ISOLATED inside 50 and unable to contribute defensively after suffering a foot injury early in the game, Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield turned in one of the most memorable performances of his illustrious career on Saturday at the MCG against Hawthorn.
He kicked 5.6, with two of his behinds due to the ball hitting the post, and put in a dramatic effort that added to the Brownlow medallist's growing legend.
His coach Chris Scott stopped just short of using that word to describe Dangerfield's effort but he admitted, with a wry smile, he was tempted to do so.
"For a long period of the game there it just seemed like he was the most important player on the ground," Scott said.
"To do that with that sort of limitation just adds to … I'm not prepared to call it the legend just yet but it's getting there, isn't it?"
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Not only was Dangerfield the most important player on the ground, he was the most spectacular, taking fans back in time to the days when great full-forwards roamed the forward 50 and terrified full-backs.
Dangerfield's woes began when he collided with Hawks captain Jarryd Roughead in the first quarter, and the Geelong midfielder collapsed to the ground and called for the trainers.
He was assisted from the MCG and received treatment before making his way back onto the ground for the latter part of the quarter.
Dangerfield went to the changerooms at quarter-time for further treatment.
He returned to the field in the second term but looked proppy.
Once it was decided he could play on, he was sent forward with the instruction to stay deep and get dangerous and he did, taking eight marks inside 50.
"[We] had to rearrange a few things to cover me because I could not help out all that much in defence, not all that much changes there," Dangerfield said.
He kicked his first goal midway through the second quarter and by late in the third he had five goals on the board.
The No.35 was doing such damage inside 50, Cats supporters must have felt, at least in their dreams, that Gary Ablett snr had returned in the blue and white hoops to thrill them once again.
Dangerfield however was quick to credit his teammates with making him look good.
"My game today was a bit of reflection on some of the service our midfielders and defenders gave," Dangerfield said.
It was a reasonable point but more in keeping with modern football speak rather than one for the romantics.
What they wanted to know was whether a non-chasing full-forward could make a comeback.
The Cats champion poured water as cold as the ice covering his injured foot on the idea.
"It is still difficult because I could not really contribute in defence [which] makes it very difficult when Hawthorn were able to tip it around at various stages," Dangerfield said.
"It puts a huge amount of pressure on our forwards but they did a really good job to cover that and restrict the run Hawthorn got in that last quarter because they were able to rebound off half-back."
Dangerfield remains uncertain whether he will be available for Friday night's game against Adelaide, but he was not ruling it out.
With Dangerfield, anything is possible.
