Former Bendigo Pioneer Robbie Tarrant has always been held in high regard by his North Melbourne team-mates, coaches and club supporters.
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Now those outside of the Kangaroos' bubble are starting to give Tarrant the credit he deserves.
The 31-year-old played his 150th game for the Roos in Sunday's upset win over the GWS Giants in Sydney.
His performance to shut down Giants' star Jeremy Cameron helped the Roos record their second win of the season.
It also earned Tarrant six votes in the AFL Coaches Award.
"Robbie Tarrant is one of the most underrated players in the competition," AFL Hall of Fame inductee and former Western bulldogs and Richmond coach Terry Wallace said on radio station SEN.
"If he was playing with a Collingwood or a Richmond with big crowds and all the fanfare that they get, he would be so much higher rated in this competition.
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"I mean, those internally at North Melbourne rate him and those internally in the competition rate him, but his efforts on Jeremy Cameron (on Sunday), Cameron kicked a Joe-the-goose, but only had four kicks for the game.
"Tarrant just tore Cameron to pieces. And who had the most metres gained on the ground? You're talking about your Jared Polec, your Lachie Whitfield - Robbie Tarrant had the most metres gained in that match."
After being drafted from the Pioneers with selection 15 in the 2007 National Draft, Tarrant was hampered by shoulder injuries in his first seven years at the Roos.
After only playing 39 games between 2008-2014, the key defender has only missed a handful of matches since.
"I'm really thankful the club not only stuck by me, but gave me the resources to get my body right. I'm really grateful for that," Tarrant told nmfc.com.au
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"Once I was able to get some consistency in my training and playing games, my body's really responded really well.
"I've been really fortunate that the physios and doctors and all the sports science guys have been able to keep my body in pretty good shape over the past five or six years. It's been enjoyable being out there."
Rhyce Shaw is the fourth senior coach Tarrant has played under behind Dean Laidley, Brad Scott and Darren Crocker.
Shaw, in his second year in charge of the Roos, was full of praise for Tarrant.
"He's had his challenges early on his career, specifically with injury, and he's turned into one of the great defenders in our competition," Shaw told nmfc.com.au.
"He is a fantastic leader. He leads by example every single day. He doesn't take a day off.
"I'm really proud of him to get to this point. Having only known him for a couple of years, I can understand his commitment to our footy club and what it means to him. To get to 150, it's a great effort."
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