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Full Noise by SN
Running It Straight: 6pm SN ExtraMaligned or misunderstood? Your club’s biggest whipping boy
SEN • March 17th, 2026 3:00 pm
For footy fans, it can be a love-hate relationship with some players. Even coaches have been known to crack the whips at certain players.
They’re the players who get taken at the pointy end of the draft, only to struggle to consistently make the team.
They’re also the players who show a lot of promise one week and then go missing the week after.
Mark Bickley and Jarrod Walsh have put together their list of whipping boys on SEN SA Breakfast.
See who they picked for your club below.
Lachie Murphy
A small forward picked up in the rookie draft who managed 120 games for the Crows.
Bickley: “I think most people would agree to that.”
Eric Hipwood
Drafted as pick 14 in 2015 and has played 199 games. A premiership player who has kicked 287 goals.
Harry McKay
A Coleman medallist who’s had his fair share of the yips in front of goal. A key piece to Carlton’s success in the forward line.
Mason Cox
Everyone will remember 2018 Preliminary Final performance against Richmond. Managed to be a part of the premiership team in 2023 but struggled to keep his spot in the side and was delisted.
Brent Stanton
The 255-gamer was a mainstay in the midfield for the Bombers in a difficult period for the club.
Bickley: “Fans loved to hate him.”
Zac Dawson
Walsh: “Ross Lyon loved Zac Dawson.”
Bickley: “He did, he was the only one!”
Rhys Stanley
Bickley: “He’s a bit polarising. He's been around a long time though.”
Jack Lukosius
Drafted as pick 2 in 2018 and came to the club with a lot of hype about turning around their fortunes. Moved between forward and defensive positions multiple times before being traded to Port Adelaide at the end of 2024.
__Stephen Coniglio __
Coniglio was recently shown in Channel 7’s Giants No Holds Barred to receive a spray from coach Adam Kingsley.
Walsh: “There's a there's a theme, right, with Stephen Coniglio, and I don't know if you remember a couple of years ago that Access All Areas came out and he was getting a dressing down from Leon Cameron.”
Ryan Schoenmakers
Walsh: “Yes, I think he was a big whipping boy. He's a premiership player, but I think he was a whipping boy.
“Also Zac Dawson at Hawthorn, whipping boy.”
Bickley: “Poor old Zac.”
Jack Watts
Pick 1 in the 2008 draft, Watts’ debut game against Collingwood in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday was a notable baptism of fire. Endured one of Melbourne’s worst periods before being traded to Port Adelaide.
Jared Polec
Walsh: “Big contract, went over 7 years and then didn't do much.”
Jasper Pittard
Pick 16 in 2009 who managed 159 games but had a lot of injuries.
Richard Tambling
Bickley: “All time, I think I've got the winner, Richard Tambling.”
Walsh: “Definitely, he was picked before Buddy Franklin.”
Peter Ladhams
Traded from Port Adelaide at the end of 2022 but has struggled to nail a spot at the Swans.
Zac Dawson
Bickley: “He can't be the whipping boy at three clubs, that's unfair.”
“Come on, Zac was a ripper.”
Tim Kelly
Bickley: “Tim Kelly has become a bit of the whipping boy playing in the reserves last week after coming across, I think they paid three 1st round draft picks for him, that's probably why people get a bit upset.”
Will Minson
Bickley: “Now I'm not sure if he's the fans' whipping boy, but he was certainly Rodney Eades' whipping boy.”
