Underwhelming/Underachieving players

[Damon_3388]

Hamish Hartlett i thought would win a Brownlow watching his first few games . I suppose injuries don't help, and he's been good, just expected more

I think he was expected to be a midfield star, not just a good solid half back.

 

[juss]

Yeah, what's happened to 'Mr Jack' Graham? I see he's been dropped this week.

He just hasn't progressed. Honest battler, tough as nails but he hasn't improved his offensive output. Just doesnt find the ball and when he does he is slow and has average skills.

 

[energyquant]

I love the guy, but Nick Vlaustin found his level early on and has played at that level (5 marks, 15 disposals) for pretty much his entire career.

As a top 10 draft pick, playing in a good team (62% career wins) I expected him to push up into the midfield. The coaching staff have tried a few times, but ultimately he has just become a (very good) role player for us.

Given his courage, talent and potential I think he has (slightly) underachieved so far in his career.

 

[Sylvia Saint]

Another one - Jesse Hogan. Still a very good player and good for 50 odd goals a year but remember in 2016 when Hogan and Stringer were the hottest commodities in footy? OTC used to run a weekly poll on them. Neither have taken that next step.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Jared Brennan and Travis Johnstone had all the talent in the world but only ever produced flashes of brilliance.

 

[adammania9]

Remember when Bailey Dale was a young gun?

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Remember when Bailey Dale was a young gun?

I actually forgot he existed.

 

[Suitcase]

What happened to Troy Menzel? Looked set to become a star at Carlton and then requested a trade to Adelaide and hasn't been seen since.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

Remember when Bailey Dale was a young gun?

As a dogs supporter, no.
We actually think he developed better than what we initially expected.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

What happened to Troy Menzel? Looked set to become a star at Carlton and then requested a trade to Adelaide and hasn't been seen since.

In the Tab.

 

[Chaisa]

LOL @ Judd being suggested. Was the best in the comp in 07 until he pinged his groin. At Carlton he still won a Brownlow, multiple B&Fs etc.

Which he was only 23 when it happened. Easy to think he could've been even better given where Ablett was at the same time.

Obviously it wasn't really his fault, but if it wasn't for OP he could've been the GOAT.

 

[SterlingArcher]

Surprised the Toump hasn't been mentioned yet. He got some huge wraps as a youngster but turned out to be a pretty terrible player.

Easier to forget the genuine underwhelming players, while the ones that forge a decent career without winning awards tend to be a lot more in the forefront of your mind.

Great shout on Toump though.

 

[Chaisa]

Easier to forget the genuine underwhelming players, while the ones that forge a decent career without winning awards tend to be a lot more in the forefront of your mind.

Great shout on Toump though.

To me to be an underwhelming player you actually have to show something at AFL level. Toumpas didn't.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Which he was only 23 when it happened. Easy to think he could've been even better given where Ablett was at the same time.

Obviously it wasn't really his fault, but if it wasn't for OP he could've been the GOAT.

He became a completely different type of player at Carlton. He lost all his pace after his OP issues but transformed into a contested bull and was still one of the best in the comp at that.

 

[DrEvil_]

Jarrad Grant comes to mind

 

[Chaisa]

He became a completely different type of player at Carlton. He lost all his pace after his OP issues but transformed into a contested bull and was still one of the best in the comp at that.

I don’t disagree. That model wasn’t as good as the West Coast model though.

 

[TheRealComptroller]

Re. Judd

In a nutshell I was saying the early 2000s view was that he had serious GOAT potential but by the early 2010s that discussion had died.

FWIW IMO After the 5 goals in a half at the Gabba against the reigning and soon-to-be premiers in his 30th (?) game I believe what he did after that was sorta underwhelming.

Still kickass but not half as dominant as the football industry was anticipating IMO.

Did he ever kick 5 goals in a game again? Perhaps once?

 

[Blind Turn]

Who are some players that maybe a year or two into their careers, you thought would be absolute stars but just never reached those heights?

One for me is Daniel Rich. I thought he was going to be an absolute gun. He turned out to be ok, a C+ to B- type of player.

Hurley is another decent player, but I thought he was going to be much better. I still have a visual of him early in his career as a forward...a game maybe against Hawthorn. Had the ball from just outside 50, off a few steps on his left foot just put it straight through the middle. I thought he was going to be one of the elite players of the competition.
He has turned out to be a solid defender, but thought he would have been so much more.

You’re a hard task master. Two time AA Michael Hurley is probably someone I’d have way down my list of players worthy of this thread. I agree that he showed signs early of becoming an out and out superstar but he’s been pretty bloody good as a key defender. The injuries to his scaphoids have probably limited his ability to consistently dominate his space as he perhaps otherwise might have done

To pick one random club;

Silvio Foschini, Paul Morwood, Tony Brown, Matt Maguire, X Clarke, Rod Owen, Dean Greig.

In addition, Brian Peake was extremely underwhelming at the Cats considering the hype that followed him across from WA.

 

[Scotland]

Pasties played in the VFL from 28-31, should've gone sooner or stayed in WA. Did enough in his first season to be made captain for 1982.

 

[The Casey Cat]

End thread! How he got the captaincy a few years back defies logic

It's called Mark Ricciuto likes/liked him logic.

 

[Tforce]

Richard Tambling.

 

[Zoom]

Reckon Jaidyn Stephenson and Luke Davies-Uniacke will end up in this thread.

 

[10571z]

Reckon Jaidyn Stephenson and Luke Davies-Uniacke will end up in this thread.

Stevo had a brilliant first year but I mean where’s his ceiling?

Petracca owns this thread

 

[Tforce]

Stevo had a brilliant first year but I mean where’s his ceiling?

Petracca owns this thread

Petracca will be fine.

 

[10571z]

Petracca will be fine.

Maybe he will. But at one stage he was well ahead of degoey and now he is well behind