1. Charlie Dixon has been waiting to play in an AFL final his whole life
Early on, Port was under siege as the Eagles powered away with a four-goal-to-one first quarter, before they again silenced the crowd when they opened the second term with a quick goal to Shuey. Dixon, playing in his 106th game and first final, singlehandedly kept the Power alive while the Eagles made their move. He not only kicked their first three goals and looked to be the only realistic target inside 50, but he ventured up the field and laid some impressive tackles, including one when he ran down Jack Redden early in the third. His highlights reel will also include a cracking second-term goal that halted the Eagles when it looked like they were going to blow the game apart, although he slightly soured his night with a missed banana from in close that could have given the Power a third-quarter lead. The game descended into ultra-defensive mode after half-time so goals were generally hard to come by, but Dixon was the sole reason the Power were still in the conversation at all when things tightened up.

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2. Shuey has nerves of steel
It's what players dream of – the opportunity to win the game after the siren – and it came true for Shuey on Saturday night. "I was nervous," he told Channel Seven afterwards. "You don't want to come out on the wrong side of those ones." Shuey lined up from 40m out on a slight angle after winning a free kick with 27 seconds remaining in the second period of extra time. The siren went, he walked back and kept his cool despite the Port-centric crowd voicing its displeasure, and the ball sailed over the goal umpire's head. Shuey was swamped by his teammates before the ball had even landed in the grandstand, with the tough midfielder – who was treated for an on-going left ankle injury in the second quarter – the hero of the night.

Every Eagle rated from the first elimination final


3. We saved the best for last
After three one-sided offerings, this one delivered. It was a clear, cold night in Adelaide with no favourable breeze, and despite a first-half patch where it looked like West Coast was going to run away with it, it was a cracking, hard-hitting slog that ended with the scores locked on 60 points apiece at the end of the fourth quarter. Five minutes (plus time on) at each end followed, and with both teams fighting to stay alive in the finals, it was the perfect finish to a somewhat unfulfilling opening week for the neutral observer. The first goal came two minutes into the first extra-time period after Drew Petrie gave away a free kick in the Eagles' attack for high contact on Hamish Hartlett, leaving the Power defender seeing stars, and the ball rebounded for Sam Gray to kick his second major. Ollie Wines kicked a beauty from a standing start next, before Josh Kennedy ensured the change-of-ends margin was seven points with his second. Every single person at Adelaide Oval was on the edge of their seat when Chad Wingard missed on the run a minute into the second period of extra time, before Kennedy again goaled and cut the difference to two points. Enter Dixon. His seventh mark set up a shot, which he sprayed, before Travis Boak cleaned up an untidy Eagles' kick in but blasted another behind. Then the ball rebounded and Luke Shuey won his free kick for high contact from Jared Polec, and lined up for the match-sealing shot as the siren blared.


4. The Eagles' ruck pair say no to Nic Nat
It seemed unlikely anyway, but the prospect of ruckman Nic Naitanui returning to factor in the finals after more than 12 months out seems all but shot now. The Eagles' ruck pair of Nathan Vardy and Petrie stood up admirably against All-Australian ruckman Paddy Ryder. Ryder comfortably won the hit-outs with 54 to 24 (Vardy) and 18 (Petrie), but he didn't have as much influence around the ground as his two opponents. The Eagles had first use and won the clearances 49 to 40, and the retiring Petrie was important with two goals, one that came after a contested mark 15 minutes into the fourth quarter that reclaimed the lead for his side.

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5. The score review system continues to divide opinion
There were three instances when this became an issue: one in the third quarter and one in the fourth - and given the lead changed three times after the main break, both were significant – and another in extra time. The first happened 18 minutes into the third when Wingard poked the ball through at point-blank range after it spilled out of congestion and Jeremy McGovern desperately launched his hand at it. The goal umpire called it a goal, and the footage showed McGovern did touch it but the last contact the ball received was from Wingard's boot. It was dubbed a goal and the Power moved within five points. Then Vardy dropped a long bomb deep into attack five minutes into the last quarter and it bounced through, but not before Jasper Pittard claimed it grazed his arm. This time, the goal umpire called it touched, which was supported by the review and the Eagles were denied a chance to move nine points clear. Both decisions appeared right, but it didn't stop social media from lighting up with opposing views. Finally, Kennedy kicked a goal deep in overtime of the first half of extra time, which Howard claimed to touch. It wasn't reviewed, the goal was called, and the Eagles were within seven points.