Pre-match entertainment attracts mixed reaction
As is usually the case, the international act divided opinion. The Black Eyed Peas played four songs from their catalogue in a medley – Let's Get It Started, Big Love, Where Is The Love, I Gotta Feeling – and the performance of their catchy, well-known hits was embraced by some while others thought it was lacklustre, especially when singer will.i.am was photographed looking at his phone during the set. Enter Jimmy Barnes. Backed by Diesel (Mark Lizotte) on guitar and his daughter Mahalia, 'Barnsey' ripped through two classics – Flame Trees and No Second Prize – no doubt saving some of his bigger hits for the post-match show. There was more love for the local act, plus Mike Brady and another rendition of Up There Cazaly that followed, than there was for the international six-time Grammy award winners.

Mahalia Barnes singing the Australian national anthem
Nailed it. The 36-year-old did it without music, without unnecessary flourish, and without making it all about her. It was clear, pitch-perfect and with clean acoustics after some of the pre-match announcements suffered badly from echo. It was the perfect rendition.

Pies' banner bust, Bucks to the rescue
There were tears aplenty among the Collingwood cheer squad when the banner they worked on throughout the week was shredded by the wind minutes before the players were due to run out. As it pooled on the ground, hanging off one of the poles, the players grouped and ran through the space where the other half should have been. Coach Nathan Buckley emerged from the race behind his players, saw the carnage and went straight to the devastated club faithful who'd so painstakingly pieced the crepe paper creation together. He shook the hands of three members and embraced another, who was totally distraught, showing them their efforts were well appreciated anyway.

WHEN BANNERS GO BAD No pre-game cheer for Pies

Varcoe's first goal heroics a blast from the past
There was always going to be a degree of emotion when it came to Travis Varcoe's game given the recent sudden passing of his sister, Maggie. Accompanied by his young daughter Franki as the Pies ran out, Varcoe lined up with Maggie's name written in bold letters on the strapping he famously wears from his shoulder down to his elbow. When he slotted the game's first goal five minutes into the first quarter, it was a fitting start to his afternoon after all he's been through in the past month. It was also the second time in his career he's kicked the first goal of a Grand Final, having nailed the opener in Geelong's 2011 win over Collingwood in his days as a Cat.

THE MOMENT 'Sheed's got the most impossible goal'

AFL players upstaged in the Grand Final sprint
After dominating in the heats, Geelong's Jordan Murdoch was the man to beat in the final of the Grand Final Sprint, closely followed by West Coast's Jarrod Brander and Sydney's Ryley Stoddard after Hawthorn's Jarman Impey missed his heat's start and Jack Higgins got weighed down by an oversized jumper. But it was the two fastest qualifiers from the pool of amateur footballers who made up the third heat – Godfrey Okereneyang and Melvin Monleh – who starred, as they streaked to the front of the final and pipped Murdoch to finish first and second respectively. AFL recruiters, take note.

Injured duo fight through after week-long speculation
Jeremy McGovern and Jeremy Howe would have entered the game sick to death of talking about their respective body parts, but the interest in McGovern's hip cork continued right up until the bounce, as it did with Howe and his sore left ankle. McGovern looked ginger in the contest in the first quarter but still had four intercept possessions before the first break, while Howe started better and looked to move freer against Jack Darling, who touched the ball just once in the opening term. Both continued to seek treatment for their ailments in the first huddle with McGovern swallowing a couple of painkillers and Howe having his ankle re-strapped. Afterwards, it was revealed McGovern was in hospital last week with internal bleeding from the bad cork while Scott Pendlebury said Howe's ankle was "pretty bad" and it had taken a bit for him to play. Both played crucial roles for their teams, with McGovern even earning a Norm Smith medal vote and Howe playing an important role on Darling for much of the game.

KING KENNEDY Every Eagle rated from the Grand Final

DE GOEY COMES OF AGE Every Magpie Grand Finalist rated 

Woodward's wandering woes
After consoling every single player on the field in the immediate aftermath, Nathan Buckley saved a special hug for the club's runner, VFL player and former Hawk Alex Woodward. Woodward was inconsolable as the players gathered in the rooms after he inadvertently blocked the run of Stephenson in the third quarter, which allowed Elliot Yeo to mark and goal. Yeo's major put the Eagles in front by two points in one of the game's crucial moments. Buckley later said Woodward couldn't be blaming himself and he had simply been "trying to get out of the way … and it didn't work".

WOODY'S SHATTERED Buckley comforts Magpie runner

Shaun Hart needed a broadcast step
At 175cm, the former Brisbane player isn't the tallest going around, but ground staff had plenty of time to consider that before the post-match presentation after it was announced a month ago he'd present the Norm Smith medal. When the 2001 winner got up on the dais to read out Luke Shuey's name, the microphone was set for Hamish McLachlan's 188cm frame and Hart had to angle his head at a dramatic angle to project his voice into it.

Gaff and Murray wonder "what if?"
In the Eagles' rooms, it was Andrew Gaff who got the most attention for someone who hadn't played with the suspended free agent openly in tears after the game. The shattered midfielder would have been running through every second that led to his round 20 brain fade when he punched Fremantle's Andy Brayshaw in the face as he stood on the field and watched his teammates get their premiership medallions. In the other rooms, another player pondering similar sentiments would have been Sam Murray, who was permitted to attend the game as he continues to wait for the return of the 'B' sample in the ASADA investigation into an elevated reading from a July post-match drug test. He was in his club suit, potentially for the last time, with a possible four-year ban hanging over his head.

We're the Eagles! West Coast soak it up after winning their fourth AFL premiership. Picture: AFL Photos

Eagles rock with Jimmy
There was no Jack Riewoldt singing with The Killers moment, but Lewis Jetta lit up the stage when the Eagles were welcomed back onto the MCG at the end of Jimmy Barnes' post-match concert. After the Australian rock legend thrilled supporters with renditions of Khe Sanh, Working Class Man and I'd Die To Be With You Tonight, the Eagles were presented on stage with their guernseys over their dinner suits. The premiership cup was passed between the players and held up to the crowd by Norm Smith medallist Luke Shuey before Jetta put on a dancing performance and led the supporters in yet another singalong of the club's theme song.