Shuey was no shoo-in but worthy nonethelss

The difficult task of finding a worthy Norm Smith Medal winner was evidence it was one the greatest AFL grand finals.

Norm Smith medallist Luke Shuey with the AFL premiership trophy

It’s a thankless task, picking the Norm Smith winner. Attacking the judges is as traditional as the North Melbourne breakfast, the half-time sprint and Mike Brady.

The four judges had an especially hard time after a classic game presented so many contenders and no standouts.

That’s no slight on the player awarded the medal, Luke Shuey, but a testament to a great grand final filled to the brim with great performances.

Disposals are often given a higher weighting in the modern, stats-driven game. They are often the option of first resort for reporters and medal judges alike.

No one had more touches on Saturday than Shuey’s 34. His 19 contested possessions and nine clearances were equal game-highs with Collingwood’s Taylor Adams.

So Shuey’s 34 touches were not inflated by cheap kicks as West Coast kicked around the Collingwood zone. He was a worthy Norm Smith Medallist.

“I haven’t had a great finals series,” Shuey said immediately after the game, the comment rendering redundant the question about whether the achievement had yet set in.

“I’ve probably been below where I wanted to be. The other guys have carried a lot. And I probably haven’t carried my fair share.”

Dom Sheed deserved a medal for his last-minute goal alone. How the Sherrin must’ve looked like a camel before it passed through the eye of the needle.

Just as midfielders are hoisted to the head of best player lists based on their numbers, so are forwards judged on the digits in the goals column.

A generation back Jason Dunstall or Tony Lockett would boot a bag of eight or so and sneak in at the tail of best-player lists.

That’s swung the other way, but not so far that when Josh Kennedy kicked only three goals on Saturday, he was all but excluded from Norm Smith calculations.

That’s unfair given Kennedy’s uphill skiing when Collingwood raced to a five-goal lead in the first term. He was one of the Eagles’ very best.

Jeremy McGovern had many backers outside the voting panel, but only one within — Gavin Wanganeen was the only judge to give the key defender a vote.

Defenders are unappreciated by a modern game addicted to stats and scoring. Long gone are the days of Robbert Klomp winning a TV for being best on ground with six kicks and three handballs.

There’s a certain irony in how the contemporary game spruiks defence but then underrates defenders.

Few would have quibbled if any of McGovern, Will Schofield or Tom Barrass were awarded the medal. The West Coast defenders were superb, but Schofield and Barrass didn’t poll a single vote.

Collingwood’s defenders received similar treatment from the judges. Tom Langdon received a single vote. Backing into pack after crushing pack, spoiling and diving to deliver the smother of the match in the second term, Langdon was relentless, committed and very unlucky.

With seven votes to Shuey’s 11, Adams was runner-up for the medal. He played a fine game but, like Langdon, lost points for a brain-fade turnover deep in defence.

Adam Treloar played a classic midfielder’s game, finding space and setting up teammates with slick handballs. But like Jordan De Goey, he needed to do a bit more.

Shuey gave context to the medal and what it means.

Asked about being forever known as a premiership player and a Norm Smith Medallist, he said: “I really only care about the first one. The Norm Smith is a huge honour … but the premiership medal’s the one you want.”