Liam Ryan and Brayden Maynard image sums up beauty of finals footy
For two hours these AFL stars were at each others throats, but in one moment of pure class they displayed what finals footy is all about.
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West Coast and Collingwood delivered one of the best finals you’ll ever see in the first week of a finals series on Saturday night.
The two powerhouse clubs threw haymakers at one another all night long and in a nailbiting finish it was the Magpies who secured the one-point victory.
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The crowd was as raucous as we’ve heard in a very long time and on the field the intensity was through the roof.
It got fiery between the sides as the bodies continued to clatter into each and every contest as the arm-wrestle dragged on.
Liam Ryan and Brayden Maynard went toe-to-toe in what was arguably the best one-on-one contest of the epic elimination final.
Ryan, the All-Australian forward pocket, and Maynard, All-Australian squad, renewed hostilities and had fans captivated from the opening bounce.
Things between the pair got heated, they came to blows and they let each other know about it if they’d just taken the chocolates in a contest.
It was almost as enthralling a battle as the game itself, but it was a moment after the game that summed up just how brilliant the finals battle can be.
For a little over two hours, Ryan and Maynard wanted to tear each other apart to help their side secure the win. But after the final siren, the two men embraced in a show of utmost class and respect.
Great sportsmanship 👠pic.twitter.com/2ziwwdbUwG
— 7AFL (@7AFL) October 3, 2020
Ryan acknowledged Maynard following the game when he uploaded the above image of the two embracing with the caption: “Lot of respect for this guy”.
The hostilities between Ryan and Maynard kick started during the 2018 Grand Final when in the second quarter, the Eagles forward poleaxed the Pies defender.
A floated handball left Maynard wide open and Ryan didn’t hesitate to drive his shoulder into Maynard’s midsection. Leaving him crumpled on the turf.
On Saturday night the two locked horns all over again in the latest chapter of their must-watch rivalry.
In what turned into a fiery first half, Ryan took a cheeky shot at his opponent after taking a contested mark when he held an outstretched ball in his face as he went to go back on his mark.
Social media ate the moment up.
Liam Ryan showing off the pill as a GIF ðŸ¬#AFLFinals pic.twitter.com/zhQPGPnhO4
— AFL (@AFL) October 3, 2020
Sadly we won’t get another chapter of these two stars of the competition going head to head until next season.
But what the two combatants displayed after the siren is exactly what we want out of every rivalry.
Originally published as Liam Ryan and Brayden Maynard image sums up beauty of finals footy