Most universally hated players

[Cyclops]

Universally hated, I guess it means outside their own club?

All time, Jack Dyer attracted ire. Nice man off the field they say but hated by all opponents on field, and the crowd too. My parents watched footy in the 40s, and no one was more detested.

In my youth I recall Mal Brown was disliked, even the Tigers I knew didn't like him. There were many thugs in that era, (Balme, Dittetich, Matthews come to mind) but they had admirable qualities to offset their cruelty. Mal it seems did not.

Darren Millane was disliked when he played, although people were mostly forgiving when he died.

Sometimes its the club, or a wider narrative that makes a player hated Guys like Ginnivan or Mitch Robinson

5

Mitch Robinson

Age

36

Ht

184cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.9

5star

K

11.2

4star

HB

8.7

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

4.7

5star

CL

3.2

5star

D

15.8

4star

K

11.3

4star

HB

4.5

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

1.9

3star

CL

1.8

4star

D

13.2

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.6

5star

have plenty of critics, but can still be likeable to a section of the crowd, not just their own club.

 

[Shane Heard]

He epitomised my theory that every decent small forward is an annoying turd - except the ones that play for your own team of course.

Fair play to Bewick he was very good at his role and helped win many games for the bombers. I hear his son is looking good for the 2027 draft which could be great for the dons.

Still bloody annoying though.

Regards

S. Pete

Yeah he was an antagonistic little guy but he backed it up many times. Without his bag of goals in the 93’ prelim vs Crows we wouldn’t have made that Gf.

Fun fact …Long time EFC recruiter Noel Jenkins was once at a WAFL game to see to another player and soon spotted a super quick little red head playing in the centre for West Perth.

He later enquired about Boris and the rest is history..

 

[Shane Heard]

Universally hated, I guess it means outside their own club?

All time, Jack Dyer attracted ire. Nice man off the field they say but hated by all opponents on field, and the crowd too. My parents watched footy in the 40s, and no one was more detested.

In my youth I recall Mal Brown was disliked, even the Tigers I knew didn't like him. There were many thugs in that era, (Balme, Dittetich, Matthews come to mind) but they had admirable qualities to offset their cruelty. Mal it seems did not.

Darren Millane was disliked when he played, although people were mostly forgiving when he died.

Sometimes its the club, or a wider narrative that makes a player hated Guys like Ginnivan or Mitch Robinson have plenty of critics, but can still be likeable to a section of the crowd, not just their own club.

That’s interesting about Dyer. I was 1970 born and grew up with him on tv ( world of sport / league teams) and as a kid and early teenager I didn’t have a single clue about his actions on the field. All I knew is that they called him the hardest man in football from the old days.

His little smirking quips about enjoying the high violence of his playing days is delightful to look back on now.

But can understand how hated he was outside the Punt rd tiger den of fanatics.
He was the enforcer of Punt rd. A 6’1 (185cm) hard nut was rare in the 1930s.

Unfortunately there’s no video footage of his many victims lol

Later in the 90s they made that wonderful documentary..(100 years of Australian Football) and old Jack’s short interview is forever etched in my heart.



He fulfilled his childhood dream and played in front of the big crowds, embraced the violence and became a Richmond immortal.

Later after reading dozens of footy books did i understand where he came from and how hard it was back in those days during the Depression and all of WW2.

When he was really young, Dyer used to supplement his income ( a cop) by also playing in the midweek ammo league and says it was the hardest football environment he ever had to survive in.

“ the Richmond old boys “ was the name of team. Sides made up of cops, fireman, factory workers and other psychopaths from various industries.

Risking your major organs and limbs and for a pittance.

 

[txbyhull]

In a state of utter shock that Harley hasn't received a mention.

 

[Shane Heard]

Papley has the most punchable head in the history of the AFL

Easily.

More than Brad Hardie.

And that’s saying something..

 

[Shane Heard]

In a state of utter shock that Harley hasn't received a mention.

Nah …we all secretly wish he was in our team.

Superb skills.

And the fact that’s he’s a thick skulled bulldozer from country Victoria who just laughs at the ones who hit him.

He’s a rare gem.


In fact ..im now planning on going to see a few Eagles games this year ..just to watch him and Durrsma play.

I won’t be going to the Essendon games at Optus …

 

[voorhees]

Tom Stewart and Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

25

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

easy nominations.

 

[txbyhull]

I won’t be going to the Essendon games at Optus …

Makes one of us!

 

[Robroy22]

Jimmy O'Dea....despised.

 

[BigVic]

Nick Watson, Jack Ginnivan and the unsociable Hawks

 

[WesternSydneyHawk]

Are we including past players?

Tyrone. John. Vickery.

 

[ExchangeStatMan]

Hayden Ballantyne

Hayden Ballantyne

Age

38

Ht

173cm

Wt

79kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

3.6

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

3.1

5star

G

1.5

5star

No current season stats available

D

11.6

3star

K

8.2

4star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

1.2

3star

G

0.8

4star

Jason Akermanis
Wayne Carey
Jeff Farmer

Jeff Farmer

Age

48

Ht

175cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.6

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.9

3star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.9

5star

No current season stats available

D

6.0

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

1.6

2star

M

1.8

2star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.2

3star

Noah Balta

21

Noah Balta

Age

26

Ht

194cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.7

3star

HB

3.1

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.9

4star

MG

236.3

4star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

5.3

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.3

1star

MG

233.0

4star

D

7.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.8

4star

MG

217.4

4star

Izak Rankine

23

Izak Rankine

Age

26

Ht

179cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.7

4star

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.7

4star

D

13.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

5star

CL

1.7

4star

Matthew Scarlett

Matthew Scarlett

Age

46

Ht

192cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.8

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

5.3

4star

M

5.0

5star

T

1.5

3star

No current season stats available

D

3.8

1star

K

3.2

2star

HB

0.6

1star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.8

3star

Kane Cornes
Marcus Windhager
Barry Hall

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Kane Cornes, even Port Adelaide fans hate him.

 

[Partridge]

Jimmy O'Dea....despised.

For a very good reason too.

 

[ExchangeStatMan]

Tony Liberatore

Tony Liberatore

Age

60

Ht

163cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.1

5star

K

10.5

4star

HB

9.6

5star

M

1.5

2star

T

4.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

10.0

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

4.8

4star

M

1.0

1star

T

0.0

1star

back in the day, was despised by opposition supporters too.

 

[btdg]

This one is fairly specific to Carlton supporters, but Darren Milburn

Darren Milburn

Age

49

Ht

189cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.7

5star

K

10.6

4star

HB

9.1

5star

M

6.2

5star

T

2.3

4star

No current season stats available

D

15.0

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

7.6

5star

M

5.6

5star

T

2.2

4star

is still public enemy #1

Also Charlie Curnow

35

Charlie Curnow

Age

29

Ht

194cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.3

3star

K

9.7

4star

HB

3.6

3star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.2

4star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

10.8

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.8

4star

- should be on this list for a long list of reasons.

 

[Orange crush]

James Hird

 

[iameviljez]

Bob Murphy.

No, I don't hate him at all. I think he's a hated player for the right-wing crowd, but that's not everyone.

 

[iameviljez]

Hayden Ballantyne
(...)
Matthew Scarlett

Interesting having both of these boys on the same list

I remember when Scarlett whacked Ballantyne, there were plenty of jokes that he should get a $25 fine and a medal.

 

[iameviljez]

Tony Liberatore back in the day, was despised by opposition supporters too.

Dirty, dirty player. And he earned his rep well before the Knights incident, but that just cemented it.

 

[iameviljez]

Fair call x 2. I wonder how many Cat's supporters share that view. Not a fan either for the same reasons. He was never that likeable as a Bulldog, but holy crap did he ramp things up last year. Wonder if it helps him play better or something, but yeah, fairly unlikeable.

I share that view (that Bailey Smith is a complete knob), but it puts me firmly in a sizeable minority on the Geelong board, who seem to find it much easier to believe that Caroline Wilson is a harpie with a vendetta rather than a reasonable case against Smith's behaviour.

Before he joined Geelong, I viewed him as someone who was maybe a little difficult, a little petulant, but not necessarily a bad person as such. The typical kid with some kind of undiagnosed something, who isn't malevolent but needs the right environment.

His behaviour over the last year has varied from tone-deaf, to nasty, vain, and bullying. His treatment of that photographer was disgusting. His squirting emoji and comment under the photo of Max Holmes as Caroline Wilson was gross. The 'Brokeback' post was tone deaf for how gay men might receive it, too. The petulant carry-on to Harris Andrews when the GF was lost was ridiculous as well.

Funny enough, I don't really care about the tongue-in-cheek references to getting on the bags as such, even though the AFL gets its undies in a knot about that one. But he has the emotional maturity of a toddler, and his attitude toward others who don't have his level of money, fame and status, is gross.

 

[bzparkes]

I wonder how much love/hate of players is derived from media attention?

Relentless pumping of players performing rudimentary skills, singling out some players for acts that they praise others for, etc.

 

[Mentallo]

Are we including past players?

Tyrone. John. Vickery.

Nah, that is just the Richmond supporters.

 

[M Malice]

Harrison Petty

35

Harrison Petty

Age

26

Ht

197cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.5

2star

K

5.7

2star

HB

3.8

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

120.7

2star

No current season stats available

D

9.8

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.4

4star

MG

127.6

3star

 

[Partridge]

I wonder how much love/hate of players is derived from media attention?

Relentless pumping of players performing rudimentary skills, singling out some players for acts that they praise others for, etc.

It plays a part no doubt at all. The inability to see obvious flaws and mistakes, and absolutely the overpraising of basic acts that a 12 year old could do. That all adds up.