Much like Carlton's Ted Hopkins (1970) and Hawthorn's Bob Keddie (1971) before them, this group from the modern era captured the imagination of the football world with their influential purple patches.
Perhaps most notably these premiership heroes were either little-known young players like Rick Olarenshaw (Essendon, 1993), Glenn Freeborn (North Melbourne, 1996) and Lewis Roberts-Thomson (Sydney 2005), or veterans enjoying their second taste of success in Darren Jarman (Adelaide, 1997) and Stuart Dew (Hawthorn, 2008).
Olarenshaw's first quarter set the 'Baby Bombers' alight against Carlton, and Freeborn's three-goal second term swung the momentum the Kangaroos' way against the Sydney Swans.
Jarman's five last-quarter goals sealed the Crows first premiership, while Roberts-Thomson had the ball on a string in the opening term against the Eagles and Dew's five magnificent minutes against Geelong has gone down in footy folklore.
Read the full feature in the Grand Final edition of the AFL Record. The national edition is on sale now at selected newsagencies across the country. The souvenir match-day edition, featuring a gold cover, will be on sale at the MCG on Saturday.
Former Tiger Mitch Morton celebrates a goal in the 2012 Grand Final. AFL Media
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