In modern AFL discussions, there are a handful of players whose names dominate conversations about the competition’s elite. Nick Daicos is regularly praised as the game’s next generational superstar. Marcus Bontempelli continues to set the benchmark for midfield excellence and leadership. Bailey Smith remains one of football’s most influential and recognisable talents.
Yet despite consistently producing football of the highest standard, Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson is often overlooked when discussions turn to the AFL’s very best players.
That oversight is becoming increasingly difficult to justify.
Over the past several seasons, Dawson has developed into one of the competition’s most complete footballers. He is a player capable of influencing games in multiple positions, leading a developing club, and consistently delivering elite performances against the strongest opposition. While he may not generate the same headlines as some of his Victorian counterparts, his impact on the field deserves to place him firmly alongside the game’s biggest stars.
The reality is that Jordan Dawson has become one of the AFL’s most valuable players, and it is time the broader football community recognised him accordingly.
When Dawson made the decision to return home to South Australia at the end of the 2021 season, Adelaide secured far more than a talented recruit. They acquired a player who would become the foundation of the club’s resurgence.
At the time, the Crows were still rebuilding following several difficult seasons. The club possessed promising young talent but lacked established stars capable of driving standards and delivering consistent performances at an elite level.
Dawson quickly filled that void.
His influence was immediate. Whether stationed across half-back, on a wing or through the midfield, he brought composure, class, and leadership to a side searching for direction. More importantly, he provided Adelaide with something every successful team requires: a player capable of controlling games with ball in hand.
Few footballers in the modern AFL possess Dawson’s ability to impact matches through their kicking.
In an era where disposal numbers often dominate headlines, Dawson’s effectiveness with possession is what truly separates him from many of his peers. He does not simply accumulate touches. He uses the football with purpose.
Every possession has the potential to change the course of a game.
His long kicking can break open opposition defensive structures. His decision-making consistently creates opportunities for teammates. His ability to find targets under pressure allows Adelaide to transition from defence to attack with speed and precision.
These are qualities often associated with players such as Daicos, who is rightly celebrated for his ability to influence games through his ball use. Yet Dawson’s capacity to dictate play through elite kicking deserves similar recognition.
The comparison becomes even more compelling when examining the versatility of his game.
Many elite AFL players thrive within a clearly defined role. Dawson’s value comes from his ability to excel in several.
Need a midfielder capable of winning contested possessions and driving forward? Dawson can do it.
Need a damaging wingman capable of creating attacking opportunities? Dawson can do that too.
Need a defender who can organise the backline while launching counterattacks? Again, Dawson has proven his ability in that role.
How about someone to go forward, take a big grab, and kick a big goal? Guess who you look to.
This versatility makes him one of the most difficult players in the competition to match up on. Opposition coaches cannot simply focus on limiting one aspect of his game because he can hurt teams in so many different ways.
It is one of the reasons why he has become indispensable to Adelaide’s success.
The comparison to Marcus Bontempelli extends beyond football ability and into leadership.
Bontempelli has earned widespread admiration for his capacity to lead the Western Bulldogs both on and off the field. He is viewed as the ideal modern captain: professional, consistent and capable of lifting his team in crucial moments.
Jordan Dawson has developed many of those same qualities.
Since being appointed Adelaide captain, he has emerged as the face of the club’s new era. He has guided a young and developing list through the pressures of rebuilding while maintaining elite personal standards.
Leadership in football is often difficult to quantify. Statistics cannot fully capture the influence a captain has on teammates, preparation, and culture.
However, what can be measured is performance under pressure.
Time and time again, Dawson has demonstrated a willingness to stand up when Adelaide needs him most. Whether it is a crucial clearance, an important mark, or a match defining kick inside 50, he consistently delivers in moments that matter.
That is the hallmark of elite leadership.
What makes Dawson’s 2026 season particularly remarkable, however, extends far beyond football.
Earlier this year, Dawson suffered the heartbreaking loss of his brother. It is the type of personal tragedy that puts sport into perspective and reminds everyone that AFL players are human beings first and footballers second.
Grief affects people in different ways. There is no timeline, no playbook and no easy path through such a devastating loss.
Yet throughout this season, Dawson has continued to lead Adelaide with extraordinary professionalism and courage.
Every week he has taken the field carrying a burden that most supporters can scarcely imagine. Despite that, he has continued to perform at an elite level, setting standards for his teammates and helping drive Adelaide’s push towards becoming one of the AFL’s genuine contenders.
Statistics can measure disposals, clearances, and metres gained. They cannot measure resilience.
They cannot measure the emotional strength required to continue leading an AFL club while navigating profound personal grief.
That is what makes Dawson’s season so special.
His performances deserve recognition on football merit alone, but when viewed through the lens of what he has endured away from the game, they become even more impressive.
The best leaders often reveal themselves during adversity. Dawson’s response to one of the most difficult periods of his life has only reinforced the respect he commands throughout the football community.
Then there is the comparison with Bailey Smith.
Smith’s popularity and marketability have made him one of the AFL’s most recognisable players. His explosive style of play and relentless competitiveness have earned widespread praise throughout his career.
However, if the conversation is centred purely on football output, Dawson’s body of work is every bit as impressive.
One of the defining characteristics of elite athletes is consistency.
Week after week, season after season, Dawson performs at an exceptionally high level. There are very few poor performances. There are very few games where he fails to influence the contest.
His reliability has become one of his greatest strengths.
While some players experience fluctuations in form throughout a season, Dawson remains a constant. Adelaide knows exactly what it will receive from its captain every time he takes the field.
That level of consistency is often underappreciated because it becomes expected.
Yet it is precisely what separates very good players from truly elite ones.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle preventing Dawson from receiving broader recognition is geography.
The AFL remains heavily influenced by the Victorian media landscape. Players representing Melbourne based clubs naturally receive greater exposure, greater analysis and greater discussion.
Every performance from Daicos attracts national attention. Every significant game from Bontempelli becomes a talking point across football programs. Every major moment involving Bailey Smith generates headlines.
Meanwhile, players at interstate clubs often need to perform at a significantly higher level simply to receive similar recognition.
Jordan Dawson is a prime example.
If he were producing the same performances while wearing the colours of Collingwood, Carlton or Richmond, there is little doubt he would be universally recognised as one of the competition’s premier players.
Instead, much of his excellence occurs outside the centre of the AFL media spotlight.
Ultimately, discussions about the AFL’s best players should be driven by influence rather than profile.
Who consistently impacts games?
Who elevates their teammates?
Who performs under pressure?
Who can be trusted to deliver every week?
Jordan Dawson comfortably satisfies all of those criteria.
His combination of leadership, versatility, skill, consistency and influence places him among the AFL’s elite players. Add the resilience and strength he has shown throughout 2026, and the case becomes even stronger.
The football world rightly celebrates players such as Nick Daicos, Marcus Bontempelli and Bailey Smith. They are exceptional footballers who deserve the recognition they receive.
However, Jordan Dawson deserves to stand alongside them in those conversations.
Not as an honourable mention.
Not as an underrated alternative.
As an equal.
Because when the full body of work is assessed, both on and off the field, few players in the AFL have displayed the level of excellence, leadership and resilience that Adelaide’s captain has shown this season.
The time has come for Jordan Dawson to be recognised not as one of the AFL’s most underrated players, but as one of the very best players in the game.
You can find more from Dave on his own substack, It’s a Dave Thing.
