The Greatest Finals Player Ever

[South of the Yarra]

Who is the Greatest Finals player ever? I will throw forward Gordon Coventry

111 Goals in finals

• 5 Premierships
• 9 goals in a Grand Final
• 7 goals in a Grand final
• 66% of the goals in another Grand Final including doubling the opposition Goal Tally
• 5 in a Semi Final
• 5 in a Preliminary Final
• 7 in a Semi Final
• 5 in a Semi Final
• 6 in a Preliminary Final
• 5 in a Semi Final
• 4 in a Preliminary Final
• 4 in a Grand Final
• 6 in a Semi Final
• 7 in a Prelim Final

 

[Clark G]

In the modern day, hard to beat Dusty. Not just three Norm Smith medals, but three Gary Ayres awards as well.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Dermott Brereton should be the discussion.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Averaging 27 disposals and a goal per final. Hard to go past Bob Skilton.

 

[terrybull]

KB

 

[CCurnow3votes]

Dermott Brereton should be the discussion.

He was great until he started commentating.

 

[Cleansweep17]

Sounds great on paper and he’s a legend for sure, but you have to remember it was a different era.

Did he really kick 9 goals in a GF, I thought GAS broke the record in 89 with 9?

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Sounds great on paper and he’s a legend for sure, but you have to remember it was a different era.

Did he really kick 9 goals in a GF, I thought GAS broke the record in 89 with 9?

Dermott kicked 8 goals in the 1985 GF, a game which Essendon won by 13 goals. You are correct, Ablett topped it with 9 in the 1989 GF. Funny how both efforts were in losing teams.

I've often considered Brereton was arguably the best big game player I've seen. Certainly, his record in finals is superb, except for the 1987 GF when he wasn't fit, and David Rhys-Jones lowered his colours.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Sounds great on paper and he’s a legend for sure, but you have to remember it was a different era.

Did he really kick 9 goals in a GF, I thought GAS broke the record in 89 with 9?

Yeah he kicked 9 in the 1928 Grand Final, different finals system

1928 VFL grand final - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

On SM-A225F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Do the Dew]

What is it with Pies starting GOAT threads...

Considering how troll the Naicos one is, I thought this was going to be about loose-ball get Pendlebury.

 

[Xtreme]

Dusty GOAT

Hodgey next best

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Can’t go past Dusty.

 

[Osho]

What is it with Pies nuffies starting GOAT threads...

Considering how troll the Naicos one is, I thought this was going to be about loose-ball get Pendlebury.

"Loose ball get Pendlebury". That's very good.

He used to play basketball, you know.
And, he can slow down time!

 

[Thrawn]

Of course the walking corpse will nominate himself.

I think it's hard to argue against three BOGs in three GFs though.

 

[The 747]

Martin.

 

[Lunchtime]

Whoever people choose as their best Finals player (or one of the best), one thing is fairly certain - when it comes to assessing and ranking players, how they perform in Finals footy: when it truly matters most, when the pressure goes up tenfold, when the expectation increases...that will always be the final marking point for assessment. Home & Away footy is important, but Finals footy is more important: that short but vital 4 week window is the key to the Premiership. Some players relish the pressure of Finals, whilst other players turn to water. Finals goes up a few levels. Bigger stakes on the line. Finals is a different ball game to Home & Away footy.

 

[Lunchtime]

Who is the Greatest Finals player ever? I will throw forward Gordon Coventry

111 Goals in finals

• 5 Premierships
• 9 goals in a Grand Final
• 7 goals in a Grand final
• 66% of the goals in another Grand Final including doubling the opposition Goal Tally
• 5 in a Semi Final
• 5 in a Preliminary Final
• 7 in a Semi Final
• 5 in a Semi Final
• 6 in a Preliminary Final
• 5 in a Semi Final
• 4 in a Preliminary Final
• 4 in a Grand Final
• 6 in a Semi Final
• 7 in a Prelim Final

How does Coventry compare in Finals to other forwards of that era?

 

[Lunchtime]

Massive compliment from an absolute champion - Chris Judd.

 

[Franc de Borges]

Wayne Johnston is in the conversation.

 

[Osho]

Wayne Johnston is in the conversation.

The Dominatrix.

 

[Red Bull]

“Long bombs to Snake” … R.D.Barassi

 

[Lunchtime]

Wayne Johnston is in the conversation.

Wayne played in 18 finals, averaged 17.9 possessions & kicked 18 goals.

He played in a dominant period for Carlton & was a Premiership player for them in 1979, 1981, 1982 & 1987.

 

[ThePhantom777]

Modern era it's Dusty. The finals stats and awards speak for themselves.

End of 2020 (minus the 2018 prelim) in 11 finals, he averaged 22.6 disposals, 13.1 contested possessions, 4.7 clearances, 5.0 inside-50s, 2.2 goals (25 in total) 9.1 score involvements and 404.1 metres gained.

2017, 2019, 2020* Premierships he was best finals series player (Gary Ayers medal) and best player in the grand final winning three Norm Smith medals.

*IMO Richmond were lucky to be a top team with finals experience (3 finals series for 2 Premierships and a prelim) leading into the 2020 COVID season . But they still had to win it

Dusty a finals phenomenon

Dustin Martin is now being acclaimed as the competition’s greatest-ever finals player.

www.richmondfc.com.au

 

[gordo2016]

Billy Picken was a great finals player. He was BOG in my book in two losing Grand Finals, had they not lost narrowly he may have had 2 Norm Smiths.

 

[100action]

Paul Chapman

Paul Chapman

Age

43

Ht

179cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.7

5star

K

12.8

5star

HB

6.9

4star

M

4.7

4star

T

3.5

5star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

6.6

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

2.6

3star

M

1.0

1star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.2

3star

Probably the highest % of finals game played where he was a top 5 player