Eyebrows were raised when Hawthorn lured Stuart Dew out of retirement at last year's draft. But on Saturday, Dew more than paid his debt back to the club with a virtuoso Grand Final performance.
While he did not win the Norm Smith Medal, his input was just as valuable as Luke Hodge's.
In a remarkable four-minute burst during time-on in the third quarter - the premiership quarter - Dew bagged two goals himself and set up another for Mark Williams.
By the time Dew goaled at the 26-minute mark the Hawks were 30 points up and had one hand around their 10th premiership cup.
"It was a bit of a blur, I'll just have to watch it again," Dew said when asked to relive his match-winning contribution.
But when Dew's name was called out at last year's draft, thoughts on the wisdom of the move were divided.
Dew's selection last year was one of two gambles made at the draft. The Saints used pick 57 to pluck the previously retired Fraser Gehrig minutes after the Hawks had used their third and final selection on Dew.
Gehrig managed only a handful of games, while Dew was instrumental to a premiership.
A member of Port Adelaide's 2004 premiership team, Dew retired at the end of 2006 prematurely, as it turned out, at the age of 27.
But with his mind refreshed, although his body was unable to hide the effect of many months out in the pasture, Dew rediscovered his competitive spirit midway through 2007.
A phone call from Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson in late October enquiring whether the raking left-footer wanted to make a return to league football was the next step on the journey.
"He just said if you're thinking about playing footy again, perhaps nominate (for the draft)," Dew recounted.
Dew said discussions at that stage were conducted merely as mate to mate. Nothing more.
Clarkson was an assistant coach at Port Adelaide in the club's 2004 flag, and had a month earlier watched his young side bow out in the second week of the finals.
Dew's experience would come in handy for his developing Hawks, who were talent-laden but without the wisdom of experience.
With Dew's weight well into triple figures, he did not attract attention from rival clubs.
"To be honest it wasn't a daily ritual to get on the scales," said Dew, who was listed as weighing 102kg in the AFL's media guide.
When pick 45 came, even the Hawthorn hierarchy was split as to whether they should acquire Dew. Clarkson spent the club's entire time allotment persuading his recruitment staff that Dew would not be a waste of a pick and eventually perseverance paid off.
"It looks good when it comes off. We're very happy," Dew said.
Even a tough pre-season was not going to have Dew, not renowned for a svelte physique even in his younger days at Port, cut like many of today's AFL footballers.
"I was never going to look fantastic obviously, you don't have to be Einstein to work that out," he said.
"It was just a matter of blocking out the outside criticism and that sort of stuff and getting the job done."
Dew made his brown and gold debut in Round 1, but a week later the experiment hit a major obstacle when he ripped his hamstring against Fremantle in Perth.
"It was all on the cards when you have a