See the best finals bolters from Grand Finals gone by

STEELE Sidebottom's Grand Final double, Shane who and Stuart Dew's monster quarter. See Jon Anderson's top 10 finals bolters.

STEELE Sidebottom booted 10 goals in the 2008 TAC Cup Grand Final. Two years later and he was at it again at AFL level. See Jon Anderson's best finals bolters.

Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood)
2010 Grand Final: Having played just 11 games in his debut season of 2009, the boy from Congupna with the catchy name had shown a liking for the big stage at U18 level when kicking 10 goals for the Murray Bushrangers in the 2008 TAC GF. Two years later he was at it again, gathering 25 possessions and two goals as he staked his claim for the Norm Smith medal against St Kilda in the Grand Final replay.

Collingwood's 2013 season

Steele Sidebottom

Shane Ellen (Adelaide)
1997 Grand Final: The poster boy for the eccentric ways of Malcolm Blight. Ellen, 24, was first recruited from Melton as a defender and had only kicked three goals in 37 games with Footscray and then Adelaide. But Blight found himself without a full forward when Tony Modra went down with a knee injury in the Preliminary Final, so he sent Ellen forward. The results were immediate, Ellen kicking two early goals before adding a further three when shifted back to defence.

Shane Ellen

Lewis Roberts-Thomson (Sydney)
2005 Grand Final: A local product from Sydney’s North Shore, LWT had been a project player leading into the 2005 season, one in which he received specialist coaching from Stephen Silvagni. He lined up at centre half back and by half-time was the unanimous choice as best afield. He faded slightly but was still rated by the club as its best player, even if the Norm Smith medal went to Chris Judd of West Coast.

LRT

Aaron Lord (Geelong)
1994 semi-final: Geelong went into the cut-throat final against Carlton at Waverley without its legendary engine room of Mark Bairstow, Paul Couch and Garry Hocking.
So the Cats turned to a 183cm midfielder/forward from Doncaster Heights. He had played just one ineffective game during the season for seven disposals. But from the moment he hit the ground Lord was electric, picking up 24 disposals and kicking a vital goal in a win regarded by the club as one of its best in history.

Stuart Dew (Hawthorn)
2008 Grand Final: The burly left-footer was known for his powerful kicking and ability to turn games. He was a key member of Port Adelaide’s 2004 Premiership side but surprised the club by retiring at the end of 1996 at age 27 with 180 games to his name. Hawthorn did their homework and picked him in the 2007 draft with pick 45. Their wisdom was highlighted in the third quarter of the 2008 GF when Dew set the team alight with two goals and direct involvement in two others.

Dew

Paul Weston (Essendon)
1984 Grand Final: A centreman from Glenelg who had played in five losing SANFL Grand Finals, Weston thought he would try his luck in the VFL. But nothing changed with his first season of 1983 again ending in Grand Final defeat. He was transformed into a full back by Kevin Sheedy until the second half of the 1984 GF when he went forward with devastating effect, providing the spark the Bombers were looking for.

Glenn Freeborn (North Melbourne)
1996 Grand Final: The utility player from Woodville-West Torrens had been dropped twice during the season before returning for North’s three finals. The Grand Final was just his 28th match but it is one the Kangaroos will never forget when he helped turn the game in the second quarter with three goals.

Freeborn

Michael Cooke (Hawthorn)
1975 second semi-final: Long-haired complete with a beard, Cooke from Old Carey was plucked from obscurity for his first game to play full forward when coach John Kennedy moved Michael Moncrieff to defence. Cooke worked a treat, booting four as the Hawks moved into the GF with a 11-point win. Sadly for Cooke he couldn’t repeat the dose and was taken goalless from the ground during the second quarter of the GF and never played again.

Bob Keddie (Hawthorn)
1971 Grand Final: Keddie was a talented half forward, good enough to win best and fairests with the Hawks in 1967 and 1969. By 1971 the Hawthorn forward line revolved around goal-kicking machine Peter Hudson with the Grand Final being no different. Problem was Hudson was concussed early and struggling for his best for, so Keddie, who had been very quiet, was moved to full forward in the last quarter and responded with four match-winning goals.

Ted Hopkins (Carlton)
1970 Grand Final: Of all the players to be remembered for a single September performance, none can match blond Carlton rover/forward pocket Ted Hopkins. During the 1970 season he had been a reserve 11 times in his 19 matches in the days before interchange. At half-time, with his side 44 points down, coach Ron Barassi told Hopkins to get ready. He took him seriously, booting two goals in the third quarter and four for the game as the Blues staged the greatest revival in front of a record 121,696.

Hopkins