The high point
Locking in key forward Josh Jenkins and gun midfielder Brad Crouch to long-term deals ensures the Crows keep their premiership window open for the next few years. Jenkins re-signed with the Crows on a five-year deal despite a huge offer from the Brisbane Lions, while Hawthorn were among the clubs interested in Crouch before he put pen to paper on a four-year extension to stay in Adelaide until 2020.

The low point
With a top-two spot up for grabs, the Crows saved their worst performance for their final game of the home and away season. The 29-point loss to West Coast at the Adelaide Oval dropped the Crows from second to fifth on the ladder and put a spanner in works of their premiership aspirations. - Lee Gaskin 

The high point
Unearthing a forward line combination in Josh Schache and Eric Hipwood that could carry the team for the next decade. With limited supply from a struggling team, the teenagers were terrific and showed real aggression, skill and competitiveness. They could be anything in coming years.

The low point
The sacking of coach Justin Leppitsch culminated a season of lows. It marked the end of a three-year tenure that saw the triple-premiership player completely overhaul the list, but win just three games in 2016. The embarrassing losses to Collingwood, Fremantle and Adelaide couldn't be overlooked. - Michael Whiting

The high point
Breaking the Etihad Stadium hoodoo against the Cats in round 10. After losing two players to injury including captain Marc Murphy before half-time, the Blues harassed Geelong with their fierce tackling and applied enormous pressure to defeat the Cats for the first time in 15 attempts at the venue.

The low point
The season-ending ankle injury to Murphy in round 10 and the disappointing loss to St Kilda in round 20 are hard to separate. Murphy's absence stretched the Blues' midfield in the second half of the season, forcing a heavy workload on clearance king Patrick Cripps and Bryce Gibbs. - Howard Kotton 

The high point
With their finals hopes hanging by a thread, the Magpies produced a stunning turnaround against the AFL's rising power Greater Western Sydney at the Giants' stronghold at Spotless Stadium in round 16. Trailing by four goals at quarter-time, the Pies, inspired by maligned key forwards Travis Cloke and Jesse White, then kicked 16 goals to seven to storm to a 32-point victory.

The low point
The Pies slumped to several demoralising defeats this season but their greatest loss was that of a player – an all-time great. Veteran Dane Swan appeared set for a big season in attack when he copped a career-ending leg injury the first tike he went near the ball in the season-opener against Sydney at the SCG. The Pies never really recovered. - Ben Collins

Ouch! Dane Swan is getting checked out on the bench after this incident #AFLSwansPies https://t.co/lmuQ5eohl2

— AFL (@AFL) March 26, 2016

The high point
Many people predicted Essendon wouldn't win a game this year. But with three minutes to play in round two, second-gamer Darcy Parish sealed the Bombers' unlikely win over Melbourne. The Dons led by six points but were in danger of slipping up, before the ball swept forward and Parish, Essendon's No.5 draft pick and already a fan favourite, coolly slotted a shot from 35m to give the Bombers an unassailable lead. It was the moment Essendon people believed they would be able to salvage some good things out of a season that may have otherwise been wasted. 

The low point
January 12 was probably the lowest point in Essendon's history, when 34 of its past and present players were given 12-month doping bans for being part of its disastrous 2012 supplements program. Twelve players still at the Bombers were ruled out for the season, leaving the club's 2016 campaign in ruins and one of the competition's powerhouse clubs on its knees. Fortunately for the Bombers they managed to produce some positives despite winning the wooden spoon. - Callum Twomey 

The high point
Matthew Pavlich's farewell was unequivocally the brightest moment in a dismal year. The club's greatest ever player bowed out with a 20-point win over the Western Bulldogs in round 23. He kicked his 700th career goal in his 353rd career game and the ovation for him pre-match and post-match was spine tingling.

We Pav! The Docker kicks goal 700 in his final game #AFLFreoDogs https://t.co/hEaWsVLyBY

— AFL (@AFL) August 28, 2016

The low point
There were plenty to choose from including the round five loss to Carlton where Nat Fyfe broke his leg, to the 10-straight losses to start the year, to the 90-point drubbing in Pavlich's 350th game at home against the Sydney Swans. But Nat Fyfe's public utterances about exploring free agency and Hayden Ballantyne's trade request going public in the same week when the club was 3-17 was the lowest ebb of a horrific year. - Alex Malcolm

The high point
Patrick Dangerfield's game against North Melbourne in round 12 was ridiculously good. He had 48 disposals, kicked two goals and gained more than 1000 metres. However it was the record-breaking game from Corey Enright that coincided with Jimmy Bartel's 300th that gave supporters their warmest feeling. 

The low point
An escape against Richmond in round 21 makes the search difficult. The back-to-back losses to Collingwood and Carlton hit hard but also forced Geelong to make necessary changes to its system. On balance, it was the knee injury during the NAB Challenge that sidelined emerging defender Jackson Thurlow for the season. - Peter Ryan

The high point
The overall form of Tom Lynch. The power forward went from an excellent player to one of the best in the game with his stellar season. Kicked 66 goals and took the most contested marks in the competition – not bad for a team that won just six games. He, along with Steven May, took their leadership to another level in the absence of injured skipper Gary Ablett.

The low point
News that both Jaeger O'Meara and Dion Prestia wanted to leave the club was tough to take. Coach Rodney Eade described the outside reaction to O'Meara's request as "hysteria", but losing two highly talented, highly respected midfielders that have been in your club five and six years respectively made it a rough week for the Suns. - Michael Whiting

The high point
The Giants' round 12 win over the Sydney Swans at Spotless Stadium came on the back of consecutive losses to Adelaide and Geelong on the road, and firmly established them as premiership contenders. GWS smashed their cross-town rivals by seven goals and if not for some poor finishing, it would have been a lot more.

The low point
Round 21's devastating last-second loss to West Coast cost the Giants a top-two finish and the chance to host a final against Geelong or Hawthorn, two teams they beat at home during the season. They'll now face the rampant Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium and will be forced to travel for a preliminary final – should they make it - if they lose the clash. - Adam Curley 

The high point
Beating the Sydney Swans at the SCG by five points in round 17. Any win over the Swans is to be savoured by the Hawks a) because of Lance Franklin's defection and b) they're the premiership favourite and a damn good team. Cyril Rioli roosted home the match-winner from outside 50 metres, unthinkable a few years ago when his hamstrings were soft as wet spaghetti. The Hawks played a flawless last few minutes that night, a tribute to great coaching and systems.

The low point
Jarryd Roughead not getting on the park at all has put a real dampener on Hawthorn's 2016. The big man missed the first six games of the season after surgery to repair a torn PCL. He was one week from returning when it was announced that the melanoma, for which he was treated last year, had returned, this time on his lungs. It was shattering news for one of the most-liked players in the competition and while the football consequences are of secondary importance, the Hawks have missed Roughead all year. - Ashley Browne

The Hawks have missed Jarryd Roughead but he's been around to spur them on. Picture: AFL Photos

The high point
Melbourne's 29-point win over Hawthorn in round 20 will go down as the best victory in Paul Roos' three-year tenure at the club. The Demons ended the Hawks' run of 13 successive wins against them and it was their first victory over the triple-premiers since round eight, 2006.

The low point
The Demons were one of three teams, along with Gold Coast and Carlton, to lose to wooden-spooner Essendon in 2016. Melbourne's 13-point loss to the Bombers in round two, as well as its 20-point loss to Carlton in round 22, put a line through the club's finals hopes. - Ben Guthrie

The high point
Taking advantage of a friendly fixture, the Kangaroos' nine-straight wins to start the season gave them a two-game buffer on top of the ladder and was a perfect launching pad for a premiership assault. It hasn't quite worked out since then, with injuries to key players throwing a spanner into the works.

The low point
The handling of last week's announcement that Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo wouldn't be offered new contracts was criticised from all angles. To a large extent the club's hands were tied once the veterans wanted to know their futures, but it was messy on the eve of finals. - Travis King 

North copped plenty as Dal Santo, Firrito, Harvey and Petrie were denied new deals. Picture: AFL Photos

The high point
Inconsistency has been the hallmark of defender Jasper Pittard during his career, but he took a massive leap in his development this season. Pittard will be among the favourites for Port's best and fairest and has been named in the preliminary 40-man All Australian squad after a fantastic year.

The low point
The Power were no match for a rampant Sydney Swans in a 67-point drubbing at the SCG in round 20. The Power kicked just four goals for the game and showed how far off the pace they were behind one of the true premiership contenders. - Lee Gaskin

The high point
Sam Lloyd's after-the-siren match-winner in round eight was the moment of the season for Tigers fans to savour. It secured a one-point win over the Sydney Swans at the MCG and broke a six-game losing streak. Emotion on and off the field spilled over and the relief for players was palpable.

The low point
An 88-point flogging at the hands of Greater Western Sydney highlighted how far off the pace the Tigers are. They kicked their lowest score – 3.5 (23) – in 55 years and were embarrassed by a team that has rocketed past them. Fan discontent reached fever pitch and the board came under significant pressure. - Nathan Schmook

Sam Lloyd's winner in round eight seems a distant memory after round 23's flogging. Picture: AFL Photos

The high point
After agonising losses against Hawthorn and North Melbourne earlier in the season, St Kilda was on the hunt for a scalp. Beating Geelong in round 14 certainly qualified. Jade Gresham's fantastic snap from the boundary in the dying minutes capped off a great game, while fellow young players Seb Ross and Mav Weller were also excellent.

The low point
Interstate travel proved troublesome and St Kilda's 88-point loss to Adelaide in round 11 was very poor. Compouding the Saints' woes was a ruptured Achilles tendon to promising defender Hugh Goddard. The injury fallout didn't stop there, with Paddy McCartin concussed, Nick Riewoldt hurting his knee and Sean Dempster requiring knee surgery. - Dinny Navaratnam

The high point
The Swans' co-captain Kieren Jack inspired the side to a crucial win over Geelong in round 16 after a week from hell. Preparations for his  200th game were ruined when a family dispute was made public. Jack handled himself with class, before leading the Cats to victory at Simonds Stadium with 24 possessions, 10 tackles and three goals.

The low point
A mid-season, club-imposed suspension for defender Michael Talia after he was arrested, charged and pleaded guilty to drug possession. The recruit's behaviour was a massive let down for a club that holds its standards on and off the field to an extremely high level. - Adam Curley 

The high point
Nic Naitanui's brilliant goal in the dying seconds to defeat Greater Western Sydney by a point in round 21 was easily the high point. Not only was the moment itself mesmerising, but it ignited the Eagles' season. They have subsequently beaten Hawthorn and Adelaide convincingly and head into September in red-hot form.  

The low point
Naitanui's knee injury could have been the low point but a stunning win over Adelaide just a week later offset any fears that the Eagles' season was over. The lowest point came in round two. In a Grand Final rematch at the MCG they did not fire a shot against the Hawks and lost by the same margin as they did in the Grand Final. - Alex Malcolm

The high point
Coming off a thrashing at the hands of Geelong, the Bulldogs' memorable four-point win over a hardened Sydney Swans outfit at the SCG in round 15 was easily the club's best win of the season. In his first game in over two months due to a serious hamstring injury, defensive playmaker Jason Johannisen slotted the match-winning goal with only seconds remaining. 

The low point
Injuries have cost the Dogs the chance to have a genuine crack at this year's premiership. With Robert Murphy Marcus Adams, Mitch Wallis and Jack Redpath already ruled out for the season, the Dogs are likely to be without key trio Easton Wood, Tom Liberatore and Jack Macrae for next Thursday's elimination final against West Coast in Perth. - Ryan Davidson