Luke Ball has ever been right?

What about Simon Black?

He's no better than Corey, he uses the ball better than Corey but in clutch games I'd take Corey as his performances in big games suggest he's been the better performer.

Daniel Kerr, Del Santo & Boyd would be talked up more often than Corey. Umpires have never really voted for him either which doesn't help his cause amongst the media but 2012 he'll play yet another major factor towards our success in making top 4.
I guess when you are playing alongside Bartel and Selwood and of course Gary Ablett....you are up against good company

As Geelong supporters we would like to think that.But for mine Blackie shades him. for the reason you alluded to never wastes a possession.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Kelly at least get talked about from time to time but Corey just seems to be a forgotten figure amongst opposition supporters and the media.

That may be the case right now. But for most of the five year reign, Kelly was the one who was the afterthought behind Ablett, Bartel, Corey, Selwood and Ling. Corey had a poor 2010 (obviously with injury playing a massive part) and he was rated as an elite player by most between 2007-2009, with his b&f and two AA selections being testament to that. It's only this year where he's flown under the radar, in my opinion.

 

[Boxhead_31]

without a shadow of a doubt it's Joel Corey!

Still rate him amongst the top midifeld players in the AFL even at 29 years of age.
Has never attracted attention from the media but you ask any player or coach and they will tell you they do their homework on Geelong and Corey is one who's at the top of their list in trying to stop.
He's a ball magnet and his gut running ability is right up there with the very best.

2011 he was slightly quiet after a comeback from knee injury in 2010 but he seemed to get better and better. Even his 2011 GF wasn't talked about but his 25 touches were very similar to Chapman and he did most of the in and under hard & contested tough stuff but he along with Chappy, Bartel and Selwood lifted in the 2nd quarter when it was needed to get us back in the game.

Kelly at least get talked about from time to time but Corey just seems to be a forgotten figure amongst opposition supporters and the media.

2nd most underrated player would be Lonergan and as it was mentioned in this forum only a week or so ago, he almost died on the footy field but came back in 2008 went forward and booted over 30 goals and then has gone down back to become one of the best kpb in the league and his job on a firing Travis Cloke in the GF wasn't talked about as much as it should have but he seems to stop the best players and his stats on Buddy Franklin are also very impressive.
Lonergan has been a major part of our recent success and Scarlett's loose style of play in recent years is a major factor to Lonergan's dominance down back.

'hell!', even a player like Jobe Watson who's 26 years of age and been around long enough to do more than what he has done seems to get more accolades than what Joel does.

Who you going to take into a final Corey or Watson

ok what about Luke Ball?
Corey is and has been a more dominant midfield player than Luke Ball has ever been right?

What about Simon Black?

He's no better than Corey, he uses the ball better than Corey but in clutch games I'd take Corey as his performances in big games suggest he's been the better performer.

Daniel Kerr, Del Santo & Boyd would be talked up more often than Corey. Umpires have never really voted for him either which doesn't help his cause amongst the media but 2012 he'll play yet another major factor towards our success in making top 4.
I guess when you are playing alongside Bartel and Selwood and of course Gary Ablett....you are up against good company

TonyCam is that you?

Seriously Joel has been a massive part of our recent success but can a 2x BnF winner AA player be regarded as under rated?

 

[Belisarius]

Like those who mentioned Rooke.

However, some may say he is a big name, but Ablett, Scarlett, Enright, et al - all get mentioned before him - that is one Cam Mooney.

He was our one true KP forward in these heady times - and without him our forward line would not have been able perform as well as it did.

JUst worked very hard and did the job.

Although well known - still underated because he carried the forward line for so long.

It seems all of a sudden with Pods and now the emergence of Hawkins - with Brown and Vardy in the wings - the scarcity of KP forwards at Catland maybe a thing of the past.

 

[Vdubs]

TonyCam is that you?

Seriously Joel has been a massive part of our recent success but can a 2x BnF winner AA player be regarded as under rated?

most overrated underrated player IMO. Been a critical player, certainly not underrated, and regularly a poor user of the ball

 

[thejester]

Has to be Brad Ottens.

The single most important player over the journey. Despite that never achieved an AA, B&F or anything similar in his time at Geelong. Not only that, while his importance to Geelong was generally recognised in the footballing media I don't think his general level of play was - who has been a better ruck over the past five years than Otto? Sandilands and Cox would be the two obvious answers but Otto has shaded both of them in the past and has dominated just as many games.