ANOTHER season, another record broken for the most thrillers after an enthralling 2024 campaign.

Brisbane's win over Sydney in Saturday's Toyota AFL Grand Final was one-sided as the Lions ran rampant for an emphatic victory, but it wasn't a reflection of the season overall.

With 59 games decided by 10 points or less, this year set the record for most such finishes in VFL/AFL history, breaking the mark of 57 from just last year.

The introduction of Gather Round has made the past two seasons longer than ever before, but they have both smashed the previous best, which was 49 in 2014.

Another season of thrillers has highlighted just how tight the competition is.

Having mastered close games under Craig McRae, Collingwood – last year's premier – had a good record in tight matches again, going 6-2-1 in matches decided by 10 points or less.

But the Magpies, who topped this stat last year, weren't the kings in this area in 2024.

That title belonged to Port Adelaide, which went an incredible 7-1 in such games, including winning seven on the trot.

Other clubs will be hoping improvement in close matches could lift them up the ladder next year.

Remarkably, the Western Bulldogs played in just two games decided by 10 points or less, losing both.

Fremantle will be left rueing an opportunity missed, having failed to reach September after winning just one of six close games, while Adelaide had a 2-1-5 record.

Minor premier Sydney, crushed in a Grand Final for the second time in three years, was 2-4 in games decided by 10 points or less.

Seasons with most matches decided by 10 points or less

59 – 2024
57 – 2023
49 – 2014
47 – 2019, 2021
45 – 2018
44 – 2017
43 – 2002
42 – 2010, 2013, 2022

Round 1: Lost to Gold Coast by six points
Round 5: Beat Carlton by two points
Round 6: Lost to Essendon by three points
Round 9: Drew with Brisbane
Round 10: Lost to Collingwood by four points
Round 13: Lost to Richmond by eight points
Round 19: Beat Essendon by two points
Round 21: Lost to Geelong by five points

Record: 2-1-5

Opening Round: Lost to Carlton by one point
Round 9: Drew with Adelaide
Round 16: Beat Melbourne by five points
Round 19: Beat Sydney by two points
Round 23: Lost to Collingwood by one point
Semi-final: Beat Greater Western Sydney by five points
Preliminary final: Beat Geelong by 10 points

Record: 4-1-2

Opening Round: Beat Brisbane by one point
Round 1: Beat Richmond by five points
Round 4: Beat Fremantle by 10 points
Round 5: Lost to Adelaide by two points
Round 8: Lost to Collingwood by six points
Round 9: Beat Melbourne by one point
Round 21: Lost to Collingwood by three points
Round 24: Lost to St Kilda by two points

Record: 4-4

Round 4: Beat Hawthorn by five points
Round 7: Drew with Essendon
Round 8: Beat Carlton by six points
Round 10: Beat Adelaide by four points
Round 11: Drew with Fremantle
Round 14: Beat North Melbourne by one point
Round 21: Beat Carlton by three points
Round 22: Lost to Sydney by three points
Round 23: Beat Brisbane by one point

Record: 6-2-1

Round 3: Beat St Kilda by four points
Round 6: Beat Adelaide by three points
Round 7: Drew with Collingwood
Round 8: Beat West Coast by six points
Round 19: Lost to Adelaide by two points
Round 21: Beat Fremantle by one point
Round 22: Lost to Gold Coast by one point

Record: 4-1-2

Round 4: Lost to Carlton by 10 points
Round 5: Lost to Port Adelaide by three points
Round 11: Drew with Collingwood
Round 16: Beat Sydney by one point
Round 21: Lost to Essendon by one point
Round 23: Lost to Greater Western Sydney by nine points

Record: 1-1-4

Round 1: Beat St Kilda by eight points
Round 4: Beat Western Bulldogs by four points
Round 8: Lost to Melbourne by eight points
Round 9: Lost to Port Adelaide by six points
Round 11: Lost to Greater Western Sydney by four points
Round 21: Beat Adelaide by five points
Preliminary final: Lost to Brisbane by 10 points

Record: 3-4

Round 1: Beat Adelaide by six points
Round 13: Lost to St Kilda by three points
Round 17: Lost to North Melbourne by four points
Round 21: Lost to West Coast by 10 points
Round 22: Beat Essendon by one point

Record: 2-3

Round 5: Beat St Kilda by one point
Round 11: Beat Geelong by four points
Round 13: Lost to Hawthorn by six points
Round 20: Beat Melbourne by two points
Round 21: Beat Hawthorn by two points
Round 23: Beat Fremantle by nine points
Qualifying final: Lost to Sydney by six points
Semi-final: Lost to Brisbane by five points

Record: 5-3

Round 4: Lost to Collingwood by five points
Round 8: Beat Western Bulldogs by seven points
Round 9: Beat St Kilda by five points
Round 10: Lost to Port Adelaide by one point
Round 13: Beat Greater Western Sydney by six points
Round 21: Lost to Greater Western Sydney by two points
Semi-final: Lost to Port Adelaide by three points

Record: 3-4

Round 3: Beat Port Adelaide by seven points
Round 8: Beat Geelong by eight points
Round 9: Lost to Carlton by one point
Round 15: Beat North Melbourne by three points
Round 16: Lost to Brisbane by five points
Round 20: Lost to Greater Western Sydney by two points
Round 22: Lost to Port Adelaide by two points

Record: 3-4

Round 13: Beat West Coast by nine points
Round 14: Lost to Collingwood by one point
Round 15: Lost to Melbourne by three points
Round 17: Beat Gold Coast by four points
Round 22: Lost to West Coast by five points

Record: 2-3

Round 3: Lost to Melbourne by seven points
Round 5: Beat Fremantle by three points
Round 7: Beat St Kilda by 10 points
Round 9: Beat Geelong by six points
Round 10: Beat Hawthorn by one point
Round 16: Beat St Kilda by two points
Round 22: Beat Melbourne by two points
Semi-final: Beat Hawthorn by three points

Record: 7-1

Round 1: Lost to Carlton by five points
Round 3: Beat Sydney by five points
Round 4: Lost to St Kilda by seven points
Round 13: Beat Adelaide by eight points

Record: 2-2

Round 1: Lost to Geelong by eight points
Round 3: Lost to Essendon by four points
Round 4: Beat Richmond by seven points
Round 5: Lost to Greater Western Sydney by one point
Round 7: Lost to Port Adelaide by 10 points
Round 9: Lost to Hawthorn by five points
Round 13: Beat Gold Coast by three points
Round 16: Lost to Port Adelaide by two points
Round 17: Beat Sydney by two points
Round 24: Beat Carlton by two points

Record: 4-6 

Round 3: Lost to Richmond by five points
Round 16: Lost to Fremantle by one point
Round 17: Lost to St Kilda by two points
Round 19: Lost to Brisbane by two points
Round 22: Beat Collingwood by three points
Qualifying final: Beat Greater Western Sydney by six points

Record: 2-4

Round 8: Lost to Essendon by six points
Round 13: Lost to North Melbourne by nine points
Round 21: Beat Gold Coast by 10 points
Round 22: Beat North Melbourne by five points

Record: 2-2

Round 4: Lost to Geelong by four points
Round 8: Lost to Hawthorn by seven points

Record: 0-2