Richmond may have claimed a 29-point victory, but the Melbourne Cricket Ground was all about three individuals on Saturday afternoon.
Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt and Jack Ziebell.
Two of them are Tigers who will forever live on in club folklore for what they did over one of the most successful periods for their football club.
Another, the ultimate Shinboner and personification of the North Melbourne Football Club.
Between them, 933 splendid games of AFL football and that is what Saturday afternoon was all about. 59,555 fans braved the cold to come to the MCG and say goodbye.
Riewoldt and Ziebell had four shots at goal between them in the last term and all would register only minor scores.
But all three played a central theme in the game, one that will be remembered by Tigers and Roos fans for a long time.
Riewoldt finished with a goal and three behinds from 10 touches, while Cotchin had 18 disposals and four clearances.
Ziebell enjoyed 23 touches and five marks.
Ziebell was trated to a guard of honour, while Cotchin and Riewoldt completed a lap of honour with their kids and said one last goodbye to the Punt Road army.
North Melbourne hung in the clash for a long time and threatened to steal a win at some stages. But the Tigers were the ones sending their veterans off in style with one of the loudest renditions of ‘We’re From Tigerland’ heard in 2023.
Here’s everything else you need to know.
Dusty’s finishing the season like a house on fire
The Brownlow Medallist has been in Richmond’s best in the Tigers’ last five games but put forward his performance of the season on Saturday afternoon.
Any day Dusty boots three goals is a good day. But to also enjoy 11 score involvement and seven inside 50s from 31 disposals makes it simply superb.
It’s no surprise Martin would want to lift for Riewoldt and Cotchin’s final game. But the Tigers superstar is giving plenty of extra juice to his worth late in his career if reports prove correct and he considers a trade at season’s end.
Shai Bolton also played the perfect game for what he can do, adding four majors from his 25 touches
A new record for Roos young gun
With 38 touches on Saturday afternoon, Harry Sheezel now has the most disposals of any AFL player in their first season.
Sheezel broke a 33-year record at the MCG, overtaking Scott Russell’s 574 disposals for Collingwood in his first season back in 1990.
There’s little doubt the 18-year-old will be in North Melbourne’s best on Saturday yet again for his work off half-back. The Rising Star is well and truly his to lose.