Collingwood’s big-game hunter Taylor Adams reckons he’s received a million messages about it.
The Magpies are a point up with 33 seconds remaining in Saturday night’s AFL elimination final against West Coast.
Eagle Tom Cole, steaming through the centre square, launches into a kick – only for a charging Adams to smother.
“To be completely honest it sort of washed over me until I got my phone after the game,” Adams said.
“I realised that I had a few friends who had really pumped it up as the smother of the millennium – much to Heath Shaw’s demise.”
Then-Magpie Shaw’s smother of St Kilda Nick Riewoldt, who was about to kick a goal from a metre out in the 2010 grand final replay, instantly went into footy folklore.
And now, so has Adams.
“I received a million messages from friends and families about it and the Collingwood faithful certainly got around me,” he said.
“But the fact of the matter is, if it wasn’t me it was going to be someone else wearing black and white because we’re coached to be in that position.
“As a midfielder, we’re taught to be trying to position ourselves in the corridor and I was the one that had to make the play and was able to … right place at the right time.”
The smother adds to Adams’ growing reputation as a finals specialist. Put simply, he hasn’t played a bad one yet.
Pose the question: who is the best current finals player? The answer will likely come in a flash: Richmond’s Dustin Martin.
The Tiger ace has collected two Norm Smith medals in two grand final wins. And in a dozen finals, he’s had less than 18 disposals just once.
But make the question a multiple choice.
Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield would be an option. Only twice in 17 finals has the star Cat had less than 18 disposals – his first two finals at Adelaide.
Collingwood’s Adams deserves to be in the conversation.
In seven finals, the Magpie midfielder’s leanest return, possession-wise, is 20 disposals. In all others, he’s had 24 or more.
Adams averages 26.86 disposals in finals – higher than both Martin (22.50) and Dangerfield (25.18) – and higher than his career average.
And Adams has polled coaches votes in five of his seven finals – he was overlooked despite 24 disposals and 10 tackles in a 2018 semi-final; and when he had 20 touches and four tackles in a preliminary final last year.
TAYLOR ADAMS IN FINALS:
2018 qualifying final v West Coast: 26 disposals, 7 tackles, 2 goals
2018 semi-final v GWS: 24 disposals, 10 goals
2018 preliminary final v Richmond: 36 disposals, 5 tackles
2018 grand final v West Coast: 31 disposals, 5 tackles, 1 goal
2019 qualifying final v Geelong: 26 disposals, 9 tackles, 2 goals
2019 preliminary final v GWS: 20 disposals, 4 tackles
2020 elimination final v West Coast: 25 disposals, 8 tackles, 1 goal
Career average disposals: 24.85
Finals average disposals: 26.86
