Diehard AFL fans will never let one of their own go unrecognised, even if external praise eludes them.
Players like Josh Battle, Matt Cottrell, Tom Sparrow and Brent Daniels have played a crucial role at their respective club for years, but never seem to reach the limelight of external discussion or award recognition. Some of that has changed, but a plethora of players need some more love.
This year, several players have stood up in a pivotal spot or in a new role and thrived. Others have toiled away at their job without public acknowledgement of the year they're having.
This piece aims to congratulate those who haven't received the widespread appreciation they deserve, offering a brief moment of stardom before they likely escape discussion once again this weekend...
Port Adelaide
We've seen the raw talent for several years, he can rise for a mark-of-the-year contender or winner any given week, but that's been where his game fades.
An ACL injury essentially wiped his 2023 season entirely, so it's been a long wait to see the improvement, but he's showing clear signs this year; not necessarily finding more of the footy, but impacting more when he does have it.
He's booted 22 goals from 11 games this season. If he gets an uninterrupted run to the end of the year, he should easily clear his season best of 32 in 2021.
Scrutinised in the past for getting lost in the flow of the game and failing to provide an imposing presence inside 50, he is starting to thrive in that aspect, especially with frontman Charlie Dixon falling out of favour.
He shouldn't lose his knack for the spectacular, hopefully, his craft continues to build and support a solid one-two punch with sharpshooter Todd Marshall.
