Did Bernie Vince miss his calling during his AFL career?
The former star midfielder stepped out for the Maryborough Rovers on Saturday afternoon and booted eight goals and seven behinds in a monster 204-point win over arch rivals Campbells Creek.
Vince took to the field as part of the Carlton Draft series, which aims to give community football clubs a boost.
Watch every match of every round of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Will Whitfield be facing the MRO next? | 00:43
The first goal of the game was kicked within seconds at Jubilee Oval and Vince was at his mercurial best in the middle, gathering plenty of the footy and helping to set up scores.
Vince played 229 games across stints at Adelaide and Melbourne, the bulk of which came in the midfield, but he showed his goalkicking capabilities from the second term onwards, spending much of his time inside 50.
With the Rovers up by nearly 100 points at halftime, Vince began to put on a show in the third quarter, booting four goals to make it five by three-quarter time.
By that point, the Rovers had opened up a 158 to 19 lead, on track for a cruising victory.
Still, the Rovers didn’t hold back, adding another flurry of goals to their tally as Vince starred, adding to his already-impressive haul.
By the time the final siren sounded, Vince had notched up eight goals and the Rovers had got the job done by 204 points in a very healthy percentage-booster.
Vince’s best on ground performance has set a high bar for Nathan Buckley, with the former Collingwood champion and coach playing for Nilma Darnum against Catani next month.
“He’d be in fine fettle tonight, he’d be holding court post-game,” Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy.
“What a hero down at the Maryborough Rovers.”