BIG Jonathan Brown, the John Wayne of the AFL, led out Victoria. He had battled injury and his coach's disapproval to play.

Andrew McLeod led out the Dream Team. I had met him on Thursday and been left in no doubt about his desire to play in the game.

I reckon we should listen to the players more, not less — about rule changes (how many players have you heard say over the years they didn't want any more rule changes?) and about matches such as Saturday night's.

A Ryan O'Keefe tackle on Peter Burgoyne left me in no doubt as to the sincerity of the contest. The footy was good and flowing. McLeod to Kane Cornes to Buddy Franklin are moves you want to see — sort of like watching the samba.

Early, it seemed the Dream Team's forward line had too many options. Matthew Pavlich and Buddy was a pretty awesome combination. Up the other end, Brownie seemed rooted to the spot. Had he played when he should not have? It wasn't hard to imagine Leigh Matthews' temperature rising.

It was a night when a few players had something to prove. One was Brendan Fevola, whose clowning about in public over many years means he has never been taken entirely seriously as a footballer. He was one who stepped up a gear in my estimation. He was so sure in what he did, meeting the ball at top pace at the end of long leads, taking strong pack marks in a single grab.

When Victoria needed a forward to declare himself, it was Fevola who did it, while at the opposite end of the ground Matthew Scarlett played a similar role in defence, making his cavalier runs through the centre, altering the pattern of play.

Boomer Harvey was good for the Vics in the middle, but that was to be expected. Chris Judd was having a quiet night. There was no lack of individuals to watch out for.

A player to impress for the Dream Team was Leon Davis. On what I've seen of Collingwood this season, Davis has to be in something like career-best form. Before, he played at the edges. This year he's much more central to games, which, given his skills, makes him more influential.

The player to accumulate a lot of possessions for the Dream Team was Peter Burgoyne, across half-back.

When it mattered in the second term, the Vics dug deep. Jonathan Brown re-arranged a pack in his usual brave and forthright manner, marked and goaled. Players such as Sam Mitchell became more prominent at the clearances. Adam Goodes started to take off on those inspired runs that leave opponents flapping at the air. It would be interesting to know how the players rated the match in terms of hardness on their bodies because after the Vics got ahead and appeared to have their opposition covered, the Dream Team came again.

The irony of the match was that the Dream Team forward line proved spasmodic. From having a wealth of options early, it had periods when it was static and unresponsive. The Dream Team player to most impress me was Shaun Burgoyne. He's more obviously combative than his brother, performing class acts with opponents upon him.

The game was still in the balance at the start of time-on in the final quarter. That was also when the Mexican wave began, one of the wildest I've ever seen. It shot round the stadium a half-dozen times like a human tornado. "Doesn't show much respect for the game," said my companion and, in truth, it didn't. For the spectators, the game was an exhibition match, but I don't doubt the match had meaning for the players.

The question of what motivates young men to aspire to play in the AFL is as important as any to the game's future. It is also a fact that our game lacks avenues for players to explore their talents at higher levels. This needs to be borne in mind when decisions are made about the future of such games.