Best individual finals performance in AFL/VFL history

[RUNVS]

Nick Davis as another person said has to be up there. It wasn't just that he was amazing in that final quarter, but also the fact that 100% without a doubt if Davis was not there Sydney would not have progressed to the Grand Final and would not have won our first Grand Final in 70 something years.

Without that 30 minute performance from Nick Davis Sydney was not winning the flag in 2005.

 

[haveago]

David Rhys-Jones 87 Granny on Dermott.

What a game he had and an inspired move by Walls putting a wingman on Dermie.

Sos's 95 series and keeping Ablett goalless in the big one was amazing.

Been said but G.Ablett in 89 the best I have seen.

 

[The Dougster]

Garry Lyon Vs Footscray in 1994.

Because it was a forgettable one-sided second-week final, people often forget this performance. He kicked 10.4 and marked everything and anything that came his way. He was unstoppable. I was at the match and remember it well.

It was certainly the best individual performance I've ever seen in a final. If it was a Grand Final, they'd call it the greatest individual game ever played, which is usually how the media overreact to great performances in Grand Finals. But nevertheless, it was the best finals performance I've personally seen.

Did Schwarz kick a bag that day too?

 

[The Dougster]

Carey on one leg in the 94 prelim was ridiculous. He was pretty handy in the first overtime final at Waverley in the same year

 

[SBYM]

Nick Davis as another person said has to be up there. It wasn't just that he was amazing in that final quarter, but also the fact that 100% without a doubt if Davis was not there Sydney would not have progressed to the Grand Final and would not have won our first Grand Final in 70 something years.

Without that 30 minute performance from Nick Davis Sydney was not winning the flag in 2005.

I reckon this is the more interesting question.

Without which individual performance would your team have not won a premiership?

Nick Davis...check.

Darren Jarman?

Stewart Dew?

Leo Barry...hehehe?

 

[RichLeMonde]

He played well but not up there with the best finals performanes.

He kicked a greater percentage of the goals kicked that day than Ablett did kicking 9.. as a half forward/mid

 

[Mr Meow]

Nick Davis as another person said has to be up there. It wasn't just that he was amazing in that final quarter, but also the fact that 100% without a doubt if Davis was not there Sydney would not have progressed to the Grand Final and would not have won our first Grand Final in 70 something years.

Without that 30 minute performance from Nick Davis Sydney was not winning the flag in 2005.

I think it's likely St Kilda would have beaten the fatiguing/injured Cats in the prelim and broken their flag drought too.

 

[lily of laguna]

It would be interesting to see a thread on who has played the best ever finals series. We all remember the big games where players have grabbed a final by the scruff of their necks - but who are the players that have done it through the entire finals series?

SOS kept Daryl White, Wayne Carey and Gary Ablett snr to 1 goal total across the finals series in 1995.

This was prior to team defensive structures and back when full forwards regularly kicked big bags of goals.

As the saying goes “forwards win you fans, defence wins you premierships”.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[beerbandit]

Ron Todd

11 goals in 2 successive prelims

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Please excuse my ignorance.. But who is that??

Bomb it long to Snake.

ex Geelong player

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Black (already mentioned) and Petracca (21 GF) are obvious noms here IMO

I thought Fritsch should have got the NSM in '21.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Yep we've got Malcolm Blight to thank for that stroke of genius.

..and the lack of a strong backline. it was always our achilles heel in those days and the continual failure of our star onballers to actually show up in a gf.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Luke Shuey

13

Luke Shuey

Age

34

Ht

184cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.7

5star

K

13.0

5star

HB

10.7

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

4.9

5star

CL

5.6

5star

D

18.7

4star

K

10.8

4star

HB

7.8

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

4.3

5star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.2

4star

HB

7.8

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.8

5star

CL

1.4

4star

is often overlooked in general, but his 2018 GF performance has to be up there. Just did the basic things well and was hard at it.

I'm biased of course but Peter Matera

Peter Matera

Age

55

Ht

183cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.8

5star

K

14.0

5star

HB

4.9

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

12.2

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.6

3star

in the 1992 GF was maybe the most personally inspiring by an Eagle in a gf.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

I reckon this is the more interesting question.

Without which individual performance would your team have not won a premiership?

Nick Davis...check.

Darren Jarman?

Stewart Dew?

Leo Barry...hehehe?

Luke Hodge 2008

Dustin Martin 2020

Peter Matera 1992

 

[Dazzler9]

Luke Shuey is often overlooked in general, but his 2018 GF performance has to be up there. Just did the basic things well and was hard at it.

I'm biased of course but Peter Matera in the 1992 GF was maybe the most personally inspiring by an Eagle in a gf.

Matera in 92 was electric. 5.3 from a wing.

He dominated the second semi against the Cats that year as well, gathering 35 possessions. In contrast I think he only had 17 touches in the granny but they were all so impactful.

 

[Dazzler9]

I thought Fritsch should have got the NSM in '21.

He stood out to me too.

 

[Dazzler9]

How did Brendon Goddard not earn the Normie in the drawn GF?

 

[gungho]

Peter Matera

Peter Matera

Age

55

Ht

183cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.8

5star

K

14.0

5star

HB

4.9

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

12.2

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.6

3star

92.
Nick Davis 2005
Gary Ablett 89.

Reckon these are the top 3 in no particular order. (Davis not in a grand final obviously)

 

[amazingjoshy]

Matera in 92 was electric. 5.3 from a wing.

He dominated the second semi against the Cats that year as well, gathering 35 possessions. In contrast I think he only had 17 touches in the granny but they were all so impactful.

And 4 of the goals were probably goal of the year contenders

 

[RUNVS]

I reckon this is the more interesting question.

Without which individual performance would your team have not won a premiership?

Nick Davis...check.

Darren Jarman?

Stewart Dew?

Leo Barry...hehehe?

To me individual performances in tight games is always more impressive than individual performances in blowouts as there is much less pressure if your team is either doing the spanking or being spanked.

Dew had an amazing 5 minute period in the 2008 Grand Final, though only Hawthorn fans can really say if it was a match winning performance since my memory of the 2008 Grand Final is a bit sketchy.

 

[Big_Birdy]

And 4 of the goals were probably goal of the year contenders

From 2:09

Truly astounding.

 

[Bald]

Obvious recency bias but (heartbreakingly) Petracca in the 21 GF was unlike much I’d seen before.

 

[GastevsBeard]

From 2:09

Truly astounding.

second goal in the vid where he was bald, could have sworn that was Judd! Similar charging gate

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Not only did Gordon Coventry kick 9 goals in a Grand Final and 7 goals in a Grand Final but he also recorded the following incredible feat

In the 1927 Grand Final the weather was described as the worst in the history of the game. ‘Torrential rain and freezing winds struck the G’

Collingwood kicked 2 goals that day and Coventry scored both. Richmond only scored 1 goal for the day.
So Coventry scored 100% of Collingwood’s goals and 66% of the goals on the day. In fact when you add his behinds he outscored Richmond. Not sure that has happened before or will happen again.

You don't get best final ever accolade for 2 joe the goose receive goals in the goal square. Coventry did nothing that day.

Better to focus on the incredible feats of J Todd.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

second goal in the vid where he was bald, could have sworn that was Judd! Similar charging gate

Exactly what I was thinking

Incredible player Matera, that 1992 GF is hard to top