Ali Brigginshaw has been at the top of women's rugby league for longer than just about anybody else but for all the games she's played and the trophies she's won, it's doubtful that even she has had many games like this.
Brigginshaw was the best player on the field by a distance in Australia's 54-4 World Cup final demolition of New Zealand at Old Trafford, a game that served as a reminder that the Broncos playmaker is the finest player ever to lace on a boot in women's rugby league.
She's now won player of the match awards in back-to-back World Cup finals and this, surely, was her finest hour.
Brigginshaw began the tournament with some questioning if she was too old and she ended it breakdancing in confetti with the player of the match medal around her neck.
"It's been a challenging year, going in and out of form, and I'll be the first to admit that," Brigginshaw said.
"But I enjoy my footy and I feel comfortable in this jersey and when I have the support of the coaching staff and the girls, no matter what other people say, I know they believe in me.
"It helps me play the way I want to play.
"There's been a new Ali [on this tour], the girls have made me come out of my shell and as I'm getting older it's been nice to be that not-so-serious girl. I've really enjoyed myself, I don't want this feeling to end.
"I don't want to put a stop on when I finish playing and I would hate for someone to do that to me. So I'll be the decider of when I finish. I'll keep going, I've set my sights on France [for the World Cup in 2025]."
It's easy to forget that for the first time in a long time, Brigginshaw's inclusion in this Jillaroos squad was a little short of automatic.
Her form in the recent NRLW season with Brisbane was below her high standards and there were suggestions – not loud ones, mind you, because this is Ali Brigginshaw we're talking about – that time had come for her at last.
Given her stature in the game it wasn't a surprise when she was included, but with rising young playmakers like Newcastle's Jesse Southwell entering the game, it's clear the future is getting closer all the time.
But Brigginshaw, who turns 33 next month, still has the true football genius in her. That's something you never lose even if your legs slow down.
New Zealand came to the Theatre of Dreams with an upset on their mind, and after their narrow loss to Australia in the group stages it seemed like they had a serious chance.
But once the dust settled after Brigginshaw's opening salvo, the World Cup was all but won. It wasn't just that she played a hand in each of Australia's first three tries, it was the way it all happened.
First, Brigginshaw picked up Jess Sergis running a sharp unders line from close range on the right side. Then she sliced through from 30 metres out and popped an incredible over-the-shoulder pass to Kezie Apps, which led to an easy score for Isabelle Kelly.
Finally, a kick over the top from Brigginshsaw sat up for Julia Robinson as if controlled by telekinesis. Th lead was only 14-0, but for all intents and purposes the game was over.
Brigginshaw stayed on the job in the second half, creating a try for Emma Tonegato with a neat inside pass, as Australia kept putting on the points to claim a third-straight World Cup in style.
It was the toughest way to finish for the Kiwi Ferns. Ricky Henry's side are far better than what they showed, but they just couldn't get anything going in the face of the Australian onslaught.
Backrower Amber Hall was far from the power who bent the Jillaroos to her will in the group stages and while halfback Raecene McGregor, the heir apparent to Brigginshaw's title as the game's top playmaker, did what she could there was no answer for the green and gold rampage.
A five-day turnaround from the semi-final, which was preceded by a three-day turnaround from the end of the group stages, cost New Zealand dearly.
Australia were dealing with the same gruelling schedule, but with a deeper squad at their disposal and easier semi-final opponent in Papua New Guinea they were able to rest key players like Kezie Apps and Simaima Taufa, ensuring they'd be fresh for the big one.
The Kiwi Ferns are the only team that can truly challenge Australia in Test football and given how they were outclassed in this one it seems the Jillaroos' dominance will extend long into the future.
How long Brigginshaw will be part of that future remains to be seen. She'll be almost 36 by the time the 2025 World Cup kicks off in France.
A move to lock, where Brigginshaw has played well in the past, could prolong her career. But even if she sticks in the halves, matches like this prove she'll stick around for as long as she wants. She's earned that right.
Brigginshaw and Sam Bremner are the only players to appear in all three of Australia's World Cup victories and when you add Brigginshaw's NRLW titles to the picture she is the face of this new era for women's rugby league.
When she does retire, she'll do so as a candidate to be the first female Immortal, such is the weight of her achievements and the brilliance of her play. But from the sounds of things there's still a way to go before that happens.
Look back at the World Cup final in our live blog, and check out our coverage of the men's final.
Key events
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Live updates
By Jon Healy
Another final still to come
Absolutely in awe of that performance by the Jillaroos but I'm going to close this blog down, but stick around for analysis from Manchester by Nick Campton.
I'm off to the men's final blog, if you'd like to join me.
By Jon Healy
What a turnaround
Literally a week ago, this looked like a fair fight.
The Aussies were sloppy in their last group match against New Zealand, but the Kiwi Ferns aimed right up to them and the 10-8 scoreline could have easily gone the other way.
But the Jillaroos team that turned out tonight looked completely different and barely put a toe out of place in this unstoppable effort.
By Jon Healy
THE JILLAROOS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN!!
It's a 54-4 demolition and they really were that good.
Fittingly they become three-time champions by beating the Kiwi Ferns, who won the first three World Cups. But the balance of power in women's rugby league is firmly with Australia's Jillaroos.
Top-end talent, scintillating backs, powerful forwards and, perhaps most importantly, unmatched depth. Every player who turned out for this team at this World Cup could have been in the 17, but you can't say Brad Donald got a single call wrong.
That was truly a complete performance, with the staunch defence not giving the Kiwi Ferns even a hint of a sniff of a chance, and they finished it off with the ball at the other end, led by Ali Brigginshaw.
By Jon Healy
80th minute
Tarryn Aiken chips over the top looking for Kelly to get a hat-trick, but Hufanga gets back and mops up, and that will do it.
By Jon Healy
Ali Brigginshaw voted player of the match
The Jillaroos' last tackle ends with Emma Tonegato and Mele Hufanga scoops up and goes for a jinking run as we head into the last minute.
Meanwhile, the announcement comes over the PA that Ali Brigginshaw is the player of the match!
By Jon Healy
76th minute
As Simaima Taufa makes another bullocking run, I'm left to think good luck to whoever is picking player of the match tonight. I think you'd have to give it to Ali Brigginshaw for orchestrating the first-half demolition. This second half has just been a victory lap.
Isabelle Kelly threatens to score a hat-trick, but she's eventually brought down 10 metres short.
By Jon Healy
You can't stop Evania Pelite!
Ruthless stuff from Australia.
They spun it left, the ball went to ground twice, but Evania Pelite ended up with it and shrugged off Mele Hufanga, Raecene McGregor and Amber Hall - just New Zealand's best players - and dove over in the corner. They ain't stopping.
By Jon Healy
Cherrington ripe!
She only just scored her first try for Australia, and now she has two!
Tarryn Aiken chipped over the top, Isabelle Kelly took the catch at full pace, spun out of a tackle and found Kennedy Cherrington for a try under the posts.
By Jon Healy
69th minute
Apii Nicholls is back out there, and kicks off to Brigginshaw, who drops it backwards, but again the Aussies start making metres almost immediately through Simaima Taufa.
By Jon Healy
Kennedy Cherrington is over for Australia
Pretty simple stuff from the Aussie prop, just barrelling over next to the posts through some tired defence.
And she hits the Cristiano Ronaldo SIIIUUUUUU celebration to boot.
By Jon Healy
67th minute
The Kiwi Ferns drop the ball coming out of their territory, and oh no...
Dally M and Golden Boot winner Raecene McGregor is down and screaming in agony. This looks horrible.
Nothing too gruesome, but it seems like she broken her wrist in bringing down big Evania Pelite. She just dragged the Jillaroo down onto herself and her left hand was trapped under there.
McGregor's younger sister, Page, and Amber Hall showing a lot of concern.
Hold on... she's back up and back into it with a bit of strapping tape on her wrist. OK then.
By Jon Healy
The Kiwi Ferns get on the board!
A big run back through the middle by Amber Hall collapsed the defence, but she offloaded and the ball made it's way out to the left, where skipper Krystal Rota held the ball up just long enough, popping a chest pass to Page McGregor, who sent Madison Bartlett over out wide.
The Old Trafford crowd erupts with that. No-one wants to see a complete humiliation.
By Jon Healy
64th minute
Amber Hall earns New Zealand a penalty, although I think Simaima Taufa was pretty unlucky to be pinged for ruck interference there. Still, the Kiwi Ferns have a rare chance in Australian territory.
By Jon Healy
62nd minute
New Zealand pinned in their half again.
Bremner back up to halfway with her kick return again.
Sergis and Kelly with powerful runs yet again.
It's a brutal pattern for New Zealand at the moment.
The Jillaroos almost go in again, but Evania Pelite loses possession as she tries to bump through Mele Hufanga out wide.
By Jon Healy
60th minute
There's still 20 minutes left and the Aussies don't look like stopping. Shaylee Bent has only just come on, and Emma Tonegato is dancing around defenders at will.
Raecene McGregor saves the day for New Zealand! Isabelle Kelly and Evania Pelite looked like they might have conspired to score Australia's eighth try down the left, but the Kiwi Ferns halfback got back to clean up the inside ball.
By Jon Healy
Tarryn Aiken starts and finishes a long-range effort
With the Jillaroos 55 metres out, Aiken spun it out wide to Yasmin Clydsdale, who broke down the left and flung the ball back in-field to the supporting Aiken to dive over for her fifth try of the tournament.
It's 38-0
By Jon Healy
57th minute
Amber Hall made one last charge to get New Zealand moving forward heading into the last, but Sam Bremner and Julia Robinson are making great metres on the first few tackles of the set. Isabelle Kelly too.
By Jon Healy
55th minute
The Aussies are in again, but no try for at least one, if not two, reasons.
Julia Robinson took a Brigginshaw cross-field kick cleanly and dove over, but looks like the ball was knocked loose before grounding. Good effort from Apii Nicholls on the line.
I thought Jess Sergis ran a bit of an escort too, but the video referee disagrees, so it's a 20m tap for New Zealand.
Nicholls is getting patched up after that because she rammed her face right into teammate Page McGregor's head in making that try-saver. Blood is pouring from her nose and if she doesn't have a concussion from that, I don't know what her bonce is made of.
By Jon Healy
Jess Sergis is in for a double
Ali Brigginshaw rifted across and picked her spot, turning the ball inside for Kezie Apps to break through, and she found Jess Sergis, who bobbled, accelerated, wore a tackle and slid and rolled in for her second of the night.
Brown converts for 32-0.
