One great finals game is all it can take see your name etched amongst the greatest to pull on the boots.
Max Gawn’s performance last Friday against Geelong is one of these performances. Honestly, I was shocked he didn’t crack the double ton on Supercoach.
19 disposals, five goals, six tackles 33 hit-outs and five clearances is a stat line any ruckman would give their left leg for.
'Big Maxy’s prelim' performance left me pondering some of the greatest acts seen over the last 50 years.
Excluding Grand Finals and brilliant quarters such as Nick Davis ‘Come to Savis’ and Anthony Koutoufidies' efforts in '99, I have narrowed down a top 10 of individual games that will go down in the annals of Australian rules history.
9. Kevin Bartlett - 1980 Semi-Final
17 disposals, 16 kicks, one handball and 8.0
Many of my Richmond mates are quick to tell me 'Dusty' is the greatest finals player of all-time. Now, that point has merit, only if you disregard the feats of the great Kevin Bartlett.
'KB' was a great during the regular season, and an immortal come finals, kicking 62 goals in 27 of them. No game was more dominant than his 1980 Semi Final effort - his 338th game.
Bartlett lifted the Tigers in the second-quarter, kicking three magical goals to have four out of Richmond's seven. The follicly challenged rover-come-forward finished with eight straight and marched onto the 1980 Grand Final topping it off with another seven in the decider. Not bad for a 33-year-old.
