A FLAG defence that struggled to get off the ground and the reinvention of a key forward feature in the next instalment of AFL.com.au's 50 biggest stories of 2024.

A wide-open Rising Star race and a lucrative contract that could reshape market expectations were also significant moments in a terrific season, while a club farewelled some premiership heroes at the trade table.

In a six-part series, AFL.com.au is counting down the biggest stories and most memorable on-field moments from 2024, continuing with 40-31.

PART ONE 50-41 Biggest stories of 2024

40. Freo's month from hell

Fremantle sat in the top four for four of the five weeks leading into the last month of the season and was equal on points with second-placed Brisbane when it travelled to face Essendon in round 21. Finals looked certain when they led the Bombers by 25 points early in the final quarter, but from there the Dockers' season unravelled. Five straight goals for the Bombers, a clean centre clearance for Zach Merrett and a match-winning point for Sam Durham – paired with a knee injury for young star Josh Treacy – launched a four-match losing run that left Justin Longmuir's team locked out of September by half a game. Captain Alex Pearce (arm) was also absent through the losing run and ruckman Sean Darcy (knee) didn't play following the Bombers' match. The Dockers showed so much promise and will be expected to contend in 2025 with the addition of Shai Bolton, but losses to the Bombers, Geelong, Greater Western Sydney and Port Adelaide will burn through the summer.   

39. Webster penalty sets new Tribunal marker

The first time St Kilda defender Jimmy Webster watched a replay of his bump on North Melbourne co-captain Jy Simpkin, he felt sick. The experienced Saint had left the ground as Simpkin kicked in a pre-season match, making forceful head-high contact rarely seen in the game now. It was everything the AFL is trying to eliminate for good, with Simpkin left nursing his third concussion in 12 months and Webster sent directly to the Tribunal where he was handed a seven-match suspension. It was the longest ban in six years as the League set a new precedent for head-high bumps. Webster and the Saints accepted the penalty immediately, with Webster saying he "deeply regretted" his actions. "I've reached out to Jy and cannot understate my remorse. My thoughts are with Jy and his family, and I hope he has a speedy and successful recovery," Webster said.

38. Brilliant Marinoff sweeps awards

A seven-time All-Australian, Adelaide superstar Ebony Marinoff this year won her first AFLW MVP after a career-best season that stamped her as one of the League's best players. Marinoff swept the major awards to also be named the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player and the AFLPA MVP, winning the League MVP on 23 votes to win a tight count ahead of North Melbourne's Ash Riddell (20) and Essendon's Maddy Prespakis (18). A chorus of "Noffy" accompanied the toast from AFL chairman Richard Goyder as Marinoff became the second Crow to win the AFLW MVP, alongside League great Erin Phillips, with her competitiveness, work rate and stoppage craft shining through in 2024. Port Adelaide ruck Matilda Scholz was named the AFLW Rising Star ahead of teammate Shineah Goody, with North Melbourne's Jasmine Garner was recognised with her selection as captain of the All-Australian team.    

37. Rising Stars bumped as Dempsey shines

The race for the Ron Evans Medal was thrown wide open in round 12 when young stars Harley Reid and Sam Darcy were suspended for two matches within 24 hours of each other. West Coast gun Reid was banned for a dangerous tackle while Western Bulldogs tall forward Darcy copped a stint on the sidelines for a late bump at a time when the pair were the leading chances for the prestigious Telstra AFL Rising Star Award. Enter third-year Geelong half-forward/wing Ollie Dempsey, who motored home to be a deserving winner, acknowledging the somewhat unique circumstances in his speech. The suspensions of Reid and Darcy prompted debate about whether suspensions should strike players out of Rising Star contention, but any such change was quickly and categorically ruled out by the AFL. 

36. Gather Round grows amid on-field drama

The second instalment of Gather Round was a great success in 2024 as on-field brilliance mixed with compelling drama across nine games in Adelaide. There was the sublime skill of Connor Rozee, young star Harley Reid kicking his first career goal, Max King and Shai Bolton trading miracle goals from the pocket, and Geelong surviving a late fightback against the Western Bulldogs. There was also the drama of Jack Ginnivan setting tempers flaring against his old team when he drew a high tackle, and a chaotic finish between Fremantle and Carlton that saw the Blues kick three goals in the last five minutes, including two in controversial circumstances. The Blues benefited when a touched ball was paid a mark to Matthew Cottrell, resulting in a goal, before a second set shot was granted when Freo defender Jordan Clark was penalised for dissent. Given its success, South Australia is pushing for the showpiece round to be played permanently in the state, beyond the existing 2026 contract, with a match to be played in the Barossa Valley for the first time in the 2025 edition.

35. Mac Andrew's mega-deal

The on-field highlight for Gold Coast star Mac Andrew in 2024 was his match-winning goal against Essendon in round 22, marking in a pack at Marvel Stadium and converting after the siren to finish the Bombers' season. The off-field highlight, however, must surely be the lucrative contract he signed through to 2030 with a trigger for Andrew to extend four more years before that, making it one of the biggest ever AFL deals. Born in Egypt to South Sudanese parents, Andrew was part of Melbourne's Next Generation Academy, but the Demons were denied access to the athletic tall under the short-lived rules that prevented club's matching bids inside the top 40 picks. The 201cm star has scope to be a force at either end of the ground after shifting forward late in 2024 and kicking seven goals across back-to-back games against West Coast and Essendon. 

34. Pies stutter in flag defence

Collingwood in 2024 became the third team in four seasons to back up its premiership by missing finals altogether, winning 12 games and drawing two to finish ninth amid off-field challenges. The Magpies sat as low as 13th after round 19 but rattled home with four wins from their last five games in a missed September opportunity. The campaign was rocky as the club adjusted without football boss Graham Wright, who was on sabbatical, and dealt with off-field allegations against chief executive Craig Kelly that were tied up in a wrongful dismissal claim. Injuries played a big part in the Magpies' season, but they retained their ability to win most of the close ones. Their challenge in 2025 will be rebounding to play finals while filtering youth into an ageing team. 

33. Devils emerge with name and leader

The AFL's 19th team, Tasmania, hit several key milestones in 2024 while smashing others out of the park. Among the significant achievements, the Devils unveiled their inaugural logo, colours, jumper and name, with a planned entry into the AFL for 2028. They smashed an initial membership target of 40,000 and reached 150,000 within just four days as Tasmanians rallied around their team. Proud Tasmanian Brendon Gale, who delivered three flags to Richmond as CEO, then signed on in May as the club's first chief executive. The Devils' AFL license is contingent on a roofed stadium being built, and planning for the proposed Macquarie Point venue moved forward in 2024, with concept images of the multi-purpose arena released in July.  

32. Reinvented Hogan a Giant hero

After a career marked by trades across the country, career-threatening foot injuries and personal setbacks and challenges, Jesse Hogan emerged in 2024 to put together a brilliant season that saw him win the Coleman Medal and finish his year with 77 goals. His reinvention was one of the individual success stories of the year, playing every game for the first time and kicking a goal in every game for the first time to help drive a seven-game winning streak late in the year that led the Giants to finals. Hogan kicked 31 goals in that seven-game run, telling AFL.com.au about the training and recovery approach that was boosting his form. At 29, and after five goals in a losing semi-final against Brisbane, there's no reason why the All-Australian can't return in 2025 and be the game's dominant key forward again. 

31. Bulldogs open the exit door

It took until the final minutes of the Continental Tyres AFL trade Period for the exit door to open at the Western Bulldogs, but when it did star midfielder Bailey Smith and premiership pair Caleb Daniel and Jack Macrae finally got their wish to make fresh starts in 2025. The writing was on the wall for all three a long way out as Daniel and Macrae were dropped to the VFL and Smith's links to Geelong persisted. Ultimately, Daniel made his way to North Melbourne in exchange for pick No.25 while Smith and new Saint Macrae were tied up in a four-club deal that saw the Bulldogs gain Carlton's Matt Kennedy and pick No.17. The Bulldogs sought to "recalibrate" in 2024 and won eight of their last 10 games in the second half of the season before losing an elimination final against Hawthorn by 37 points.