ADAM Simpson believes there has been a tagging "renaissance" in the AFL, and the West Coast coach's go-to stopper Mark Hutchings is leading the charge.

Arguably the League's most effective tagger, Hutchings has quietly gone about his business collecting big scalps since early last season, culminating in his masterful shut down of Steele Sidebottom in the Grand Final.

But with Matt de Boer getting under the skin of Brownlow medallists Dustin Martin and Patrick Dangerfield and having a major impact for Greater Western Sydney recently, run-with midfielders are becoming trendy again.

My man @mattdeboer24 putting on a masterclass

— ryan crowley (@ryanmcrowley) April 13, 2019

If you ask Hutchings' teammates and coaches, it's about time the ultimate team man received more recognition.

Seeking the spotlight has never been Hutchings' style but, ahead of his 100^th game against Port Adelaide, the unsung Eagle is finally being widely credited for what he has become - a key cog in Simpson's well-oiled premiership-winning machine.

MARK HUTCHINGS' OPPONENTS IN 2019*

"It's always nice when people have nice things to say, but on the other hand you cop your fair share of honest feedback from the public, especially opposition fans," Hutchings told AFL.com.au.  

"I don't read into it too much, and I don’t completely ignore it. I just read it, see people's point-of-view and sometimes it narrows my focus even more because I know people are watching and I want to do the best I can.

"I want to do myself and the club proud."

Stephen Coniglio and Mark Hutchings doing battle in round two. Picture: AFL Photos

Nothing has come easy for Hutchings, and his AFL career could have been over in 2010 when he was delisted by St Kilda without playing a game. 

Looking back now, with a premiership medallion safely tucked in his sock drawer at home and the security of a fresh contract extension for next year, Hutchings says being cut was "just a small thing in my career and my life".  

But the former rookie had to do prove plenty of critics wrong to get where he is today, fighting back from the football scrapheap to reach the 100-game milestone.  

"It's been a hard slog. It certainly hasn't been a smooth ride," Hutchings said.

"It's been a lot of hard work, but I've enjoyed every second of it, the highs and lows.  

"Mostly, I'm just proud of myself for hanging in there. 

MATCH PREVIEW Who wins, West Coast or Port Adelaide

"There's always a little bit of (self) doubt when you get delisted, I'm not going to lie.

"I believed I was good enough, or I believed I was better than what I had shown at St Kilda. Not for a lack of trying, just how it worked out.

"I just needed to prove it to people, so that was on me to do."

Mark Hutchings holds up the 2018 premiership cup. Picture: AFL Photos

When a second chance failed to materialise, it took Hutchings two seasons grinding at West Perth before West Coast called his name at pick 60 in the 2012 NAB AFL Draft.

Not until he was part of the outfit which made it to the Grand Final three years later did he start feeling like he belonged.

Shifted between roles, Hutchings never really found his niche and was eyeing Matt Priddis and Sam Mitchell's vacated midfield spots heading into 2018.

Determined to establish himself as a genuine ball-winner, he shed 6kg to improve his running ability, but Simpson had other ideas.

It probably took me two weeks to finally wake up and realise it was non-fiction rather than fiction - Mark Hutchings on the 2018 Grand Final

"Towards the end of that pre-season 'Simmo' sat me down and said 'that's not what I want you to do'," Hutchings recalled.

"It takes a little bit of time to digest that, because growing up your aim is to get the ball as many times as possible and kick as many goals as you can from midfield.

"Once I fully embraced it (tagging) and understood what it meant and what they were looking for from me, it made it a lot easier for me to perform consistently out there.

"But it certainly took a bit of a transitional period, because it is a massive change in mindset, and sometimes it goes against your natural instincts as well." 

Hutchings' willingness to sacrifice shouldn't be undersold in West Coast's success last season.

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He played 20 games, averaged 17 disposals, and balanced the engine room by keeping the likes of Tom Mitchell, Dayne Zorko, Jack Macrae and Josh Kelly under wraps.  

Without Hutchings, who knows whether West Coast would have clawed back to victory in last year's decider. 

His efforts this year on in-form guns Stephen Coniglio, Sidebottom and Scott Pendlebury, and Michael Walters have been almost as influential. 

WHO MAKES FINALS? Do the 2019 Ladder Predictor

Never a big talker on the field or antagonistic type, he hasn't drawn the same ire from the game's stars quite like de Boer, but he has earned their respect.  

"I'm pretty level-headed and try to direct my energy into things I think will actually work," Hutchings said.

"There's other players who love the confrontation and fire and brimstone, but my natural way of doing it isn't that, so I'm not going to try and be anything I'm not.

"It's never really happened (stars lash out against him). I mean, it's never really in front of the camera, players are smart.

"They all pick their times, which is all part of the game."

Keeping Sidebottom, the clever and versatile Pie he rates as his toughest opponent, to 14 touches – 16 fewer than the Brownlow Medal runner-up's season average - in the Grand Final was Hutchings' greatest moment.

Steele Sidebottom closely watched by Mark Hutchings during the 2018 Grand Final. Picture: AFL Photos

He savoured the short walk to the dais to receive his medallion, just reward for refusing to let his AFL dream go.

"I did pinch myself and think 'wow, this is what I've been dreaming of since I was six when I was an Eagles fan'," he said.

"It probably took me two weeks to finally wake up and realise it was non-fiction rather than fiction."

While Hutching could "be just a footballer" again one day, for the foreseeable future his job each week will be to stop one of the game's stars – and that suits him fine.

"I do enjoy it. It's a tough challenge each and every week," Hutchings said.

"I'm glad the coaches, players and the club appreciate the role if I do it well.

"I just want to do it as best as I can because we've had a lot of success the past few seasons and it's just good to be a part of it any way you can."

*Stats supplied by Champion Data 

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