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Club Legend
- Mar 23, 2024
- 2,349
- 3,895
- AFL Club
- Richmond
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.
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
