Talented Richmond playmaker Shane Edwards was at his brilliant best in last night’s decisive qualifying final victory over Brisbane at the Gabba.

Edwards finished the match with 29 disposals, including 18 contested possessions, eight clearances, six marks, six tackles, five intercepts one goal and 407 metres gained, to further enhance his reputation in the twilight of his AFL career, much to the delight of Tigers coach Damien Hardwick.

 “He was incredible,” Hardwick said.

“He’s had a great year . . .

“Shane’s one of those players that we needed at certain stages of the year to play different roles.

“We love how he’s playing at the moment.

“His ability to create, but then also to win the ball back, as a midfielder, is really important.

“He’s just a wonderful player. And he just seems to get better and better . . .

“We’re very lucky to have him in our side.”

Edwards, who turns 31 next month, is averaging an AFL career-high 22.1 disposals per match this season, along with 3.5 clearances, 2.6 inside-50s, 2.5 rebound-50s, 3.5 marks, 5.5 intercepts, 4.7 score involvements, 2.9 tackles and 329.3 metres gained.