TOM GREEN

GWS GIANTS v WESTERN BULLDOGS

Manuka Oval, May 6 u To go toe-to-toe with Marcus Bontempelli in his best game for the season, you’ve got to be doing something right.

That’s how good Tom Green was against the Western Bulldogs last Saturday night.

Spending much of the match on one of the Brownlow Medal favourites, 22-year-old enjoyed the best performance in his 52-game career and gave the GWS Giants every chance in a narrow defeat.

Green beat the Bulldogs skipper in disposals (38), metres gained (634), tackles (nine), goals (three) and score involvements (10), all of which were either game-highs or equal to.

With GWS down by six goals at the final change, Green did everything he could to cause a boilover in the final term with 12 disposals, four tackles and two crucial goals.

In a game where Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Tom Liberatore, Bailey Smith, Josh Kelly, Stephen Coniglio and others were running around, they are astonishing numbers.

Of Green’s influence late in the clash, former Hawthorn champion Dermott Brereton said: “I truly believe Tom Green will win a Brownlow Medal, he’s that good.”

Champion Data rates Bontempelli well ahead of the next best player in the competition, but with Green five years his junior, the young Giant could be anything.

AFL TRIVIA

Who was the last player to kick 100 goals in a season and what year was it?