Player Ratings: Bobby Hill 9/10, Tom Mitchell 8/10 in Pies’ thrilling win

The Magpies are AFL premiers for 2023, ending a 13-year flag drought.

Editor’s Picks

And it’s time to turn our attention to rating the games of all 46 players involved. From those who had a blinder, to those who could have been involved a bit more, find out who played well on footy’s biggest stage.

We’ve ordered the players how they were named in the lineups, from defenders, to midfielders and rucks, to the forwards, to the ‘interchange’.

Brisbane player ratings can be found in our ‘editors picks’ to the right.

Collingwood

Nathan Murphy, 4: Played a sweeping role and was effective early, but was heartbreakingly subbed out with concussion halfway through the first quarter.

Nathan Murphy copped a heavy knock in the first quarter. Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Darcy Moore, 4: Expected him to play an interceptor’s game, but was held away from the contest a lot. Finished with just two marks, but it didn’t come back to bite the Pies. Murphy’s injury messed with his natural game.

Jeremy Howe, 8: Was a level head in defence and provided run when necessary. His 24 disposals and an equal-game-high nine marks were important. What a warrior, especially after what he went through earlier in the year with his broken arm.

Brayden Maynard, 5: Was preoccupied with his defensive game and didn’t really peel off. Had 13 disposals. Was made to look silly a couple of times by Charlie Cameron.

Editor’s Picks

Billy Frampton, 1: Struggled. Dropped three uncontested marks inside 50, including a soda from 10 metres out. Gave away two free kicks in the fourth term for holds on Harris Andrews. Had just two touches for the afternoon.

Isaac Quaynor, 6: Typically strong one-on-one and played his role well, but down from what we know he can do, especially given calls for an All-Australian blazer halfway through the year.

Steele Sidebottom, 8: Kicked the most important goal of the game and won plenty of ball. As expected, worked tirelessly up and down the ground and always provided an outlet for his teammates.

Scott Pendlebury, 8: Quiet early and had to be dragged into the game by Bobby Hill when he was set up for his goal in the third quarter. But then the fourth term came around and Pendlebury was the freshest on the ground. Elite athlete, finished with 23 disposals and six clearances.

Oleg Markov, 5: Had a couple of crucial contest wins early, but also turned it over – one of which turned into a Charlie Cameron goal. Gave away a 50m penalty, but did provide what he always does, dash and overlap.

Bobby Hill, 9: Almost the perfect game. Had he nailed his later chances to kick five or six, he’d rate a 10. Kicked two each in the first and second terms, was a dangerous target inside 50, and made the Brisbane defence very nervous. Took a hanger as well. Well deserved Norm Smith Medal winner.

Bobby Hill’s first season at Collingwood has defied even the loftiest of expectations coach Craig McRae could have had of him. Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Brody Mihocek, 5: Quiet early, then kicked a beauty from the boundary. Then was pretty quiet again. Finished with 10 disposals but did take six marks.

Jamie Elliott, 3: Could have been a massive X-factor, but has been uncharacteristically wayward this season, and it continued on Saturday. Kicked one behind. Got up the ground well, but impact was very minimal.

Beau McCreery, 3: Lively. McCreery had a heap of ‘almost’ moments – two of his behinds were tough asks (running into goal under pressure in the first, and a tight snap in the second. Ended up with 0.3.

Jordan De Goey, 8: Not given much space from Josh Dunkley, but nailed the big moments, as big game players do. Kicked a huge goal to put them up 10 points on quarter time, then kicked the responding goal late in the last to put the Pies back in front. Finished with 18 disposals, four clearances and two goals. Good return.

Josh Daicos, 5: Worked into the game with 468 metres gained from 17 disposals but didn’t stand out.

Mason Cox, 5: Such an up-and-down game. Took some huge marks, had some huge clangers, missed a sitter, but was pretty good in the ruck.

Nick Daicos, 7: Started forward and kicked the first goal of the game. Then was moved into the middle, and in the back half at times. Finished with a game-high 29 disposals, but had some ordinary moments ducking his head and raising his arms in contests. Just play footy, Nick.

Nick Daicos was industrious for the Magpies in the Grand Final. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Jack Crisp, 7: Nailed the big moments. Had 25, and kicked a huge goal from 55 out in the second term, and then another after the half-time siren had sounded.

Tom Mitchell, 8: Crucial in the clearances, but a typically dogged performance – nothing flashy, but the Pies will have loved his game. He had 24 disposals, 13 tackles, seven clearances, and two direct goal assists. Huge.

Darcy Cameron, 5: Wasn’t relied upon to be the main man anywhere, but battles manfully in the ruck and around the ground when required.

Will Hoskin-Elliott, 5: Provided an option as an outlet on more than one occasion. He had just 12 touches, but five marks and was credited with a direct goal assist.

Jack Ginnivan, 4: Lively without having too much impact. Had just seven disposals and kicked a behind, but felt a bit better than what the stat sheet would suggest.

Patrick Lipinski (sub), 6: Came on at quarter time, asked to play forward, then was moved up the ground. Ended with 16 disposals, three clearances, and four tackles. The performance they probably wanted last week!