We're at the halfway point of AFL.com.au's countdown of the 50 things we'll remember from the 2017 season, with Adelaide featuring prominently from 30-21. A "silly" mistake from a young Demon, and an irrepressible ball-magnet also make an appearance.

30. Dixon loses track of time

Port Adelaide and its key forward Charlie Dixon learned a valuable lesson in round 10 – the 30-second countdown clock is part of the game and you ignore it at your peril. With his team leading by three points with three minutes to play at a hostile Simonds Stadium, Dixon lined up for a set shot but was too casual, failing to start his run up when his 30 seconds expired. It's a situation rarely seen, and the rule was enforced by the umpires, allowing Cats Joel Selwood and Mitch Duncan to rush Dixon into a handball. The Power lost by two points and the rule was debated, but coach Ken Hinkley brought sense to the discussion. "Time ran out," Hinkley said. "Unfortunately, they got it 100 per cent correct. The umpires got it right." After North Melbourne midfielder Shaun Higgins was caught out by Jake Stringer in round 14, the AFL decided to show the countdown clock on the scoreboard for entire quarters, having previously taken it down for final two minutes. 

WATCH: Game-changer? Dixon's time runs out

29. Gone in 21 seconds

It would become the most scrutinised centre bounce of the season. Brandon Ellis had just snapped what looked like the match-winning goal against Fremantle and all Richmond had to do was block the game up for one more bounce and kill the clock. Instead, Docker Lachie Neale found a clear path through the stoppage, courtesy of an Aaron Sandilands block, and hit up David Mundy 30m from goal. Fremantle coach Ross Lyon was in an elevator down to the rooms expecting a loss before watching on TV as Mundy converted his set shot to give the Dockers a two-point win. It was the second of three consecutive losses by less than a goal for the Tigers. The run provided a steep learning curve for Damien Hardwick's men, however, and the correction played a role in their premiership triumph.  

28. The best round ever?

It was hailed as the best round of football in 30 years, drawing parallels with the final round of 1987. Round 14 had it all, with a thriller for every day, starting on Thursday night with a masterful coaching performance from Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson to upset Adelaide. It was chaos on Friday night as Sydney pounced on Brendon Goddard's botched kick-in to beat Essendon by one point, and on Saturday night the Western Bulldogs won by the same margin against North Melbourne. Defender Tom McDonald got Melbourne over the line by three points against West Coast on Saturday night, kicking five goals, and on Sunday Michael Walters was a fraction off with a last-second kick that would have won the game for Fremantle against Geelong. It was a thrilling round that encapsulated an unpredictable season.

27. Cotchin's nervous wait

What was Trent Cotchin's intent when he collided with Dylan Shiel in Richmond's preliminary final? That was the question that divided the football world for the first 48 hours of Grand Final week. By tucking his right arm and cannoning into Shiel, Cotchin left himself at risk of suspension, with many believing his intention was to bump. The counter argument was that he was contesting the ball – he did win it – and he had no realistic alternative. After a frenzy of speculation, the skipper was cleared following an early 9am sitting of the MRP, with Cotchin deemed to be bracing for contact and contesting the ball. The midfielder was one of the luckiest players when it came to the MRP in 2017, receiving fines for striking Lachie Neale and Jack Lonie, rather than suspensions. 

26. Tom Mitchell's half-century

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley was making a delicate point in round nine when he explained why the Magpies didn't tag Tom Mitchell as he racked up 50 possessions. "He just finds a way and keeps getting to the pill, (but) if I said he wasn't hurting us a lot, would that make sense?" Buckley said. It was seen as criticism, but it could also be interpreted as praise for the Collingwood midfielders, who collectively won the day. Mitchell's season was phenomenal and he was rewarded with All-Australian selection after breaking the all-time possession record, finishing the season with 787 disposals at an average of 35.8. He beat previous record held by Collingwood's Wayne Richardson 748 in 1971 with a game to spare. It will be intriguing to see how his game evolves in 2018.

Tom Mitchell's day out against the Pies wasn't enough to claim victory. Picture: AFL Photos

25. Erin Phillips stars in a new show

The first AFLW season was a runaway success and Erin Phillips was the player to watch as she led Adelaide to premiership glory. The Crows star made the seamless transition from WNBA guard to gun AFLW midfielder, winning League's best and fairest award, the Crows' best and fairest and the AFLPA women's MVP. The 32-year-old also earned All Australian selection and starred in the Grand Final to be named the best player on the ground. Phillips became the face of a competition that inspired a boom in female participation at lower levels, with females making up 30 per cent of those playing Australian football in 2017. That might be the best way to measure her incredible impact on the game in 2017.

Erin Phillips with her AFLW MVP award. Picture: AFL Photos

24. Coaching tug of war ends with a new dawn for the Suns

After three seasons in charge, Rodney Eade was sacked by Gold Coast in August, setting in motion a coach search that had many twists. With a perception that the Suns would chase an experienced coach, North Melbourne's Brad Scott was linked heavily to the position. Then came Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley, whose management was approached by the club. Eventually the Suns had to turn to the untried market and Stuart Dew was their man, beating out John Barker and Scott Burns. In Dew they have a relationships coach with an extensive apprenticeship behind him. "I am aware in the lifetime of an AFL coach you probably get one crack," Dew said after his appointment. "But I am aware that this is my opportunity and I'm rapt." 

Stuart Dew won the race to become the Suns' new coach. Picture: AFL Photos

23. McGovern soars in extraordinary draw

This might have been the most dramatic home-and-away match of the season. Adelaide had clawed back a 50-point margin against Collingwood at the MCG and the match came down to one last forward entry from Crows defender Jake Kelly with four seconds left. Eight players flew for the mark 25m from goal, but it was Mitch McGovern who leapt highest, pulling in a brilliant pack mark that was paid as the siren sounded. His goal drew the match on a remarkable afternoon at the MCG, but the Crows came out looking like winners, having fought their way back from what appeared to be certain defeat early in the third quarter. The two points were little consolation for the Magpies, with coach Nathan Buckley left disappointed and angry in the immediate aftermath.   

22. Bugg's moment of madness

From a provocative Instagram post directed at Jason Johannisen to a mural in Melbourne's Hosier Lane, Demon Tomas Bugg was making harmless headlines in June. But then things got a bit out of control. Against Sydney in round 15, the Melbourne stopper struck Callum Mills in the head off the ball, flooring his opponent, who was ruled out for the rest of the match after failing a concussion test. It was a dirty and indefensible act, deserving of the six-week suspension it earned, and Bugg was sent away by the Demons for a week-and-a-half to consider how his actions impacted the club. The 24-year-old showed genuine remorse in the aftermath, later writing: "I’ve been called selfish, a thug, a dog, every name under the sun. It hurts, but I know I have to wear it. And I know it’s up to me to change it."

21. Adelaide stares down its finals opposition

Call it the 'Power Stance' or the 'Crows Stare', whatever Adelaide was up to during each national anthem of its finals series was intriguing. It started against GWS in the clubs' qualifying final clash, with the Crows players standing slightly apart with their arms by their sides, refusing to move after the formalities until their opponents did. Was it Taylor Walker's idea? Was it an attempt at rattling the opposition? Was it adapted from the New Zealand Rugby haka? A deeply-guarded secret, we finally got answers in mid-October. The stance was introduced by mindfulness coaches at West Lakes as a way to generate presence. We wait to see if it makes a return in 2018.     

The Crows adopt the 'power stance' on Grand Final day. Picture: AFL Photos

Nathan Schmook's top 50 countdown

- 50 things we'll remember: 50-41

- 50 things we'll remember: 40-31

- 50 things we'll remember: 20-11

- 50 things we'll remember: 10-6

- 50 things we'll remember: 5-1