IF you’d said first-year draftee Jack Graham and fringe Giant-turned-Tiger Jacob Townsend would be premiership players at the start of the year, you might have been locked up.

Graham - the youngest player on the ground - shutout Adelaide star Rory Sloane in the second half while Townsend nullified intercept star Jake Lever.

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No one could deny Dustin Martin the Norm Smith Medal but the unheralded Graham left a mark on the decider that will never be forgotten with 16 touches, three goals and a total blanketing of Sloane in the second hour.

Graham, taken with pick 53 in last year’s national draft, didn’t debut until Round 22 and has now played more finals than home-and-away games.

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Graham’s is a fairytale chapter in a fairytale story.

“The boys have been getting into me, I’ve played more finals than home-and-away games and I’ve won more premierships than games I’ve lost,” Graham said.

media_camera Teenage premiership player Jack Graham. media_camera Jacob Townsend celebrates a goal. Picture: David Caird

“You’ve got to acknowledge the luck, but there’s been a lot of hard work as well.”

Graham grew up in the Adelaide suburb of Tea Tree Gully idolising Sloane and worshipping the Crows.

Sloane kicked the first goal of the Grand Final, followed up with a second not long after and also had 15 touches and five clearances at half-time.

At the main break Graham was tapped on the shoulder by assistant coach Blake Caracella.

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“He said: ‘We want you to run with Rory. Don’t shut him down completely, focus on your offence as well’,” Graham said.

“I was like ‘Hell, I’m going to be running with my idol here’, but it was amazing.”

“I almost felt bad. I respect Rory so much and he’s an amazing player, but the team wanted me to play that role and that’s what I had to do,” Graham said.

“It was almost annoying because you don’t want to shut him down and be a prick of a thing, but it was my job.

media_camera Jack Graham gets a handball away while being tackled by Rory Sloane.

“I’ve modelled my game off him for the last three or four years and then to be running next to him was amazing.

“I was mainly trying to push him under. I’m not a really physical guy, I didn’t want to bash him or anything, because I respect him so much, but just annoy him a little bit.”

When Graham’s third goal sailed through at a raucous Punt Road end of the MCG, Mark Ricciuto said on Triple M: “This is unbelievable. Could he win a Norm Smith?”

He didn’t, but it didn’t matter one bit.

While Graham is just starting out on his career Tiger teammate Townsend doesn’t hesitate to admit he thought his AFL career was over two months ago.

He was “battling away” in Richmond’s VFL side and without a contract for season 2018, a new job as a carpenter loomed.

In Round 22, he was thrown a lifeline, consistent VFL form rewarded by selection against Fremantle.

He kicked six goals that day as a defensive forward and five weeks on became an unlikely premiership player for the Tigers.

media_camera Jacob Townsend gets in Jake Lever’s face.

“I was playing twos and thought I was done, my career was over. And here I am,” Townsend said.

“To play five games all and win a flag, I’m lost for words.

“Obviously it’s been a good year and a good month and this flag just tops it all off.”

Sent to Crows’ interceptor Jake Lever in another defensive forward role, Townsend nullified the star Crows’ impact in the air with impressive body work and made the most of his own opportunities with two goals from eight disposals.

The tally sees the former Greater Western Sydney midfielder finish the year with 16.2 from just 32 kicks in five stunning senior games.

Year of the Tiger: In pictures media_camera The 2017 AFL Grand Final between the Adelaide Crows and Richmond Tigers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Richmond celebrating after their win. Picture: Alex Coppel. 1 of 38 media_camera The 2017 AFL Grand Final between the Adelaide Crows and Richmond Tigers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Dustin Martin. Picture: Alex Coppel. 2 of 38 media_camera iThe 2017 AFL Grand Final between the Adelaide Crows and Richmond Tigers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Dustin Martin hugs Will Murray. Picture: Alex Coppel. 3 of 38 media_camera The 2017 AFL Grand Final between the Adelaide Crows and Richmond Tigers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin with the cup after the match. Jason Castagna. Picture: Alex Coppel. 4 of 38 nav_small_close Want to see more?( 34 more photos in collection )Continue to full gallery nav_small_left nav_small_right

“I obviously had a job again, just go out there and try and stop his (Lever’s) influence,” Townsend said.

“I’m not sure if I did that well or not but I don’t really care because we won the flag.

“I’ve never been the most talented player out there and I bank on the hardness and the toughness a bit.

“I haven’t really been a forward (in the past), I’ve been more of an inside-mid role so I just go out there and try to do my best and it paid off.”