Every week we hear about the efforts of great names like Nick Daicos, Christian Petracca, Patrick Cripps and Marcus Bontempelli. However, there are many players who don't necessarily find themselves high on the stats sheet, or their strong performances have gone under the radar for so long.
This season, there have been a host of players who have started off underrated or at the lower end of the best 22 for their teams but have now found themselves as consistent and important performers, starting to earn the recognition of the AFL world.
Nathan Murphy, Jeremy Finlayson, Connor Idun, Kade Chandler and Lewis Young are just a few of the underrated players who have now found themselves as incredibly valuable players.
We've broken down their 2023 seasons and how they are faring.
4. Kade Chandler
Kade Chandler had a difficult start to the AFL, playing just 10 games across 2019-2022 for the Demons. However, this year he has already managed to play 16 games for Melbourne. Poor performances in Round 15 and 16, as well as a goalless stint from Round 11 to 16, saw him dropped to VFL level.
However, Chandler's return to AFL level last weekend should see him maintain his spot in the team for Round 20, with his performance against Adelaide seeing him named as one of Melbourne's best. Chandler led the goalkicking for his side with three goals whilst he also had 16 disposals, six marks and two goal assists alongside that.
A statistic that highlights Chandler's rise is his goalkicking. Prior to this season, Chandler had never kicked a goal but now finds himself with 18 to his name this season, which includes three-goal hauls on four different occasions.
Melbourne have shown their faith in Chandler's football abilities, re-signing him last month on a three-year contract extension to keep him at Melbourne until at least the end of 2026. "It is a credit to Kade and his terrific character, that he stuck at it and earned his opportunity, and he is now reaping the rewards," Melbourne list manager Tim Lamb said on the extension.
