Review North team of underrated players 1970 to 2019

Hi, I've been watching North since 1970 and while my memory of games prior to 1975 is sketchy, I still remember and appreciate some of our players who don't receive the accolades of their more esteemed teammates.

So I thought I would jot down players from the last 50 years who were underrated, under appreciated etc and try make a team. Slightly self indulgent but hopefully others can nominate players I didnt consider or think of or even question whether they are underrated.

My team,

B: Ramsay Icke R. Smith
HB: Bryant Fairley Montgomery (VC)
C: Feltham Burns Rawlings (C)
HF: Breidis McCann C Sholl
F: Hodgeman Sutton Harding

R: Goodingham Cassin Melrose

IC: Dawson R Scott Capuano Rock
 
Ross Smith is massively underrated. How he doesn't get a mention in the Heroes chapter of The Shinboners is beyond me.

Matty Armstrong and Jess Sinclair fly under the radar more than they should.

Corey McKernan is underrated in a legend of the game sense. NicNat, Gawn and co. are not half as good as him but get fawned over something shocking.
 
Oct 12, 2008
9,083
20,430
The North of Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Corey McKernan is underrated in a legend of the game sense. NicNat, Gawn and co. are not half as good as him but get fawned over something shocking.

probably a function of not being given the rising star, brownlow and norm smith he deserved. any discussion of the game's greatest ruckmen that leaves him out is farcical.
 
That’s a pretty good effort but I do feel compelled to offer up one more name: Frank Gumbleton :)

He was on my list but didn't make the team. Others who missed out were Colbert, Wright and Jarrot.
 
Johnny Byrne what a star!!!

I reckon his sort of namesake Johnny Burns gets overlooked to
.

Yep, he was a very good footballer who played well in big games.
 
Peter German, Gary Farrant and John Byrne

I don't think German was underrated and Farrant I just couldn't recall much about him but i ackowledge that he is a candidate. John Byrne never reached his peak. Broken leg at 21. He would have been a STAR 😞
 

RHLK

Club Legend
Aug 3, 2009
2,442
7,045
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Subiaco
..."Corey McKernan is underrated in a legend of the game sense..."
probably a function of not being given the rising star, brownlow and norm smith he deserved. any discussion of the game's greatest ruckmen that leaves him out is farcical.

How do the AFL justify dishing retro Brownlows to past countback losers when the counting rules changed while not giving retro Brownlows to [ridiculous] suspended losers when the tribunal rules changed? I'm sure CMcK would happily pay a $1000 fine for a Brownlow.
 
Last edited:
I have been watching a lot of the old games they have been dishing up on FoxFooty lately, and I cannot believe how many times I have seen Andrew Demetriou play better than half decent games, considering I never really had much of an opinion of him at the time, so certainly under rated by me.
 

GarnerSmash

They tried to make me go to rehab
10k Posts Ex-Moderator North Melbourne - 2015 Daw & MacMillan Player Sponsor North Melbourne - 2014 Daw, Black, Gibson Player Sponsor North Melbourne - 2013 Daw, Black and Gibson Player Sponsorship North Melbourne - North 2012 Player Sponsor North Melbourne - North 2011 Player Sponsor North Melbourne - North 2010 Player Sponsor
Jun 2, 2009
26,836
52,085
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Hi, I've been watching North since 1970 and while my memory of games prior to 1975 is sketchy, I still remember and appreciate some of our players who don't receive the accolades of their more esteemed teammates.

So I thought I would jot down players from the last 50 years who were underrated, under appreciated etc and try make a team. Slightly self indulgent but hopefully others can nominate players I didnt consider or think of or even question whether they are underrated.

My team,

B: Ramsay Icke R. Smith
HB: Bryant Fairley Montgomery (VC)
C: Feltham Burns Rawlings (C)
HF: Breidis McCann C Sholl
F: Hodgeman Sutton Harding

R: Goodingham Cassin Melrose

IC: Dawson R Scott Capuano Rock
Love it.

Ross Smith and Craig Sholl are two of my all time favourite players, super reliable, wonderfully skilled, tough as nails and just bloody good footballers.
 
Back