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Sport Nation
Unheralded: The players who deserve more credit for Round 12
Andrew Slevison & Jaiden Sciberras • June 2nd, 2025 5:45 pm
We always know who the stars are in a particular game.
But what about those who played a pivotal defensive role or were influential without stuffing the stat sheet? They may have had an important assignment or have simply just flown under the radar.
These players might be spoken about amongst the supporters of their clubs, but not discussed as widely around the competition.
Below are the players we believe deserve more credit for their Round 12 performances.
All Miller, no filler
Richmond was agonisingly close to an upset of epic proportions against GWS on Saturday.
While the Tigers fell over late after inefficient kicking in front of goal, it wasn’t for the efforts of Ben Miller.
The key defender produced a superb lock-away job on Coleman Medallist Jesse Hogan who was held to eight disposals and four marks.
Hogan was also kept goalless having kicked at last one major in 42 straight matches prior.
Miller came up with a team-high nine spoils, took six marks and had 11 touches in a miserly defensive showing against the game’s premier attacker.
Tom Brown was also excellent in keeping Giants captain Toby Greene to 12 touches and one goal.
Subbin' with McMullin
Toby McMullin entered the field in somewhat gloomy circumstances in GWS’ comeback win over the Tigers.
He replaced Cal Ward who had gone down with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
Giants coach Adam Kingsley admits the Ward moment sucked the life out of his players who would concede the next six goals to the Tigers.
But they managed to rally courtesy of the efforts of McMullin who shed the sub tag to end up with 20 touches in 68 per cent game time from a wing.
He also produced a team-high five inside 50s, had three clearances and kicked a crucial fourth-quarter goal.
It was 20-year-old McMullin’s best performance of the season.
Erazzmatazz
Neil Erasmus is doing everything right in his bid to lock down his spot in the senior side.
Since being selected with the 10th overall pick in 2021, the young midfielder has struggled to nail a spot in Fremantle’s stacked midfield, yet his last three weeks have certainly left Justin Longmuir with no choice.
Comfortably enjoying his best season, the 21-year-old has averaged 18 disposals, three tackles, four clearances and four score involvements since being stripped of substitute duties.
19 touches, seven tackles and a goal assist, Erasmus was clean in wet weather conditions, playing a huge role in aiding the Dockers over the line in a major scalp up north.
A difficult journey up to this point, but it’s only up from here for the young jet out west.
Keeler instinct
St Kilda’s first term set the tone for their clash with Melbourne, taking a four-goal advantage that the Dees failed to overcome for the remainder of the contest.
At the heart of the Saints’ hot start was young key forward Isaac Keeler.
Given far too much freedom early in the contest, Keeler went off for comfortably the best quarter of his young AFL career, collecting seven touches, taking four marks, racking up four score involvements and booting two goals to propel the Saints into a strong quarter time lead.
The Demons were forced to send full back Steven May to the 21-year-old, and while Keeler was held to just three more disposals for the remainder of the contest, his early work was enough to secure a vital four points for the Saints in Alice Springs.
If his first term is any indication of what’s to come, there’s certainly scope for excitement at the Saints.
Reuben’s sandwich
The young Eagles deserve a heap of praise for their performance against the Cats.
Since transitioning into the defensive half, Reuben Ginbey has been stellar, taking on roles against top key forwards and hardly giving an inch.
Although Jeremy Cameron stormed home in the final term, the battle between he and Ginbey was a fantastic watch, with the defender holding Cameron to just six touches and one goal through the first three terms.
Elijah Hewett put his talent on display through the midfield, while Noah Long showed signs of a top prospect.
The usual suspects performed as expected, but it was the young guns standing tall to keep the Eagles in with a sniff until late on.
