Best individual finals performance in AFL/VFL history

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Jan 13, 2006
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wanted to get others thoughts on who they believe performed the best ever in a finals match and what game it was??

I will add a poll soon once i get a valid sample of games people throw up hopefully representative of different generations.

A few obvious ones spring to mind for me such as

  • ablett snr 9 goals in the GF to almost steal the win
  • carey kicking 7/11 goals in a wet elimination final to drag north over the line in 97
  • franklins 7 goals including after the siren to sink adelaide in the 07 final.
  • kevin bartlett kicking 7 in the grand final in 80.

That is four gems to get the ball rolling
 
Forgotten in Fitzroys' (somewhat controversial) loss in the 1983 QF was the epic performance of Bernie Quinlan.

Quinlan had kicked five goals in the last quarter (from a total of 8 for the game) , and had a game high 12 marks and 18 disposals and almost single handedly got the Lions over the line in that game.
 

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I'm biased but I'll nominate Darren Jarman's five goals in the final quarter of the 1997 grand final.
I highly doubt any player in AFL history in a GF kicked 5+ in a quarter, let alone 5 in the last when the game was in the balance at 3/4 time.
 
wanted to get others thoughts on who they believe performed the best ever in a finals match and what game it was??

I will add a poll soon once i get a valid sample of games people throw up hopefully representative of different generations.

A few obvious ones spring to mind for me such as

  • ablett snr 9 goals in the GF to almost steal the win
  • carey kicking 7/11 goals in a wet elimination final to drag north over the line in 97
  • franklins 7 goals including after the siren to sink adelaide in the 07 final.
  • kevin bartlett kicking 7 in the grand final in 80.

That is four gems to get the ball rolling

Why not Gordon Coventry’s 9 goals and 7 goals in a Grand Final?
 

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Darren Jarman 1997 GF and his 6 goals, including 5 in the last quarter with the premiership on the line.

The flaws in Norm Smith voting were well and truly exposed that day. IIRC votes were cast at 3/4 time at that point. Andy McLeod was great but Jarman should have got the medal.
 
Darren Jarman 1997 GF and his 6 goals, including 5 in the last quarter with the premiership on the line.

The flaws in Norm Smith voting were well and truly exposed that day. IIRC votes were cast at 3/4 time at that point. Andy McLeod was great but Jarman should have got the medal.

You do have to wonder who the idiot was who came up with that idea. And who agreed to it.

Let's extend it to cricket, nominated the man of the match for a test before one side has batted again. Makes perfect sense.
 
Such a fat old plodder going out and doing that in a grand final gives me somw hopes and inspiration of a comeback...

Smarts outdo skills every time. He could get away with a lot of 'cheating' where others couldn't.

Of course it also helped that fat Stewy had beautiful skills.
 
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Best individual finals performance in AFL/VFL history

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