IN THE second round of The Deadliest, the cream certainly rises to the top.

Adelaide's Andrew McLeod was known as a big-game player, and is one of four players to win multiple Norm Smith Medals.

Maurice Rioli was every bit as good on the big stage, winning the 1982 Norm Smith Medal, despite playing in a losing team (Richmond lost to Carlton).

Rioli comfortably won his round one match-up against Michael Long with 67 per cent of the votes, while McLeod had an even greater margin with 75 per cent of the vote against his first opponent in Sir Doug Nicholls.

But how do you separate two players who were at their best when the stakes were high?

>> WHO IS THE DEADLIEST? WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS BELOW AND VOTE HERE

Andrew McLeod
Adelaide
Wardaman/Wargamaygan
340 games, 275 goals, Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Premiership player, two-time Norm Smith medallist, five-time All-Australian, Indigenous Team of the Century

McLeod shares a record with Gary Ayres, Luke Hodge and Dustin Martin as the only players to win multiple Norm Smith Medals, but if you take a deeper dive into some of the context of those Grand Finals, then you'll understand why McLeod's impact was so great.

McLeod's first Norm Smith effort came in the 1997 Grand Final, when he was just 21yo.

His Crows teammate Darren Jarman kicked six goals that day, but McLeod's 31 disposals were deemed to have been more important.

The story was the same in 1998, where McLeod's 30 disposals earned him a second Norm Smith, again over Jarman who finished with five goals.

With 340 games and five All-Australian blazers, McLeod was a model of consistency and brilliance.

Maurice Rioli
South Fremantle/Richmond
Tiwi
286 games, 213 goals, Australian Football Hall of Fame, Western Australian Football Hall of Fame, 1980 WAFL Premiership player, three-time Simpson medallist, 1982 Norm Smith Medal, three-time All-Australian

Both players had the longevity and team success, but Rioli stood out even when his team mates didn't rise to his level.

Rioli was the first Indigenous player to win a Norm Smith Medal, as well as the first player to win one in a losing side.

Three best-on-ground efforts in consecutive Grand Finals (two Simpson Medals and a Norm Smith from 1980-1982) is a rare feat, but Rioli's only premiership came in 1980 with South Fremantle.

During Rioli's time, the Simpson Medal could be awarded for best on ground in a WAFL Grand Final or for the best player in an interstate representative match involving Western Australia.

The third of his Simpson Medals came in 1983 in a State of Origin win against Victoria.

A Deadly match-up: Andrew McLeod v Maurice Rioli. WATCH IT HERE

>> WHO IS THE DEADLIEST? WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS AND VOTE HERE