Opinion Where will Patrick Dangerfield rank amongst the greats?

[Lunchtime]

I asked ChatGPT it's opinion for shits and giggles vs Shueys GF and got this response;
Dustin Martin is a finals juggernaut — no question. Three Norm Smiths, unmatched scoreboard impact, and a clutch aura. But if we’re talking about the best single Grand Final performance, then Luke Shuey’s 2018 masterpiece beats any one of Dusty’s.


Here’s why

---

STAT-BY-STAT BREAKDOWN​

Stat	Shuey 2018 GF	Dusty Best (2020)	Edge
Disposals	34	21	Shuey
Contested Possessions	16	10	Shuey
Clearances	8	5	Shuey
Inside 50s	9	4 (est.)	Shuey
Disposal Efficiency	75%	67%	Shuey
Tackles	3	3	Tie
Goals	1	4	Dusty
Goal Assists	2	1	Shuey
Score Involvements	14	9	Shuey
Norm Smith Votes	15/15	15/15	Tie
Opponent Difficulty	Collingwood (hot form)	Geelong (aging)	Shuey
Game Pressure	Went to the wire	Richmond controlled 2nd half	Shuey

---

Impact vs. Influence​

• Dusty’s magic was scoreboard-focused. He blew games apart with goals and swagger — especially when his team already had momentum.
• Shuey’s game was the engine of West Coast’s comeback. He dragged his team back from a 5-goal deficit, dominated the midfield, and was the match’s metronome from Q2 onwards.
• Without Shuey’s work, “The Kick” never happens. His fingerprints are on every key moment.

---

Clutch & Context​

• Shuey did it with no Gaff, no Nic Nat, and no Kennedy goals until late.
• Opposition? A red-hot Collingwood team with a full-strength midfield (Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Treloar, Adams).
• Venue? MCG, 100k fans, most of them Collingwood.
• Pressure? Off the charts. Came from behind. Won by a point.

Compare that to Dusty's 2020 GF: played at the Gabba, Richmond were already in control by the 3rd quarter, and the opposition was fading.

---

Shuey: The Complete Midfield Game​

• Shuey beat Dusty in disposals, clearances, efficiency, assists, and inside 50s — all in one game.
• He didn’t just impact the game, he controlled it. Dusty ended contests, but Shuey orchestrated them.

---

Summary:​

• If you want the greatest Grand Final career, it’s Dusty.
• But if you're asking “who played the best single GF game?”, it’s Luke Shuey 2018. No player has combined volume, efficiency, leadership, pressure moments, and clutch execution better.

See below - AFL Player Ratings confirms this (your information above) and Shuey had an excellent game in that 2018 Grand Final, it was top notch:

• Our AFL Player Ratings ironically started the year Dusty came in. He was the No.1 rated player on the ground for five consecutive matches from the 2020 finals series into 2021. Only Dangerfield has done that for five consecutive matches.
• His 2017 Grand Final is the second highest rated Grand Final of all-time. Luke Shuey’s 2018 Grand Final is miles ahead of anyone else, Dusty comes in at No.2. The rating was 30. If you get a 15 rated game, that’s an All-Australian type game. If you get a 20, it’s wow. If you get a 30 then you just go back and watch that performance over and over and over.
• His 2020 Grand Final comes up as the sixth best Grand Final. Keep in mind that is with shortened quarters. If you extrapolate that out to a full game then it comes out as the second best Grand Final as a 32 rated game.

Reference: https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/08/06/the-remarkable-numbers-and-stats-of-dustin-martins-career

Shuey rated 35.7 (2018 Grand Final).

Reference:

AFL Grand Final 2018: Every player ranked from 1 to 44

Every player ranked: Incredible stats that backed up Norm Smith winner

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Lunchtime]

His obviously one of the greats but he would have to be the most narcissistic and arrogant player in the history of the game outside of Warrick Capper

Who? Dangerfield? Narcissist...i don't know him that well. Arrogant.....he doesn't come across as arrogant.

 

[Sttew]

You haven’t heard of Mark Jackson, have you

Or the man for who they coined the title ‘Figjam’ in the AFL - Nathan Buckley

 

[ArdentEagle]

See below - AFL Player Ratings confirms this (your information above) and Shuey had an excellent game in that 2018 Grand Final, it was top notch:

• Our AFL Player Ratings ironically started the year Dusty came in. He was the No.1 rated player on the ground for five consecutive matches from the 2020 finals series into 2021. Only Dangerfield has done that for five consecutive matches.
• His 2017 Grand Final is the second highest rated Grand Final of all-time. Luke Shuey’s 2018 Grand Final is miles ahead of anyone else, Dusty comes in at No.2. The rating was 30. If you get a 15 rated game, that’s an All-Australian type game. If you get a 20, it’s wow. If you get a 30 then you just go back and watch that performance over and over and over.
• His 2020 Grand Final comes up as the sixth best Grand Final. Keep in mind that is with shortened quarters. If you extrapolate that out to a full game then it comes out as the second best Grand Final as a 32 rated game.

Reference: https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/08/06/the-remarkable-numbers-and-stats-of-dustin-martins-career

Shuey rated 35.7 (2018 Grand Final).

Reference:

AFL Grand Final 2018: Every player ranked from 1 to 44

Every player ranked: Incredible stats that backed up Norm Smith winner

www.foxsports.com.au

See...I'm just not sure about the weighting for the rankings.

I'd have Schofield as clear 2nd best for us.

 

[Lunchtime]

See...I'm just not sure about the weighting for the rankings.

I'd have Schofield as clear 2nd best for us.

They probably use some sort of methodology and arrive at a numerical figure. A bit like horse racing and ratings/rating a horse....different methodologies and they all arrive at a numerical figure. Maybe there's some sort of equation in Excel spreadsheet.

 

[Wojcinski]

His obviously one of the greats but he would have to be the most narcissistic and arrogant player in the history of the game outside of Warrick Capper

This gets parroted a lot and I don't see it. It's the same Facebook level comment the jetskis would make whenever Danger commented publicly on something when he was the ALFPA president.

Dane Swan was narcissistic, Chris Judd was arrogant. Danger just seems like a regular bloke who takes the piss out of himself occasionally and happened to be the AFLPA president.

 

[PhatBoy]

This gets parroted a lot and I don't see it. It's the same Facebook level comment the jetskis would make whenever Danger commented publicly on something when he was the ALFPA president.

Dane Swan was narcissistic, Chris Judd was arrogant. Danger just seems like a regular bloke who takes the piss out of himself occasionally and happened to be the AFLPA president.

I’m sure there’s people who think he came up with the idea to ask Fox if he could film an ad where he surfed in a suit

 

[Warhorse]

Danger was absolutely arrogant when he arrived at the club. Has grown up considerably since then

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

Good but not great.. Alongside other good players like Pendlebury, Scott West

Scott West

Age

50

Ht

178cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.4

5star

K

12.7

5star

HB

12.6

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

12.0

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

1.0

3star

, Buddha Hocking, Craig Bradley etc but not on the same level as the genuine greats

 

[Mr Meow]

Good but not great.. Alongside other good players like Pendlebury, Scott West, Buddha Hocking, Craig Bradley etc but not on the same level as the genuine greats

Should be moving to 1st place on the all time Brownlow votes list by end of season and if we don't rest him, a record 9th All Australian selection is on the cards.

To go with League MVP, Coaches Association Award, Brownlow, Gary Ayres medal, 4x BnF, 8000+ disposals, 350+ goals, 250+ goals assists and 1800+ clearances, elite seasons as either a midfielder or a forward, match winning performances from a youngster right through to 35 year old captain.

 

[Cleric]

What about Andrew McLeod?

340 games
275 goals
3rd: 2000 Brownlow Medal
2nd: 2001 Brownlow Medal
2x Premiership Player
2x Norm Smith Medal
3x Club Best & Fairest
1x AFLPA Most Valuable Player
5x All Australian
Adelaide Team of the Decade
Indigenous Team of the Century

He got into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2014. Legend Status???? All I can say is that he has an impressive CV/Resume'. Awesome player. Champion.

He's up there.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

Should be moving to 1st place on the all time Brownlow votes list by end of season and if we don't rest him, a record 9th All Australian selection is on the cards.

To go with League MVP, Coaches Association Award, Brownlow, Gary Ayres medal, 4x BnF, 8000+ disposals, 350+ goals, 250+ goals assists and 1800+ clearances, elite seasons as either a midfielder or a forward, match winning performances from a youngster right through to 35 year old captain.

A lot of those stats dont mean a lot when comparing different eras of footy.. Is Dangerfield a better player than Mark Riccuto.. for me its close, but i would have Roo just in front.

 

[Mr Meow]

A lot of those stats dont mean a lot when comparing different eras of footy.. Is Dangerfield a better player than Mark Riccuto.. for me its close, but i would have Roo just in front.

And you would be an extreme outlier.

 

[Lunchtime]

A lot of those stats dont mean a lot when comparing different eras of footy.. Is Dangerfield a better player than Mark Riccuto.. for me its close, but i would have Roo just in front.

Different era as in not so much in the way of possessions?

 

[Lunchtime]

He will be remembered amongst the greats - your record doesn't have to be flawless to be in that category. Dangerfield was bested in those finals but so was the whole Geelong team. His overall finals record: 45 goals/assists from 28 games, going at 24 disposals and 5.6 clearances per game - stands up. Especially considering quite a few of those finals were as a youngster or veteran - not in the peak years.

Agreed. He will always be remembered as part of the "Big 3" of the last decade....Martin's, Fyfe and Dangerfield.

He is a champion for sure.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

I asked ChatGPT it's opinion for shits and giggles vs Shueys GF and got this response;
Dustin Martin is a finals juggernaut — no question. Three Norm Smiths, unmatched scoreboard impact, and a clutch aura. But if we’re talking about the best single Grand Final performance, then Luke Shuey’s 2018 masterpiece beats any one of Dusty’s.


Here’s why

---

STAT-BY-STAT BREAKDOWN​

Stat	Shuey 2018 GF	Dusty Best (2020)	Edge
Disposals	34	21	Shuey
Contested Possessions	16	10	Shuey
Clearances	8	5	Shuey
Inside 50s	9	4 (est.)	Shuey
Disposal Efficiency	75%	67%	Shuey
Tackles	3	3	Tie
Goals	1	4	Dusty
Goal Assists	2	1	Shuey
Score Involvements	14	9	Shuey
Norm Smith Votes	15/15	15/15	Tie
Opponent Difficulty	Collingwood (hot form)	Geelong (aging)	Shuey
Game Pressure	Went to the wire	Richmond controlled 2nd half	Shuey

---

Impact vs. Influence​

• Dusty’s magic was scoreboard-focused. He blew games apart with goals and swagger — especially when his team already had momentum.
• Shuey’s game was the engine of West Coast’s comeback. He dragged his team back from a 5-goal deficit, dominated the midfield, and was the match’s metronome from Q2 onwards.
• Without Shuey’s work, “The Kick” never happens. His fingerprints are on every key moment.

---

Clutch & Context​

• Shuey did it with no Gaff, no Nic Nat, and no Kennedy goals until late.
• Opposition? A red-hot Collingwood team with a full-strength midfield (Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Treloar, Adams).
• Venue? MCG, 100k fans, most of them Collingwood.
• Pressure? Off the charts. Came from behind. Won by a point.

Compare that to Dusty's 2020 GF: played at the Gabba, Richmond were already in control by the 3rd quarter, and the opposition was fading.

---

Shuey: The Complete Midfield Game​

• Shuey beat Dusty in disposals, clearances, efficiency, assists, and inside 50s — all in one game.
• He didn’t just impact the game, he controlled it. Dusty ended contests, but Shuey orchestrated them.

---

Summary:​

• If you want the greatest Grand Final career, it’s Dusty.
• But if you're asking “who played the best single GF game?”, it’s Luke Shuey 2018. No player has combined volume, efficiency, leadership, pressure moments, and clutch execution better.

Unfortunately both against Geelong but if neither Luke Hodge or Dustin Martin played then their teams wouldn't have won.

 

[luciien]

HOF no doubt, but not a Legend.

 

[Fadge]

Agreed. He will always be remembered as part of the "Big 3" of the last decade....Martin's, Fyfe and Dangerfield.

Said noone ever.

Gawn
Cripps
Neale
Bont

All comfortably in that company

 

[GC2015]

Considering Dangerfield is only 11 votes shy of topping the all-time Brownlow vote tally (Ablett Jr - 262), I'd say he should be right up there with the greats when he retires. You'd think he'll end up overtaking Gary Ablett Jr in that metric before his career ends and he's really done everything there is to realistically do in the game - Brownlow, Premiership, B&Fs, MVP, AAs, Club Captain, SoO etc. Hard to argue with his resume.

 

[catters05]

Hopefully a premiership captain.

 

[Mr Meow]

30 goals/goal assists and 72 score involvements so far from 11 completed games in 2025.

Not bad for a 35 year old midfielder trialling a season in the forward line.

 

[peetoo]

30 goals/goal assists and 72 score involvements so far from 11 completed games in 2025.

Not bad for a 35 year old midfielder trialling a season in the forward line.

Might even get a Stewart dew GF cameo


Funny thing is commentary kept saying young bombers team. Cats team wouldn’t be that much older overall

 

[The_Eagles]

Of the post-modern era, on a tier with Martin, Judd, Fyfe, Bontempelli (and zooming in just ahead of Fyfe)

Who are all a tier below Ablett Jnr and Franklin

 

[fpm84]

350th game for the champ this week. Bit of life left in those old legs too.

 

[Sttew]

I think he's one of the H&A greats, but his efforts in finals against Richmond make me put him below Dustin and on the level with Gold Coast's accumulator Gary jnr.

Audible sigh..... Here we go again. Falcon Version 97. And its not even school holidays yet