The Chris Mayne renaissance

AFL grand final day is a magical point in the season where names, reputations and sometimes even legends are forged and 2018 was no different.

While Collingwood may have fallen agonisingly short at the big dance, defeated by the Eagles 11.13 (79) to 11.8 (74) – more than a fair share of boys in black and white had plenty to be proud of.

Taylor Adams was a wrecking ball through the middle of the ground. Brayden Sier found the ball over and over again in crucial moments. Down back Tom Langdon refused to say die.

Another name who stood up when it counted, and in the eyes of many onlookers finally grabbed a hold of some hard-earned respect, was Chris Mayne.

Entering the grand final as one of only a handful of Collingwood footballers with previous grand final experience, Mayne finished with 15 disposals (eight contested) and operated at an incredible 100 per cent efficiency – the only player on the ground to execute at that level.

To go with a healthy offensive attack on the match, Mayne finished with a staggering 14 effective tackles – also the highest count on the ground.

To go with the raw numbers was Mayne’s impact on the match in the clutch moments. Time and time again, Mayne put himself in the right position to swing momentum Collingwood’s way, and no matter the opposition Mayne flew hard in contested packs.

The 29-year-old Mayne got his start in Western Australia, drafted to Fremantle in the 2007 National Draft (pick 40) and going on to 172 games with the Dockers – punting 196 majors in his time there.

The highlight of Mayne’s career at Fremantle was 2012 – kicking 39 goals and just seven behinds – as one of, if not the competition’s most accurate forward that year.

While Mayne wasn’t too far behind in 2013 – kicking 37 goals – he endured a steady decline after that, struggling to have an impact as the Dockers tumbled down the ladder, and despite rarely missing a game for the better part of a decade, was given a shove out the front door at the conclusion of the 2016 season.

(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

It was then that Mayne made the journey to Collingwood, heading to one end of Punt Road as an unrestricted free agent.

It was once he arrived at Melbourne that the real criticism began. Mayne signed a surprisingly lucrative four-year contract with the Magpies but struggled to win selection at the top level. As a consequence, Mayne was scathingly labelled ‘the most expensive player in the VFL’ by many.

Mayne’s contract was quickly grabbed a hold of by those in the hunt for Nathan Buckley’s scalp as head coach at the Magpies, listed as one of the many failures fans of the black-and-white have had to endure during his tenure.

And it’s here that we reach 2018. Mayne started the season in the VFL but managed to win selection in round six – and it’s from that point on that he didn’t miss a game – back to his old, consistent self – only this time playing with a new level of fervour and intensity. An old war horse, repurposed for a new cause.

In the first week of finals Collingwood made the journey from Melbourne to Perth to take on West Coast, and while they went down in the end Mayne was an important part of the fight – collecting 11 possessions and laying eight tackles.

Rebounding from an opening loss, Collingwood bounced back the following week against the Giants – winning by ten points and progressing through to the preliminary finals. Mayne was a key performer yet again, racking up 19 disposals, clunking seven marks and producing four tackles.

And finally the preliminary final – Collingwood’s crown jewel in 2018, the 39-point destruction of the heavily favoured Tigers at the MCG. Mayne was one of many Collingwood footballers that night who seemed to do no wrong. 20 touches, six crucial marks, and nine bone-crunching tackles that helped bring the Tiger Train to a grinding halt.

Grand final day is one chance, above perhaps all others, that a player can force their names into the history book. Jack Graham’s three goals last year as the only teenager out on the ground. Tom Boyd the year before and his gigantic contract approved in one lethal half of footy.

Stuart Dew and his third-quarter explosion. Leo Barry – we all know what happened there. How could we forget?

His side might not have taken away the biggest prize of all on the day, but this year Chris Mayne has given his career a new sense of purpose and importance. Just days after the final match of the season, I’m eagerly awaiting the next grand final to see who gets the chance to do the same again next year.