It happened with three minutes and 56 seconds remaining of the 2010 Grand Final draw between Collingwood and St Kilda.
The Saints had turned a four-goal half-time deficit into a five-point lead as Sam Fisher kicked the ball forward.
With momentum against Collingwood, Maxwell knew the team he led was in dire trouble.
"I looked up to the scoreboard and saw we were behind and I actually made a decision in my own head that I was going to have to do something if the ball came into my area again," Maxwell told AFL.com.au.
His next act was to leap above his opponent Sam Gilbert and mark, somehow finding spring in his tired legs.
He immediately played on, turned into the corridor and took a bounce.
"A 100 times out of 100 in the same situation I would just punch the ball away and spoil but because I made the decision I went for the mark and played on into the corridor," Maxwell said. "For me that was really unnatural and was something that is not the norm for me. [It's] one of the rare times where I had to say 'nah' and just make a decision."
His kick found Alan Didak on the lead.
See where Maxwell ranks in the Official AFL Player Ratings
Within 30 seconds of Maxwell's mark, Collingwood had kicked a goal through Travis Cloke and was back in front.
Of course, the Magpies would escape with a draw before easily defeating the Saints in the replay.
Maxwell is, naturally enough, proud of that intercept mark.
"At times you have to make a decision. Sometimes it is not about what you need to do personally but about something else you have to do and at times you have to throw the game-plan out of the window," Maxwell said.
He has always shown a belligerent approach when it comes to football, refusing to give up when most would wilt.
He played the 2008 finals series with a broken trapezium bone in his wrist, just one of 30, yes 30, broken bones Maxwell has had in his 193-game career.
He didn't just play either. He was among the best in the win against Adelaide in the unfamiliar role of tagging, reducing key Crows' midfielder Scott Thompson's influence.
And it was the game that convinced many he had what it took to captain Collingwood.
In his second final as captain, a semi-final at the MCG against Adelaide, it was Maxwell who staggered to a stoppage to kick the ball forward for Jack Anthony to win a free kick and kick a match-saving goal.
Maxwell's ability to stand up in big moments is one reason he is such a respected captain at the Magpies.
But it's not the only one.
That's why Mick Malthouse appointed him to the role in December 2008, a decision that surprised many external observers.
After all, he was not exactly decorated.
To that point he had played 95 games – including one as captain against Essendon in round 16, 2007 – and had been given the No.5 jumper by club champion, now coach, Nathan Buckley.
He had joined the club via the rookie list, where he earned $18,000 in his first season and worked on his day off, was on his third number graduating from 43 to 27 to five, and had played in six finals.
Whether he was a certain selection in the Magpies' best 22 was an open question.
In the first few games of 2009, he gave his opponent more latitude than the coach expected. That was quickly addressed.
By the end of 2010, he was a premiership captain, All Australian and been a runner-up in the club best and fairest. He has been top 10 in the best and fairest in three of the four seasons since becoming skipper.
His ability to get on with everyone and deal with situations with an earthy, if earnest at times, common sense has never been questioned.
He naturally respected difference as long as when required, the individual put team first.
Teammate Nathan Brown puts it well when explaining why Maxwell is a good captain.
"Maxy has always been a players' captain. That's what a good captain is. He's with the players," Brown said.
"He's a really good guy and a really good friend, but he also has that ability to lead a team and really put a guy under pressure if they're not reaching the standards of what we expect."
Maxwell knew instinctively that being a captain was about more than just getting a kick and being at training on time.
Just as well because the role of captain has changed significantly since 2009 according to Maxwell.
"There's a lot more off-field stuff," Maxwell said.
When he started the role 80 per cent of the captain's time was devoted to ensuring that what happened on-field was what was required.
Now, says Maxwell, it seems as though 70 per cent of the role is devoted to off-field matters.
"At the start it was about taking a group in one direction, getting them on the one page to follow what the coach wanted us to follow," Maxwell said.
However industry changes have forced him to re-direct his energies.
At both, Maxwell has been a success.
"It is getting harder because you can have such an impact on an 18 or 19-year-old's life," Maxwell said.
He says recognising the privileged life footballers lead is half the battle and when discipline is needed it's about finding ways to do so that help people learn lessons.
Occasionally he made mistakes too, receiving a $10,000 fine for telling a relative he was to play forward before a game in 2011 without reminding the person he was telling not to bet on him kicking the first goal. He paid a public price for that.
Now he is leading a team in transition, one that has played 40 players in 2013. Buckley is the coach and he is a veteran.
He says Leading Teams is making official the informal process Buckley and James Clement started when they pushed him to join the leadership group years before he thought himself worthy.
It is important the club has a new generation of leaders ready to assume responsibility.
"The sooner we can get all those guys acting like they are the captain - if that is what it take to get them into the right mindset – the better. We want them to own it, it's their footy club. Own the football club, take control of what we're doing," Maxwell said
Responsibility is something Maxwell has never shirked. As a person who hates sitting still, he deals with what crops up immediately.
He has also proved himself as an exceptional finals player.
He has been the club's most important on-field figure in the past five years.
Many will debate such an assessment but he galvanised a talented group at a club that had not won a premiership for 18 seasons and led them to a flag in just his second season as skipper.
And one wonders whether anyone else could have done so.
Not that Maxwell thinks that of course.
"I never expected to be captain. I never put much thought into it and even when I was named I still at that point did not think I was a chance," Maxwell said.
Within 30 seconds of Maxwell's mark, Collingwood had kicked a goal through Travis Cloke and was back in front.
Of course, the Magpies would escape with a draw before easily defeating the Saints in the replay.
Maxwell is, naturally enough, proud of that intercept mark.
"At times you have to make a decision. Sometimes it is not about what you need to do personally but about something else you have to do and at times you have to throw the game-plan out of the window," Maxwell said.
He has always shown a belligerent approach when it comes to football, refusing to give up when most would wilt.
He played the 2008 finals series with a broken trapezium bone in his wrist, just one of 30, yes 30, broken bones Maxwell has had in his 193-game career.
He didn't just play either. He was among the best in the win against Adelaide in the unfamiliar role of tagging, reducing key Crows' midfielder Scott Thompson's influence.
And it was the game that convinced many he had what it took to captain Collingwood.
In his second final as captain, a semi-final at the MCG against Adelaide, it was Maxwell who staggered to a stoppage to kick the ball forward for Jack Anthony to win a free kick and kick a match-saving goal.
Maxwell's ability to stand up in big moments is one reason he is such a respected captain at the Magpies.
But it's not the only one.
That's why Mick Malthouse appointed him to the role in December 2008, a decision that surprised many external observers.
After all, he was not exactly decorated.
To that point he had played 95 games – including one as captain against Essendon in round 16, 2007 – and had been given the No.5 jumper by club champion, now coach, Nathan Buckley.
He had joined the club via the rookie list, where he earned $18,000 in his first season and worked on his day off, was on his third number graduating from 43 to 27 to five, and had played in six finals.
Whether he was a certain selection in the Magpies' best 22 was an open question.
In the first few games of 2009, he gave his opponent more latitude than the coach expected. That was quickly addressed.
By the end of 2010, he was a premiership captain, All Australian and been a runner-up in the club best and fairest. He has been top 10 in the best and fairest in three of the four seasons since becoming skipper.
His ability to get on with everyone and deal with situations with an earthy, if earnest at times, common sense has never been questioned.
He naturally respected difference as long as when required, the individual put team first.
Teammate Nathan Brown puts it well when explaining why Maxwell is a good captain.
"Maxy has always been a players' captain. That's what a good captain is. He's with the players," Brown said.
"He's a really good guy and a really good friend, but he also has that ability to lead a team and really put a guy under pressure if they're not reaching the standards of what we expect."
Maxwell knew instinctively that being a captain was about more than just getting a kick and being at training on time.
Just as well because the role of captain has changed significantly since 2009 according to Maxwell.
"There's a lot more off-field stuff," Maxwell said.
When he started the role 80 per cent of the captain's time was devoted to ensuring that what happened on-field was what was required.
Now, says Maxwell, it seems as though 70 per cent of the role is devoted to off-field matters.
"At the start it was about taking a group in one direction, getting them on the one page to follow what the coach wanted us to follow," Maxwell said.
However industry changes have forced him to re-direct his energies.
At both, Maxwell has been a success.
"It is getting harder because you can have such an impact on an 18 or 19-year-old's life," Maxwell said.
He says recognising the privileged life footballers lead is half the battle and when discipline is needed it's about finding ways to do so that help people learn lessons.
Occasionally he made mistakes too, receiving a $10,000 fine for telling a relative he was to play forward before a game in 2011 without reminding the person he was telling not to bet on him kicking the first goal. He paid a public price for that.
Now he is leading a team in transition, one that has played 40 players in 2013. Buckley is the coach and he is a veteran.
He says Leading Teams is making official the informal process Buckley and James Clement started when they pushed him to join the leadership group years before he thought himself worthy.
It is important the club has a new generation of leaders ready to assume responsibility.
"The sooner we can get all those guys acting like they are the captain - if that is what it take to get them into the right mindset – the better. We want them to own it, it's their footy club. Own the football club, take control of what we're doing," Maxwell said
Responsibility is something Maxwell has never shirked. As a person who hates sitting still, he deals with what crops up immediately.
He has also proved himself as an exceptional finals player.
He has been the club's most important on-field figure in the past five years.
Many will debate such an assessment but he galvanised a talented group at a club that had not won a premiership for 18 seasons and led them to a flag in just his second season as skipper.
And one wonders whether anyone else could have done so.
Not that Maxwell thinks that of course.
"I never expected to be captain. I never put much thought into it and even when I was named I still at that point did not think I was a chance," Maxwell said.
Peter Ryan is a reporter with AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_PetRyan
