NEWS that Corey Enright had seized Geelong's best and fairest after the Cats' match committee awarded him seven votes for his performance in the Grand Final prompted some discussion as to the value of his game in the decider.

Good, expected, professional, a typical Enright game, was the general consensus of the No.44's game: but where did the game rank in relation to his teammates on the day in the eyes of the coaching staff?

The answers lie in the match committee votes from the game … and they make fascinating reading. Particularly when it comes to one of the unsung heroes of the game, Andrew Mackie, whose game was ranked much higher internally than many external observers gave him credit for (the Herald Sun being the exception).

Predictable were the top three votegetters - Jimmy Bartel, Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins. Each received nine votes out of 10 under a voting system that, because it seems based on a Rube Goldberg machine, requires a quick explanation (match committee rates each player out of 10 for each game and the total votes for that game are then averaged to a score out of 10 for each player. Each player's votes for their best 21 games count toward best and fairest).

While Bartel and Selwood are big game specialists who finished first and second in the Norm Smith Medal voting, Hawkins played the game of his life to finish third in that medal. In the Geelong best and fairest it did not matter - they were equal best on the day with Hawkins picking up nine of his eventual 98 best and fairest votes in the Grand Final.
 
The second line of voting from the game is where the real stories come from. The captain Cameron Ling polled eight votes along with Steve Johnson and Andrew Mackie. These three players reflect the remarkable turnaround Geelong achieved in just 12 months.

Anyone who saw Ling forlornly chase Collingwood's Dale Thomas during the 2010 preliminary final wrote him off immediately. All the discussion was whether new coach Chris Scott could find a role for him - perhaps up forward. His position as captain was questioned.

He played more than a role, playing 21 games, finishing fourth in the club best and fairest, receiving a vote in the Norm Smith Medal and being among the club's best six players on Grand Final day. He also kicked the last goal of the game. 

Not a bad answer to those who gave him up … and not a bad time to retire.

Johnson was under an injury cloud all week and the decision that he was going to play was only finalised on the morning of the game. The 2007 Norm Smith medallist kicked four goals and was unpredictable, assertive and brilliant. It came after his enigmatic qualifying final, in which he lairised in the last quarter, and the injury-shortened preliminary final. Johnson's performance came on the back of two consecutive Grand Finals (2008 and 2009) that were less effective than he would have liked.

"I can honestly say, and I said this to Steve, I did not doubt him for a second," said Geelong coach Chris Scott, who might have an alternative career waiting for him at Lourdes if he ever gets bored with the coaching caper.

Perhaps the biggest story of all applies to the 27-year-old defender Mackie who was dropped after the second qualifying final between Geelong and St Kilda in 2010. His omission at that time was a shock to him and feelings were mixed as to whether the call was harsh but fair or a necessary scapegoat for the loss.

Whatever the reason, his response in 2011 was brilliant, training hard, doing all the extras and returning to his best form. Mackie had an excellent finals series and was at his very best on Grand Final day, rebounding from the defensive 50 seven times and doing the job asked of him so well that the match committee considered him among his team's best six players. It was his 150th game. He has also played in four preliminary finals and is yet to play in a losing one. 

On the next line was Enright, one of six Cats to receive seven votes alongside Matthew Scarlett, Travis Varcoe, Paul Chapman, Tom Lonergan and Joel Corey. It was enough to earn him a second best and fairest in a premiership year, a great among great players. 

The rest were contributors with Allen Christensen, Brad Ottens, Josh Hunt, David Wosjcinski, Josh Hunt, Mathew Stokes, James Kelly, Trent West, Harry Taylor and Mitch Duncan sharing the five and sixes among them. The injured James Podsiadly (who finished ninth in the club best and fairest) was out of the picture because he was off the ground midway through the second quarter. 

Geelong best and fairest votes
AFL Grand Final
9 - Jimmy Bartel
9 - Joel Selwood
9 - Tom Hawkins
8 - Andrew Mackie
8 - Steve Johnson
8 - Cameron Ling
7 - Tom Lonergan
7 - Travis Varcoe
7 - Paul Chapman
7 - Matthew Scarlett
7 - Joel Corey
7 - Corey Enright
6 - Allen Christensen
6 - David Wojcinski
6 - Brad Ottens
6 - Josh Hunt
6 - Mathew Stokes
6 - James Kelly
5 - Trent West
5 - Mitch Duncan
5 - Harry Taylor

Match committee rates each player out of 10 for each game and the total votes for that game are then averaged to a score out of 10 for each player. Each player's votes for their best 21 games count toward best and fairest

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs