It is late on the afternoon of Saturday 26 September, 1987. Forty Carlton and Hawthorn players have just sweltered through the hottest Grand Final day on record, before a captive audience of almost 93,000 people.

David Rhys-Jones has just turned in his greatest game in Dark Navy, having blanketed Hawthorn centre-half-forward Dermott Brereton.

The Rhys-Jones manning of Brereton is a Robert Walls masterstroke, after the Carlton coach made the call at team selection the previous Thursday night.

But this is Rhys-Jones’ moment.

Rhys-Jones’ name is called. He is the recipient of the Norm Smith Medal on the end of his team’s 33-point demolition of the Hawks.

As he proceeds to the podium, AFL Commission Chairman and CEO Ross Oakley awaits, as does the five-time Melbourne Premiership back pocket John Beckwith to drape the medal over Rhys-Jones’ neck.

Also there is another Hawke: the Rt. Hon RJ Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia.

On the day of the memorial service to Hawke, who died on May 16 at the age of 89, Rhys-Jones recalled that grand occasion on the paddock that grew.

“There may have been something said (between him and Hawke), but I couldn’t tell you much . . . it was all a bit of a blur,” Rhys-Jones said of the brief encounter.

“It happened pretty quick – you’re up and off. You’re presented with your medal, you shake hands and you’re out of there.”

Curiously, Rhys-Jones recalled previous meetings with Hawke in less salubrious surrounds when the former was chasing the leather for South Melbourne and the latter was President of both the ACTU and the Labor Party.

“Bob was a mad Swans supporter and I met him a couple of times at the footy – I met him in the rooms a couple of times and I reckon it was at the Lakeside,” Rhys-Jones said.

“I didn’t mind Bob. I thought he was a decent Prime Minister. He was a bit of a character which is what endeared him to a lot of Australians . . . he had that Aussie way of going about things.

“Mind you, I grew up in Oakleigh where there weren’t too many Liberal voters, although my old man was always anti-unions.”