Which Was The Best Norm Smith Performance?

[abchawk]

These go back to 1979 and there have been some epic ones over the years who were clear winners and others where it was more debatable.

Personally I think the top handful are both in terms of personal brilliance and impact on the game;
Bartlett (1980), Duckworth (1984), Rhys Jones (1987), Ablett (1989), Matera (1992), Williams (1995), McLeod (1997), Lake (2013), Martin (2020), Petracca (2021).

Ablett as the only one of these in a losing team (combined with his whole final series) is the most spectacular, but my personal favorite is Matera in 1992. His impact on that game in turning around a deficit into a win, scaring the hell out of a superstar in Bairstow and the whole Geelong superstar team, and the fact he was also a highlight reel unto himself with every possession if I had to vote one above all others.

Year	Winner	Club
2025	Will Ashcroft	Brisbane
2024	Will Ashcroft	Brisbane
2023	Bobby Hill	Collingwood
2022	Isaac Smith	Geelong
2021	Christian Petracca	Melbourne
2020	Dustin Martin	Richmond
2019	Dustin Martin	Richmond
2018	Luke Shuey	West Coast
2017	Dustin Martin	Richmond
2016	Jason Johannisen	Western Bulldogs
2015	Cyril Rioli	Hawthorn
2014	Luke Hodge	Hawthorn
2013	Brian Lake	Hawthorn
2012	Ryan O’Keefe	Sydney
2011	Jimmy Bartel	Geelong
2010 (Replay)	Scott Pendlebury	Collingwood
2010	Lenny Hayes	St Kilda
2009	Paul Chapman	Geelong
2008	Luke Hodge	Hawthorn
2007	Steve Johnson	Geelong
2006	Andrew Embley	West Coast
2005	Chris Judd	West Coast
2004	Byron Pickett	Port Adelaide
2003	Simon Black	Brisbane Lions
2002	Nathan Buckley	Collingwood
2001	Shaun Hart	Brisbane Lions
2000	James Hird	Essendon
1999	Shannon Grant	North Melbourne
1998	Andrew McLeod	Adelaide
1997	Andrew McLeod	Adelaide
1996	Glenn Archer	North Melbourne
1995	Greg Williams	Carlton
1994	Dean Kemp	West Coast
1993	Michael Long	Essendon
1992	Peter Matera	West Coast
1991	Paul Dear	Hawthorn
1990	Tony Shaw	Collingwood
1989	Gary Ablett Sr.	Geelong
1988	Gary Ayres	Hawthorn
1987	David Rhys-Jones	Carlton
1986	Gary Ayres	Hawthorn
1985	Simon Madden	Essendon
1984	Billy Duckworth	Essendon
1983	Colin Robertson	Hawthorn
1982	Maurice Rioli	Richmond
1981	Bruce Doull	Carlton
1980	Kevin Bartlett	Richmond
1979	Wayne Harmes	Carlton

 

[Blackhawk42]

Technically, doesn't Luke Shuey

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Luke Shuey

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35

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184cm

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89kg

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Mid

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23.7

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13.0

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10.7

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3.3

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4.9

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CL

5.6

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D

18.7

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10.8

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7.8

4star

M

2.8

3star

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2.7

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CL

4.3

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17.0

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9.2

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HB

7.8

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M

3.0

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T

2.8

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CL

1.4

4star

have the 'highest rated' performance in Grand Final history?

Dusty is 2020 is the most obvious winner ever IMO. Single handedly turned and ultimately won the game for them.

I also recently rewatched 1998, and it was painfully clear how easily McLeod was BOG.

 

[My Tilly]

Ablett as the only one of these in a losing team (combined with his whole final series) is the most spectacular, but my personal favorite is Matera in 1992. His impact on that game in turning around a deficit into a win, scaring the hell out of a superstar in Bairstow and the whole Geelong superstar team, and the fact he was also a highlight reel unto himself with every possession if I had to vote one above all others.

Geelong of the 80's and 90's had a handful of superstar players and the rest were below average footballers.
In many ways, they overachieved. Certainly in 1994 they did.

In terms of shifting the contest significantly by an individual player, Darren Jarman's performance in the 1997 grand final is near the top of the list. Much more impactful than McLeod who actually won the Norm Smith Medal.
Not only did he win the contest at ground level, he beat St Kilda in the air and was virtually unstoppable for the entire second half.
And if that wasn't enough, he did it again the following year opposite arguably the greatest footballer of the modern era.

 

[shaqsuns]

None of my top 3 grand final performances won the Norm Smith.

Jarman 97
Stewwy Dew 08
Goddard 10

 

[abchawk]

Technically, doesn't Luke Shuey have the 'highest rated' performance in Grand Final history?

Dusty is 2020 is the most obvious winner ever IMO. Single handedly turned and ultimately won the game for them.

I also recently rewatched 1998, and it was painfully clear how easily McLeod was BOG.

Martin 2020 is not dissimilar to Matera 1992 .. both turned game around, vs. Geelong, directly opposed to an opposition star player. In the end it is all semantics and opinion with no right answer. Matera's running was just a hair more spectacular IMHO.

 

[Blackhawk42]

None of my top 3 grand final performances won the Norm Smith.

Jarman 97
Stewwy Dew 08
Goddard 10

Agree with those.

Also...

JPK or Tom Boyd 2016
Zac Bailey 2025*


*I'll die on this hill.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Martin 2020 is not dissimilar to Matera 1992 .. both turned game around, vs. Geelong, directly opposed to an opposition star player. In the end it is all semantics and opinion with no right answer. Matera's running was just a hair more spectacular IMHO.

Forgot about that one. Granted I was 2 years old when it happened, but I had that game on VHS growing up and watched it a few times.

I always rewatch old Grand Finals in Grand Final week. May dust this one off next year.

 

[abchawk]

Geelong of the 80's and 90's had a handful of superstar players and the rest were below average footballers.
In many ways, they overachieved. Certainly in 1994 they did.

In terms of shifting the contest significantly by an individual player, Darren Jarman's performance in the 1997 grand final is near the top of the list. Much more impactful than McLeod who actually won the Norm Smith Medal.
Not only did he win the contest at ground level, he beat St Kilda in the air and was virtually unstoppable for the entire second half.
And if that wasn't enough, he did it again the following year opposite arguably the greatest footballer of the modern era.

It's funny a Hawthorn supporter defending Geelong. I mean fine WCE 1994 were the best team all year and on the day. But Geelong 1992 (and your lost opportunity year in 1993) were the favorites and best team during the season. I am sure had Geelong won, some of those "average players" may have been looked up even more favorably as happens to all Grand Final winning teams.

 

[abchawk]

None of my top 3 grand final performances won the Norm Smith.

Jarman 97
Stewwy Dew 08
Goddard 10

Darren Jarman may be one of my fav all time players but I think McLeod 1997 gets really underrated on how good he was from early Q2 onwards to the end in turning the game around when Adelaide were behind. Jarman comes to the party as well but more from Q3 and being the goal kicker will always be in highlights.

I love Dew '08 and as a neutral loved Goddard '10. I still think both Hodge by a bit and Hayes just deserved it overall.

 

[shaqsuns]

Agree with those.

Also...

JPK or Tom Boyd 2016
Zac Bailey 2025*


*I'll die on this hill.

Thank you! A person or bot on BF that talks sense....

I was at the game surrounded by lions fans and it was farking clear that Bailey was best on ground!!!!

 

[Nebular]

Thank you! A person or bot on BF that talks sense....

I was at the game surrounded by lions fans and it was farking clear that Bailey was best on ground!!!!

If it made sense it was a bot

 

[Blackhawk42]

Thank you! A person or bot on BF that talks sense....

I was at the game surrounded by lions fans and it was farking clear that Bailey was best on ground!!!!

Yeah, um, definitely not a bot. Haha.

 

[Altum Volantes]

Pretty subjective obviously but some are more 'special' than others.

Personal favourite is Peter Matera

Peter Matera

Age

56

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 92 - 5 goals off a wing and 4 of them were fantastic goals at key times.

 

[Jascave]

My top 10 Norm Smith Medal winners:

1. Gary Ablett snr (1989 Geelong)
2. Peter Matera

Peter Matera

Age

56

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

(1992 West Coast)
3. Gary Ayres (1986 Hawthorn)
4. Bill Duckworth (1984 Essendon)
5. Bruce Doull (Carlton 1981)
6. David Rhys-Jones (1987 Carlton)
7. Michael Long (1993 Essendon)
8. Kevin Bartlett (1980 Richmond)
9. Maurice Rioli (1982 Richmond)
10. Andrew McLeod

Andrew Mcleod

Age

49

Ht

181cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.8

5star

K

13.1

5star

HB

6.7

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

2.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

10.8

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

1.0

1star

T

1.6

4star

(1997 Adelaide)

 

[Toump Ass]

Certainly not that fat pasta eating campaigner petracca that's for sure.

 

[tombomb]

Going back to 89, which is the first GF I can remember watching as a kid.

The standouts are

Ablett 89
Matera 92
McLeod 97
Black 2003
Martin 2020.

Ablett still probably no.1

 

[justlookingaround]

I'm not gonna say it's the best, but Bobby Hill in 2023 is underrated.
No way Collingwood wins that game without him, he showed up with a goal or assist at a crucial moment in every single quarter.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

From memory I'd say Dusty 2020 by a fair margin. An absolute freak at the top of his game.

 

[RCAB]

Technically, doesn't Luke Shuey have the 'highest rated' performance in Grand Final history?

Dusty is 2020 is the most obvious winner ever IMO. Single handedly turned and ultimately won the game for them.

I also recently rewatched 1998, and it was painfully clear how easily McLeod was BOG.

Hodge in 2008 given who his opposition was is hard to beat.

I think only 1989 beats that

 

[Blackhawk42]

Hodge in 2008 given who his opposition was is hard to beat.

I think only 1989 beats that

I thought Hodgey was BOG too, but with every watch over the years, as well as the legacy it's created, it's basically 50/50 with big Dewy now for me.

 

[WilloTree]

Going back to 89, which is the first GF I can remember watching as a kid.

The standouts are

Ablett 89
Matera 92
McLeod 97
Black 2003
Martin 2020.

Ablett still probably no.1

Agree, but I'd probably have Rioli 82' instead of Black.

 

[My Tilly]

It's funny a Hawthorn supporter defending Geelong. I mean fine WCE 1994 were the best team all year and on the day. But Geelong 1992 (and your lost opportunity year in 1993) were the favorites and best team during the season. I am sure had Geelong won, some of those "average players" may have been looked up even more favorably as happens to all Grand Final winning teams.

We went 1-3 against West Coast in 1992. They were clearly a superior team and they illustrated this a couple years later beating us twice in the same season.

We had a lot of flaky players. Handley, Forssman, Malakellis, Miles, Simpson, Wills, Poole, Merrimen, Rogers, Breueur, Mensch, Tudor, Tanner . . . I mean the list goes on and on.

 

[the avoca drover]

My favourite from a Tiger perspective is KB in 80, Maurice in 82 and Dusty in 20.
Loved Matera’s game in 92 and both of McCleod’s Norm Smiths.
Thought Johhanisen was lucky, same with Lake.

 

[abchawk]

My top 10 Norm Smith Medal winners:

1. Gary Ablett snr (1989 Geelong)
2. Peter Matera (1992 West Coast)
3. Gary Ayres (1986 Hawthorn)
4. Bill Duckworth (1984 Essendon)
5. Bruce Doull (Carlton 1981)
6. David Rhys-Jones (1987 Carlton)
7. Michael Long (1993 Essendon)
8. Kevin Bartlett (1980 Richmond)
9. Maurice Rioli (1982 Richmond)
10. Andrew McLeod (1997 Adelaide)

Interesting list and you obviously have a holistic perspective. I can't argue with your top two but as a Richmond supporter, why is Martin 2020 not somewhere in this top 10?

 

[abchawk]

Going back to 89, which is the first GF I can remember watching as a kid.

The standouts are

Ablett 89
Matera 92
McLeod 97
Black 2003
Martin 2020.

Ablett still probably no.1

Simon Black had a great game. As I remember that game Akermanis kicked 5 as well, and a lot of other Lions played very well. Was that the Lappin broken ribs game? In my mind compared to your other 4, I think Black 2003 was the most even vs. a clear standout on the day.