Most well known AFL players?

[Sttew]

Perhaps the OP should change the thread to "Most well known AFL players for the right reasons". Cousins, Carey and Hird are well known for all the wrong reasons

 

[HairyO]

Cazaly would have to be up there.

 

[simmo_bc]

Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau lol

 

[Augustine]

Perhaps the OP should change the thread to "Most well known AFL players for the right reasons". Cousins, Carey and Hird are well known for all the wrong reasons

The right reasons and the wrong reasons work together to make them uber famous. If a random in the street did what Carey did for example, they don't become a celebrity.

In other words, a big profile + a scandal = news headlines, which in turn = water-cooler discussion and fame with the general public.

 

[Augustine]

Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau lol

Issy Folau would have to be high up especially.

 

[Sttew]

The right reasons and the wrong reasons work together to make them uber famous. If a random in the street did what Carey did for example, they don't become a celebrity.

In other words, a big profile + a scandal = news headlines, which in turn = water-cooler discussion and fame with the general public.

Good point, although I wonder how many non AFL supporters would know Ben Cousins but for his post football problems?

 

[Xenthor]

Derm is pretty well-known to non-AFL types.

Among ex-players GAJ Sr and Carey well-known thanks to their off field achievements.

junior senior?

 

[Hoops]

The booed indigenous player
The big boxing thug
The son of the best player that could be even better
The teammates wife affair guy
The Big Dipper
The hot drug addict
The hot tattooed guy
The blonde tip top guy

Dane Swan?

 

[Hoops]

Players have the personality of a wet rag these days, which doesn't help.

That and the Lions/Suns are perennial non-winners. Gary Ablett is probably the only player more than 20 percent of people could name (the general populace knows 0 Lions players).

I struggle to name one Lions player

 

[Philth]

The wife/girlfriend comments on here make me laugh. I get some hilarious feedback from mine. For some reason she thinks that Burgoyne and Cyril are the same player. Cyril Burgoyne. Im like 95% sure she still thinks that Buddy plays for Hawthorn. Cameron Ling is "that ugly one" It actually blows my mind considering how much i bang on about football how utterly detached she is from it. Most non-football supporting people will tend to remember players based on non-football narratives rather than their talent as footballers. I think you would find Cousins Goodes and Buddy would top that list.

I have been with my wife for over 15 years, and I s**t you not I bet she could only name one Richmond player - Dusty. And that would only be because she bought me a stubby holder with his name and image on it for my birthday.

Chicks = weird. (excepting BF ones of course)

 

[Dan]

Tom Doedee

 

[Proper Gander]

Surely James Hird has this.

Strangely, I forgot about him. But he definitely wins this one hands down.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Ilija Grgic

 

[blitzer]

League wise - Gary Ablett and Franklin. Having 2 generations of guys called Gary Ablett really helps Ablett's cause though.

Next tier is more geographically based: eg in Perth I doubt there's many people that don't know Naitanui - who is just an extremely striking person with his overall look, his size, his hairstyle and his leap (if you've watched any AFL games or highlights).

I think overall the things that help people get well known:
Their looks (eg Dustin Martin), Scandals/Crimes (eg Cousins), Tv marketing (eg Dangerfield), playing ability (only in the sense that it gets people talking about them - eg Fyfe) , Family names (eg Rioli), bringing up social issues (eg Goodes), having easy to remember names/nicknames (eg Buddy).

If I had to pick one factor that helps a player get well known in the eyes of the non-football watching public it would be Scandals/Crimes unfortunately.

 

[Power Raid]

To go from Brownlow medalist to shoving drugs where the sun don’t shine puts you on the map

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/cousins-pleads-guilty-to-drugs-charges-20120627-211jo.html

 

[Eaglespur]

Good point, although I wonder how many non AFL supporters would know Ben Cousins but for his post football problems?

If they had stepped foot in WA in the late 90s mid 2000s. Oh yes, prince of Perth wasn't an under statement

 

[Eaglespur]

Nic Nat is the new Cuz in WA

 

[My name geoff]

Ben Graham

 

[Chunderboy]

I'm based in QLD and just asked my girlfriend to name all players past/present she could, this was her list:

- Jonathon Brown
- Patrick Dangerfield
- Buddy Franklin
- Big Fev
- Aker... Akersomething
- The guy that punches people
- The Honeybadger
- Another black guy who might start with R
- The man with all the tattoos who won something
- "In the final there was a real dicky looking man, he had the sticky out ears and the moustache"
- Izzy Folau

Voss/Black/Judd/Hird/NicNat - Had no idea who any were when asked, had heard of Ablett and Bartel, knew Cousins as the "drug man" and confused Selwood with the NRL's Jamie Soward

She puts down the lack of numbers to it being the off season though, maybe I'll ask again come June

 

[simmo_bc]

I'm based in QLD and just asked my girlfriend to name all players past/present she could, this was her list:

- Jonathon Brown
- Patrick Dangerfield
- Buddy Franklin
- Big Fev
- Aker... Akersomething
- The guy that punches people
- The Honeybadger
- Another black guy who might start with R
- The man with all the tattoos who won something
- "In the final there was a real dicky looking man, he had the sticky out ears and the moustache"
- Izzy Folau

Voss/Black/Judd/Hird/NicNat - Had no idea who any were when asked, had heard of Ablett and Bartel, knew Cousins as the "drug man" and confused Selwood with the NRL's Jamie Soward

She puts down the lack of numbers to it being the off season though, maybe I'll ask again come June

Honeybadger? What they heck? Is that a rugby dude or something?

 

[Heisenberg_]

I'm based in QLD and just asked my girlfriend to name all players past/present she could, this was her list:

- Jonathon Brown
- Patrick Dangerfield
- Buddy Franklin
- Big Fev
- Aker... Akersomething
- The guy that punches people
- The Honeybadger
- Another black guy who might start with R
- The man with all the tattoos who won something
- "In the final there was a real dicky looking man, he had the sticky out ears and the moustache"
- Izzy Folau

Voss/Black/Judd/Hird/NicNat - Had no idea who any were when asked, had heard of Ablett and Bartel, knew Cousins as the "drug man" and confused Selwood with the NRL's Jamie Soward

She puts down the lack of numbers to it being the off season though, maybe I'll ask again come June

Kamdyn McIntosh is the odd one out on that list, assuming he's the one with sticky out ears and the moustache

 

[Sea Bird]

If it's simply which individual that has played afl is known by the most amount of ppl, my vote's for Israel Folau

 

[Chunderboy]

Honeybadger? What they heck? Is that a rugby dude or something?

He most certainly is

Kamdyn McIntosh is the odd one out on that list, assuming he's the one with sticky out ears and the moustache

 

[Benny78]

What's the bet this thread is the most viewed on the entire forum by current players lol.

Sums up the millennial generation beautifully.

 

[Haggard H]

Well I'd argue that "Dusty" Martin is a fairly memorable name. And Martin also had a massive protracted contract saga including a Le Bron style live tv announcement of his decision and then a 1.3 million dollar contract. Following this he won the Brownlow and then he won the Grand final and the Norm Smith. Certainly been in the news and headlines. And do not underestimate his appearance. The hair-style, the tatts - that draws immediate attention. he's not at the level of Ablett or Franklin but he's on the way up there and he's a marketers dream.

Dusty's also drawn headlines for chopsticks and his old man, stories that have had his name on the front page which is where recognition from a non-football audience comes from.

Ablett (through family) and Franklin (through mental health and general Sydney celebrity status) also get off the sports pages, whereas a Paddy Dangerfield will always be at the back of the paper.