Great Finals Players

[AFLOnline]

Andrew Embley

 

[Peter Bosustow]

Ryan O'Keefe's 2012 Finals Series was the greatest I have ever seen.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Byron Pickett. He was stiff not to win two Norm Smith medals. I'd actually forgotten he won it in 2003.

And just on Shaun Burgoyne. He goes into equal 2nd this weekend in terms of finals played alongside Gordon Coventry (31). More players have played 400 games than 30 finals. Obviously more finals are played nowadays but it's still a great effort.

 

[benji2]

Brent Crosswell

 

[benji2]

I'd add Lee Spurr and Nick Duigan to the list, for not just AFL finals but SANFL ones too.

 

[rocket9]

Yeah I really love what <insert Hawthorn player> did in that finals series, an absolute superstar, and definitely underrated.

Schoenmakers?

 

[butchy]

Lewis Roberts-Thompson

 

[JackFlash]

Ottens in finals was outstanding, his efforts should never be forgotten in Geelong's 3 flag wins.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

wow funny how if you could make an 'unofficial brownlow' over 10 years he'd probably win but because never accumulated enough in a year he'll be overlooked. and as good as his numbers are they don't even do justice to just how majestic he is to watch. i've never seen anyone hit targets so consistently well as him.

Except he wouldn't, he'd finish third to Ablett and Swan. Kind of like he did in a few actual Brownlows...

 

[gavaniacono]

Yep, agreed. People tend to rate players on two things - highlights packages and awards. Mitchell is a silky skilled ultra consistent workhorse - at the bottom of packs and uses a slick handpass to release a mid or hits the tit of forwards lace out in traffic. He doesn't burst from packs at pace, take speccies or blaze away at the goals, meaning no highlights are shown.
He also finishes top 3-5 in every award every year (for over a decade)- Coaches votes, MVP, Brownlow. In fact, he is 5th all time in Brownlow votes and 3rd all time in Coaches votes. He could yet be Number 1 in each but because he hasn't won these awards - most of any player without winning (runner up twice and 3rd twice in Brownlow) he continues to be seriously underrated. I mean, only 1 player in history has had as much of the ball as Sam Mitchell after 284 games. Same goes for most other key stats (#1 clearances, #4 Contested possessions, etc).

Chronically underrated.

I heard through a "source" Mitch is just a good ordinary footballer who would struggle to get a game elsewhere. Go figure.

 

[volders]

Andrew McLeod. 2 Norm Smiths. Probably 2 BOGs in Prelims (turned the game in '97 being thrown into the mid and kicked a lazy 7 in '98).

 

[TassieSaint]

Prior to the 08 series when he was 200 y.o., Robert Harvey was named in the best in every final he ever played in.

 

[bradrowe#32]

Michael Mansfield played successive great games in the 1994 and 1995 grand finals.

 

[HairyO]

To avoid bias I will start with my favourite non-Hawk ever. Chapman. Guy is a deadset legend. He really did have 1 good year left in him, though I can understand Geelong wanting to start their rebuild.

Ayers and Hodge. Incredible players who never stop. I think Hodge goes ahead of Ayers this year.
Ablett Snr. Nearly single handedly beat one of the greatest teams of all time.
Chris Mew. Never had a bad game, wins grand finals, then drives home because he doesnt understand what all the fuss is about.
McLeod. 2 in a row in insane.
Buckley. Mentioned for the lolz.

And yes, Im only focussing on GF, not all finals. Because ultimately its the only one that counts.

 

[DrEvil_]

Yep, agreed. People tend to rate players on two things - highlights packages and awards. Mitchell is a silky skilled ultra consistent workhorse - at the bottom of packs and uses a slick handpass to release a mid or hits the tit of forwards lace out in traffic. He doesn't burst from packs at pace, take speccies or blaze away at the goals, meaning no highlights are shown.
He also finishes top 3-5 in every award every year (for over a decade)- Coaches votes, MVP, Brownlow. In fact, he is 5th all time in Brownlow votes and 3rd all time in Coaches votes. He could yet be Number 1 in each but because he hasn't won these awards - most of any player without winning (runner up twice and 3rd twice in Brownlow) he continues to be seriously underrated. I mean, only 1 player in history has had as much of the ball as Sam Mitchell after 284 games. Same goes for most other key stats (#1 clearances, #4 Contested possessions, etc).

Chronically underrated.

Will be a Brownlow medalist in a few months time.

 

[Deathly]

In the last 10 years you can't go past past LRT or Burgoyne.

Based on the last 3 years though, Cotchin is shaping up to be the GOAT finals player.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Except he wouldn't, he'd finish third to Ablett and Swan. Kind of like he did in a few actual Brownlows...

Mitchell has more BOG's and more career votes than Swan - and more votes over the 2005-2015 period. In fact, he has more than any other current player except Ablett (who he may catch - Mitchell is 15 votes off No 1 of all time) and one of only 5 to ever reach the 200 vote mark (the other 4 all have Brownlows, 3 of them have 2).

Edit: Now realised you calculated for 2006-2015. Sneaky and irrelevant

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Mitchell has more BOG's and more career votes than Swan - and more votes over the 2005-2015 period. In fact, he has more than any other current player except Ablett (who he may catch - Mitchell is 15 votes off No 1 of all time) and one of only 5 to ever reach the 200 vote mark (the other 4 all have Brownlows, 3 of them have 2).

Edit: Now realised you calculated for 2006-2015. Sneaky and irrelevant

I liked your post because of your passion, only for you to realise you were wrong but then you went and disregarded that fact anyway

 

[beta_condition]

I liked your post because of your passion, only for you to realise you were wrong but then you went and disregarded that fact anyway

3 more votes from 7 more games than Mitchell over that period, Mitchell wins with the better ratio, on top of that for consistency value Mitchell has polled more votes in 7 of those 10 years.

 

[South of the Yarra]

Both Mitchell and Swan average 0.78 Brownlow votes per game over their careers. Both champions.

 

[iluvparis]

Prior to the 08 series when he was 200 y.o., Robert Harvey was named in the best in every final he ever played in.

1997 Grand Final says hi

And was he better than Simon Atkins in this 5 goal loss?

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1992/071519920912.html

 

[TassieSaint]

1997 Grand Final says hi

And was he better than Simon Atkins in this 5 goal loss?

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1992/071519920912.html

Can you read? I said in the best not THE best. He dominated in the 97 gf but was obviously not as good as McLeod or Jarman that day. That other final he had 27 touches and a goal. No one can be B.O.G. in every game when you're playing for the worse team, but he was close to his teams best in every final which is all you can ask.

 

[iluvparis]

Can you read? I said in the best not THE best. He dominated in the 97 gf but was obviously not as good as McLeod or Jarman that day. That other final he had 27 touches and a goal. No one can be B.O.G. in every game when you're playing for the worse team, but he was close to his teams best in every final which is all you can ask.

My bad - I actually cannot read.

 

[mightydockers]

sam mitchell is probably the best finals player over the last decade or so.

from freo, it would have to be mundy - like mitchell, he doesn't get the credit but if you watch freo's finals you'll notice he finds another gear.
single handedly kept us in the 2013 GF v hawks and the 2012 semi final v adelaide.

 

[Samthegun]

Yeah I really love what <insert Hawthorn player> did in that finals series, an absolute superstar, and definitely underrated.

I didn't know Chappy played for Hawthorn...