HAWTHORN'S third straight premiership was a remarkable achievement, and 2015 will be seen as the year the players and coach cemented their legacy. The moment that will most resonate from a year like no other, however, will be when people awoke to the news Phil Walsh had been murdered. How Adelaide, Port Adelaide, West Coast and all those who had worked with Walsh handled their grief provided immensely touching moments throughout the year. 

5. Falling in love with Nat Fyfe
Picking one outstanding highlight from Nat Fyfe's first half of 2015 is not easy. There was his goal of the year candidate in round one, which saw him recover from a smothered shot on goal to convert against Port Adelaide. His mark of the year contenders against the Sydney Swans and Richmond were equally thrilling. Then there was the strength and smarts at stoppages that made him near impossible to tackle to the ground. He averaged 31.3 possessions across the first 13 rounds and took the mantle of the AFL's best player from Gold Coast superstar Gary Ablett. In the first quarter of Fremantle's preliminary final against Hawthorn, Fyfe fractured the fibula in his left leg but battled on despite obvious discomfort and restricted movement, grimacing with every step. In the third quarter, he willed himself to impact every contest he could in a heroic effort. By the final siren he had nine clearances and had won 16 of his 24 possessions in contests. It was a performance under duress that will go down in finals folklore. Then there was his charming Brownlow Medal speech. His declaration that "I live and die for Fremantle" warmed the hearts of Dockers' supporters and sealed his future as the club's next captain. He was also a star on the red carpet in his double-breasted suit, walking with a cane to support his fractured left foot. 

Nat Fyfe's stellar season was rewarded with the Brownlow. Picture: AFL Media

4. James Hird quits 
The straw that broke the camel's back was a 112-point thrashing at the hands of Adelaide in round 20. The main talking point as the match was played out to an inevitable conclusion was when, not if, Hird would fall on his sword. Intriguing scenes followed post-match of Hird meeting in the rooms, not with his players but with senior executive staff. So listless was the performance that the coach was forced to quit by the following Tuesday, bringing a dramatic end to his controversial tenure. It became clear the Bombers could no longer perform under Hird and he quit to give the players and supporters "some space to perform and be a normal football club again". In a horror day for the Bombers against Adelaide, they went goalless for nearly half of the match and conceded 11 goals in the last quarter. On the same day, one of the biggest news days of the season, a mega broadcast deal was announced and Chris Masten faced the Tribunal on a biting charge.  

An emotional James Hird announces his departure from the Dons. Picture: AFL Media  

Click here for the most memorable moments: 50-41
Click here for the most memorable moments: 40-31 
Click here for the most memorable moments: 30-21
Click here for the most memorable moments: 20-11
Click here for the most memorable moments: 10-6

3. Hodge and Clarkson cement Hawthorn's greatness
The vision of Luke Hodge and Alastair Clarkson lifting Hawthorn's third premiership cup in as many years will be replayed for decades. It is a moment that cemented the pair's legacy, having played a central role in each of the club's four premierships since 2008. Clarkson is now rightly regarded as the best coach in the AFL and one of the game's greats for what he has achieved at Hawthorn, not on only on the field but throughout the entire club culturally. His genius is reflected in the rise of Adam Simpson's Eagles, Luke Beveridge's Bulldogs and Brendon Bolton's appointment at Carlton. A third premiership ensured his legacy. Hodge, meanwhile, provided one of the most memorable moments of the Grand Final, snapping a brilliant banana goal from the boundary and turning to the crowd to celebrate in style. Three weeks earlier he had been told by a newspaper columnist to stop feeling sorry himself after a lacklustre performance in the qualifying final loss to the Eagles. His response for the rest of the finals was exactly what you'd expect from the boy from Colac. 

Luke Hodge and Alastair Clarkson with the 2015 cup. Picture: AFL Media

2. Adam Goodes' war dance
No moment in 2015 created more debate than the war cry dance Goodes performed in a Friday night match against Carlton in round nine. The imaginary spear Goodes brandished towards Carlton supporters offended some and outraged others. For the next two months the Swans' champion was booed everywhere he travelled before taking personal leave from the game. The jeering of Goodes became a debate in itself, with clubs and players making pleas to supporters to respect the dual Brownlow medallist. Opinion columnists and radio hosts were divided. Some, including AFL coaches, labelled the booing of Goodes racist. Others decried that position as senseless and said Goodes was being booed because of the way he allegedly played the game, diving for free kicks and getting in cheap hits on his opponents. Fans were polled on the topic and many insisted they would not be prevented from booing at a football match. Goodes saw the abuse as racist and so did his club. He hung up his boots quietly at the end of the season, with no fanfare or ceremonial chairing off the ground, just a quiet announcement to his teammates and support staff in the rooms. 

Adam Goodes returns to footy after standing out because of persistent booing. Picture: AFL Media

1. Remembering Phil Walsh
It was the perfect tribute to a fallen coach and a heartfelt message of support to his family at a time when the wider AFL world wasn't sure how to react. Prompted by coaches Alastair Clarkson and Nathan Buckley, the Hawthorn and Collingwood players and coaches linked arms in the centre of the MCG after their round 14 clash and had a moment's silence for Phil Walsh. It was a tribute repeated around the country, not only in AFL games but also at lower levels. Crowds also stood to join in and pay their tribute to an AFL coach who was destined to give the game so much more than he already had. Football followers won't forget the moment they woke to the horrible news that Walsh had been stabbed to death in his home, with his 26-year-old son charged with murder. Paramedics treated the 55-year-old at the scene but he died there with multiple stab wounds. Adelaide's next match, against Geelong at Skilled Stadium, was called off and the first match played was Hawthorn's clash against Collingwood, conducted in an eerie atmosphere. The response from the players and coaches gave the entire football community a way to express its grief at a time when results and ladder position didn't seem to matter.   

The death of Phil Walsh brought an unprecedented outpouring of emotion. Picture: AFL Media