Rate the Norm Smith Medallists

Rate Norm Smiths

  • James Hird (2000)

    Votes: 11 7.7%
  • Shaun Hart (2001)

    Votes: 1 0.7%
  • Nathan Buckley (2002)

    Votes: 7 4.9%
  • Simon Black (2003)

    Votes: 21 14.8%
  • Byron Pickett (2004)

    Votes: 2 1.4%
  • Chris Judd (2005)

    Votes: 13 9.2%
  • Andrew Embley (2006)

    Votes: 3 2.1%
  • Steve Johnson (2007)

    Votes: 2 1.4%
  • Luke Hodge (2008)

    Votes: 22 15.5%
  • Paul Chapman (2009)

    Votes: 6 4.2%
  • Lenny Hayes (2010)

    Votes: 20 14.1%
  • Scott Pendlebury (2010)

    Votes: 2 1.4%
  • Jimmy Bartel (2011)

    Votes: 13 9.2%
  • Ryan O'Keefe (2012)

    Votes: 8 5.6%
  • Brian Lake (2013)

    Votes: 2 1.4%
  • Luke Hodge (2014)

    Votes: 6 4.2%
  • Cyril Rioli (2015)

    Votes: 3 2.1%

  • Total voters
    142

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Sep 12, 2007
35,338
51,970
Melbourne
AFL Club
St Kilda
Shannon Grant (99) would be up there with one of the least memorable Norms in probably the most forgettable GF of the last 25 years.

I watched this game a few weeks back. Grant deserved it. Won it early and was a line breaker. Yes Bells goals (and most of his touches for that matter) came late when the sting was gone.

On Hayes, he was monumental that game without him we lose by 6-7 goals. Same with Goddard.

Whoever said that losing that one must hurt saints fans... It really, really does.
 

caboose

Club Legend
Jun 3, 2007
2,584
1,420
At home
AFL Club
Essendon
Peter Matera '92

It may be a reflection of how football has changed, and the shift away from 1-on-1 duels (and the importance of indivudual players) to team structures and the like.

But, whatever the reasons, a number of the NSM winners for the 1979-1999 period probably produced better individual games than those on the 2000-2015 list.

Ablett, Matera, Long, Harmes, Bartlett and Shaw just for starters.
 

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Oct 16, 2011
4,246
3,256
Perth
AFL Club
Sydney
Amazed so many people have put Judd 2005 so high, was ridiculous he won.

For mine the top 3 are

Aker 2003 - His kicking skills really shone through.
Hodge 2008 - Massive influence
O'Keefe 2012 - Massive influence

With bottom 3
Johnson 2007 - In a route not really possible to have massive influence
Judd 2005 - Dont think he deserved it, LRT was robbed
Hodge 2014 - Dont think he deserved it, we were smashed in the middle led by Mitchell
 
Aug 27, 2007
18,355
4,155
brisbane
AFL Club
Essendon
Amazed so many people have put Judd 2005 so high, was ridiculous he won.

For mine the top 3 are

Aker 2003 - His kicking skills really shone through.
Hodge 2008 - Massive influence
O'Keefe 2012 - Massive influence

With bottom 3
Johnson 2007 - In a route not really possible to have massive influence
Judd 2005 - Dont think he deserved it, LRT was robbed
Hodge 2014 - Dont think he deserved it, we were smashed in the middle led by Mitchell
black won it in 03
 

Belnakor

Brownlow Medallist
Apr 10, 2005
26,269
18,820
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
Lake was worth it. Didn't bother me that my pick Gunston did not get it.
Hodge in 14? Mitchell was robbed. Clear BOG.
Rioli was great in the first half. Stooped watching 5mins into the 4th. No Reason to change it.

I agree with you on Gunston in the Freo/Hawks GF. He was the guy who kicked straight and really got on top of Freo. Lake got a few cheapies and people didn't man him up.

Interesting all the hawks wins had multiple candidates for the Norm Smith- shows how even the team is/was.
 
Jun 14, 2014
1,497
1,834
AFL Club
Gold Coast
I agree with you on Gunston in the Freo/Hawks GF. He was the guy who kicked straight and really got on top of Freo. Lake got a few cheapies and people didn't man him up.

Interesting all the hawks wins had multiple candidates for the Norm Smith- shows how even the team is/was.
I think Gunston and Lake were equally integral to that win, but Hawthorn's defence was definitely at its best in 2013 IMO - watching that game, the Dockers seemed to a hit a wall whenever they tried to kick into their Forward 50 (usually in the form of Lake intercepting a mark).
 

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Hodge 08
Hayes 2010 (but Goddard was also way up there)
Chapman 09

Regarding the Johnson NS in '07 I tend to agree that it doesn't mean as much as it was a real smashing, but Johnson was very influential in the first quarter (and the start of the second) when the game was still competitive. Hard to compare to some of the heroes of close GF's though.
 

shaqsuns

Club Legend
Jun 13, 2011
1,267
1,113
Gold Coast
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
Cleveland Cavaliers
Shannon grant in 99 is a stand out. From 2000 all the normys you could make an augment for another player to win it, except for 05 Juddy was a individual standout. Everyone forgets Ablett was superb in 08 in a losing effort although Stevie dew deserved the medal for his 5 minutes.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

ljamest36

Debutant
Apr 16, 2016
58
28
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Minnesota Vikings
1.Simon Black (2003)- 39 disposals (15 more than anyone else on the ground) 9 tackles and 1 goal, as close to a perfect performance a midfielder can get.

2.Lenny Hayes (2010 Draw)- Although I think Goddard was probably better, it was only by the smallest of margins. One of the only instances where I think someone else should have won, but I'm still content with the end result. 32 disposals, 12 tackles and 1 goal yet again close to the best possible game a midfielder could hope to produce and if Milne would've got to that ball in time his efforts wouldn't have been in vein. They may not have won, but he did play a massive role in preventing his side from losing and provided the last opportunity to win the game.

3.Jimmy Bartel (2011)- Bobbed up whenever his team needed him and capitalised on his opportunities, that's all you need from a player in a grand final, a player who does those things in any game will come to close to if not win the game for you.

4.Luke Hodge (2008)-Was inspirational, always would go for Dew over Hodge for the medal in '08, but in saying that he was still pretty bloody good.

5.Paul Chapman (2009)-In similar fashion to Luke Hodge the week prior, Chapman went into the game injured. He managed 26 disposals and kicked the match winning goal, inspirational to say the least.

6.Luke Hodge (2014)- Not sure anyone played poorly for Hawthorn that day, Hodge was easily one of the standouts. Not much between Hodge and Mitchell but in the end I feel it was the right decision.

7.Byron Pickett (2004)- A game without any really obvious standouts, Byron Pickett took up most of the highlight reel. He definitely sparked Port when they needed it, and although he missed a couple of opportunities he still came out with a positively skewed 3.2 Byron deserved his medal.

8.James Hird (2000)- In similar fashion to Hawthorn 14 years later, it would be difficult to point out a bloke in a red and black Guernsey who played badly. Hird was one of the best among the best and deserved his medal.


9.Ryan O'Keefe (2012)- 2012 was the last year we saw an outstanding grand final (as of 26/07/16), and Ryan O'Keefe played a very solid game, which is why is not too far down the list, but was by no means the best on ground. Dan Hanneberry, Jarred Mcveigh, Josh Kennedy and Nick Malceski were the players I would rank ahead of him, because I feel they were more influential.

10.Shaun Hart (2001)- Not the first player you would've predicted to win the Norm Smith. It was a game in which the entire team contributed without obvious standouts, but Shaun was definitely among the better players that day, so well deserved.

11.Scott Pendlebury (2010 replay)- Not the best game Pendlebury has ever played and their were probably a couple of Magpies who could easily have won the medal over him, but he still did his role in a Magpie team that destroyed St Kilda.

12.Andrew Embley (2006)- Two very good goals and 26 disposals, but I feel there where a couple of other Eagles who could have won the medal. I think Beau Waters' game was pretty good.

13.Steve Johnson (2007)-It was impossible to play badly in a Geelong jumper that day, and of course Steve Johnson was no exception, but this medal had Scarlett's name written all over it.

14.Cyril Rioli (2015)- Cyril won this manly because his Cyril. Don't get me wrong I'm not on the "Cyril is s**t." bandwagon, his a very good player, but it's a well known fact that he is fairly overrated sometimes and this is a good example. A lot of what Cyril does is when he doesn't have the ball and in this case he actually didn't do that much without it. He had a good first half and then kind of fizzled, but that's good enough to give him a medal for some people. Hodge, Lewis, Mitchell (the usual suspects) were better, even Schoenmakers was better for the entirety of the grand final, he needed to be more influential than he was, his performance in '08 for example would be more deserving.

15.Nathan Buckley (2002)- I know he played well and this is a bit low, but in order to win the Norm Smith in a losing side, you should have to play a consistent 4 quarters and be sensational throughout, had he continued his efforts throughout the entirety of the game and stopped Voss from getting the better of him in the 2nd half, he'd be ranked higher. No doubt had Voss not have stepped in, Buckley would've won it for the Pies and had that have happened than Buckley would rank much higher and that is why Voss probably deserves the Norm Smith, he ultimately was the driving force that prevented Collingwood from snatching the premiership cup from their grasp.

16.Brian Lake (2013)- Look you have to play well to win the Norm Smith, their is no doubting that, but it should go to the person who has the most influence on the game and in a game that was void of any highlights Brian made an impact, but not a game winning impact. If you laid the decision upon me, Jack Gunston wins the Norm Smith medal.

17.Chris Judd (2005)- To win the medal you should need to leave the game with your fingerprints all over it, you should be the player who has the most impact on the game. To win the medal in a losing side, you need to drag your team towards the finish line and make it a photo finish ,hence why Gary Ablett's 9 goals in a 6 point loss deserves the Norm Smith and Dermott Brereton's 8 goals in a 78 point loss does not. Judd was good enough on the day to win it if is side had pulled through, however (bit like Nathan Buckley) he may have led the disposals but it's moments like Leo Barry's mark that win the game in the end-bobbing up when your team needs you most.
 
With 26 disposals - 3 clearances - 1 goal and 6 tackles

V Buckley

32 disposals - 8 Clearances - 1 goal and 4 tackles

Trippin.


Whats holding the cup up at the end worth
 

Frank Gallagher

Diamond Encrusted Unobtainium Premium Member
Aug 26, 2016
12,136
15,079
AFL Club
Collingwood
Whats holding the cup up at the end worth
What's actually officially winning the NS worth?

******* Bootsma could've captained the Lions to flags in those days with 4 AA mids at his disposal, FTR in 2002 Collingwood didn't have any AAs, if Voss captained Collingwood and Buckley Brisbane - Brisbane win by more IMO.
 
Aug 31, 2008
23,109
46,077
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Nuggets
What's actually officially winning the NS worth?

******* Bootsma could've captained the Lions to flags in those days with 4 AA mids at his disposal, FTR in 2002 Collingwood didn't have any AAs, if Voss captained Collingwood and Buckley Brisbane - Brisbane win by more IMO.

You're doing a good real life Frank Gallagher impersonation there
 
Mar 21, 2016
73,603
116,333
Down South Corvus Tristis
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Sturt, White Sox
Stats say Buckley was the better player on the day, stats say that Buckley was by far the superior player over their careers, but low and behold Voss is rated higher by many lol, ******* delusional.
Only one stat matters.

3-0
 
Oct 5, 2013
9,443
15,271
AFL Club
Geelong
Bartel for me. When Geelong looked gone through the 3rd quarter he turned it on and won the game. That goal on the boundary line when they were 25 odd points down....

people underrate Steve Johnson's performance in that game but it was he and Bartel who were instrumental when Geelong needed a spark. Johnson only finished with 14 touches but he made every one of them count. He also kicked the goal that pretty much broke Collingwood's resolve in the final quarter and the dam wall burst not long after.
 
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