The history being made in the AFL Grand Final is off the charts
The number of all-time greats on show might be the best thing about this year’s AFL Grand Final, which will set all sorts of records.
Each week the AFL sends out a list of all the milestones players and coaches will reach that round – and the league has saved its best for last.
Check out all the history being made in Saturday night’s grand final between Richmond and Geelong, which features a host of champion players who are set to grab their slice of history.
Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong) – Most games before a premiership
Dangerfield is playing his 269th game. If the Cats get up he will slot in behind Shane Crawford (305 games for Hawthorn, 2008 premiership), Paul Williams (294 games for Collingwood and Sydney Swans, 2005) and Matthew Boyd (282 games for Western Bulldogs, 2016) on the list of players who played the most games before winning a flag.
Dustin Martin (Richmond) – Most Norm Smith Medals
Martin is one of four players – along with Gary Ayres (1986, 1988), Andrew McLeod (1997-98) and Luke Hodge (2008, 2014) to have won two best-on-ground awards on grand final day after winning Norm Smiths in 2017 and 2019. A third would put him in a place of his own.
Gary Ablett (Geelong) – Oldest premiership players
The Little Master will be 36 years and 163 days old on Saturday. Only Michael Tuck (38 years, 95 days for Hawthorn in 1991) and Charlie Hardy (37 years, 178 days for Essendon in 1924) have been longer in the tooth while winning the final game of the season.
Joel Selwood (Geelong) – 200 games as captain
Selwood will lead the Cats into battle for the 200th time, becoming the sixth player in AFL history to reach the mark behind Stephen Kernahan (Carlton, 226 games), Dick Reynolds (Essendon, 224), Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda, 220), Ted Whitten (Footscray, 212) and Michael Voss (Brisbane, 210).
Trent Cotchin (Richmond) – Most premierships as captain
Cotchin can become just the eighth skipper to salute on three occasions behind: Syd Coventry (Collingwood, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930), Dick Reynolds (Essendon, 1942, 1946, 1949, 1950), Michael Tuck (Hawthorn, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991), Allan La Fontaine (Melbourne, 1939, 1940, 1941), John Nicholls (Carlton, 1968, 1970, 1972), Michael Voss (Brisbane Lions, 2001, 2002, 2003) and Luke Hodge (Hawthorn, 2013, 2014, 2015).
Harry Taylor (Geelong) – Most finals
Taylor is playing his 31st final this weekend, putting him in equal fourth on the all-time list alongside Collingwood’s Gordon Coventry. Only Michael Tuck (39), Shaun Burgoyne (35) and his skipper Selwood (34 on Saturday) have played more.
Ablett and Selwood (Geelong) – Longest gap between premierships
Ablett was 23 and Selwood just 19 when the Cats pumped Port Adelaide in the 2007 grand final. A win on Saturday would see them record the equal-second longest gap between flags behind only Michael Tuck, who played in Hawthorn’s 1976 and 1991 premierships. Fred Baring (1911, 1924), Barry Davis (1962, 1975), Kevin Bartlett (1967, 1980) and Francis Bourke (1967, 1980) are the four players in history to have played in premierships 13 years part.
Luke Dahlhaus (Geelong) – Premierships at two clubs
This is a little more common – but not for Bulldogs players. While Dahlhaus will become the 31st player to win a premiership with two clubs if the Cats win, he’ll be the first to Bulldog to win one with a second club.
Are there other records you’re aware of? Add them in the comments below
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