ADELAIDE
Trailing by five goals with just over nine minutes left in the game against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium in round nine, the Crows appeared cooked. But led by youngster Sam Kerridge, they somehow managed to claw their way back into contention with four straight goals. A behind to Jared Petrenko with 90 seconds left on the clock reduced the margin to five points, but when Drew Petrie was awarded a free kick with 43 seconds left the game was surely over. He kicked long to the boundary line, only for Josh Jenkins to handball to Kerridge who pumped the ball deep into attack. The ball sailed over the back of the pack and Petrenko ran unchallenged into the goal square to volley the bouncing footy through for the match-winner. - Harry Thring
BRISBANE LIONS
Ash McGrath's goal after-the-siren to eclipse Geelong at the Gabba in round 13 stands out as not only the Lions' moment of the season, but one of the genuine highlights League-wide. The Lions trailed by 52 points late in the third quarter before they started the remarkable rally. With just 24 seconds left, Daniel Merrett marked the ball in his defensive goalsquare with his team trailing by one point. He handpassed to Elliot Yeo, who chipped to Simon Black, who centred the ball with a pin-point pass to Joel Patfull. Patfull wheeled around and found Jed Adcock in the centre square with just five seconds remaining. Adcock handpassed off the ground to Dayne Zorko running past, who calmly found the leading McGrath with one second left. In his 200th career game and with the siren already sounded, the Lions veteran did the rest, sparking wild celebrations with his straight 52m kick. It was the eighth largest comeback in history and one of most remarkable wins in the Lions' existence. - Michael Whiting
For tension, excitement and sheer brilliance, there's no surpassing Carlton's barnstorming, come-from-behind win over Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in round 23. The Blues' saved their best football of the year for the final quarter of a final-round match that had everything riding on it. Needing a win to cement a spot in the top eight – albeit by default following Essendon's ejection from the finals – Carlton was as much as 39 points in arrears midway through the third quarter, and was still 29 down at the last change. However, the Blues turned the tables on the usually fast-finishing Power, piling on a season-high eight goals to three in the final term to win by a point, after Port defender Matthew Broadbent's shot from outside 50 in the dying moments hit the post. Blues skipper Marc Murphy drilled three second-half goals in a timely return to form. Fellow playmaker Bryce Gibbs was also influential, as were ruckman Robert Warnock, defender Andrew Walker and 'The Three Amigos' – Eddie Betts, Jeff Garlett and Chris Yarran, who kicked six goals between them. - Ben Collins
COLLINGWOOD
The emergence of 19-year-old ruckman Brodie Grundy was a definitive high point in Collingwood's 2013 season. Grundy cemented himself as the club's No. 1 ruckman for the next 15 years with an outstanding finish to the season. After an injury-interrupted start to the year, the young big man showed his undeniable talent in his debut against Greater Western Sydney in round 18. His delicate tap ruck work was a feature, while his running goal against the Sydney Swans (round 20), in perhaps the club's best win of the season, affirmed his standing as one of the brightest youngsters in the land. Earning a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination in round 22, Grundy will bring joy to hundreds of Collingwood fans in the years to come. - Ben Guthrie
Brodie Grundy has been exceptional for Collingwood since his debut. Picture: AFL Media
Brodie Grundy has been exceptional for Collingwood since his debut. Picture: AFL MediaESSENDON
In between the daily grind of the supplements scandal, Essendon supporters were treated to a few special wins this season. Although there were a few contenders, particularly comeback wins against Fremantle and West Coast at Patersons Stadium, and an Anzac Day win over Collingwood, Essendon's best win was against Carlton in round 11. And what made it so good was that it came because of two emerging stars – Dyson Heppell and Jake Carlisle. Heppell moved into the midfield and got things going when the Bombers fell five goals behind, but Carlisle was the matchwinner. Having moved forward, Carlisle kicked a goal in the last term, set up another and then took the sealing mark in defence when Carlton pushed forward. The Bombers won by five points over their rivals. - Callum Twomey
FREMANTLE
The Dockers had a sliding doors moment in round five against Richmond at Patersons Stadium. Fremantle started the season with two wins before losing to the Bombers after leading by six goals at half-time, and then succumbing to Hawthorn in round four in Launceston. With 90-seconds left against the Tigers, Fremantle trailed by five points. There was a boundary throw-in deep inside attacking 50 for the Dockers. The Sherrin pin-balled between shins before bouncing into the arms of Hayden Ballantyne, who instinctively snapped his fourth goal of the night to put the Dockers in front. They held on by the skin of their teeth for a one-point win that kick-started an eight-week unbeaten run and set them on the path for a top-four finish and an elimination final win over Geelong. The Dockers will now host a preliminary final for the first time in their history and they are one win away from a Grand Final. The Tigers missed fourth place, and the double chance, by half a game and were knocked out of the finals by a team that would have finished ninth in any other season. - Alex Malcolm
GEELONG
The Cats spent much of the home and away season in the top two, but whether they would finish there largely depended on the result of their round 23 clash with the Sydney Swans at Simonds Stadium. It ended up being a case of one-way traffic for Chris Scott's men, who dominated the clash from the start to finish. The hero was midfielder Steven Motlop, whose performance included 19 possessions, three dazzling goals and six marks. The last of those marks was the highpoint of Geelong's season to date. With 1.52 remaining on the clock, James Podsiadly launched a long ball inside 50. Motlop timed his run to perfection, launching himself onto teammate Mitch Duncan's shoulders and hauling in a brilliant contender for Mark of the Year. "From two metres back, he's jumped up on top of Mitch Duncan's head and taken it all the way to the ground," exclaimed Alistair Lynch in the Fox Footy commentary box. "No wonder you get a full house every time the Cats come and play here." More magic from Motlop will be needed if Geelong is to recover from last weekend's loss to Fremantle and keep its premiership hopes alive. - Adam McNicol
GOLD COAST
It's little surprise the Suns' season highlight has Gary Ablett's fingerprints all over it. In round 17, Gold Coast sprung one of the upsets of the season by defeating Collingwood by seven points at Metricon Stadium. It was the first time they had beaten a top-eight team in its then 60-game existence. And Ablett was front-and-square, turning in one of the most virtuoso individual performances of the year with 49 disposals and two goals. The Suns captain scattered Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury and Dayne Beams who all ran with him at various stages. He had 27 touches in the first half as his side led at every change. And when they were challenged early in the last quarter, the 2009 Brownlow medalist did his thing – roving a boundary line throw-in, sidestepping Nick Maxwell, and snapping truly on the right foot from 35m. It was a remarkable performance both individually and from the team. - Michael Whiting
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
In the round 11 match-up with Geelong, winless Greater Western Sydney was expected to cop a hiding from the high-flying Cats. But the Giants were ready to compete on this day, personified by Jeremy Cameron's moment of absolute brilliance. Trailing by just eight points with five minutes remaining in the first half, Adam Treloar kicked the ball long towards the Giants' forward 50m. Cameron was in pursuit, but had Cats Tom Lonergan and Cameron Guthrie between him and the goals. Keeping his feet, the 20-year-old Giant toed the ball forward and continued his chase, gathering possession in the pocket ahead of Guthrie. Swinging onto his left, Cameron slotted it through on a tight angle to cap a superb individual goal. GWS kept battling all day before falling away in the final term in a 59-point defeat, but the signs of a promising future were there for all to see. - James Dampney
Jeremy Cameron's goal against the Cats was a stand out in a year of highlights. Picture: AFL Media
HAWTHORN
Collingwood had pulled to within six points of the Hawks and appeared to be threatening halfway through the third quarter of the teams' round three clash. That was when Brent Guerra, Ben Stratton and Lance Franklin combined to snatch back the momentum with one of the most scintillating passages of football all season. Guerra launched a torpedo from a kick-in, which spiralled perfectly all the way into Stratton's arms, just shy of the centre square. The defender played on and, just as he was tackled to the ground by Magpie Sam Dwyer, shot a handball to the galloping Franklin. The four-time All Australian hurdled the two falling players without breaking stride and, at top speed, launched a long left-foot drop punt to the vacant Hawthorn goalsquare. It skidded off the greasy MCG surface and through the goals ahead of a lunging Heath Shaw. All in all, the coast-to-coast effort took only 16 seconds, and completely deflated Collingwood's tyres. The Hawks booted 11 of the next 15 goals, running out 55-point victors. - Mark Macgugan
MELBOURNE
It's round 14. Melbourne had won just one game for the season. A 44-point lead with 10 minutes remaining had been reduced to three points with two minutes on the clock. Bulldogs captain Matthew Boyd streamed out of the centre and bombed it long to the hot spot just in front of goal. Every Bulldog fan was praying for a mark. Enter Jack Watts. With four goals next to his name, he had set up the lead. Now it was his turn to protect it. He pushed behind the ball, set himself, rose above the pack and took the type of mark that has been too rare since he made his much-hyped debut in 2009. The match was saved and Watts was best on ground. This was a moment he stood up and helped his mates get over the line under interim coach Neil Craig. It was Melbourne's last win for the season and a moment of hope for long-suffering fans and the first step for Watts on his road to redemption. - Peter Ryan
NORTH MELBOURNE
The Roos' round 19 win over Geelong was their best of 2013. As pleasing as it was to beat a powerhouse team like the Cats, North coach Brad Scott would have been just as pleased with the way his team won. Having let too many leads slip in close games in 2013, the Roos stood tall when the Cats closed to within 11 points with six minutes remaining in the game. The pivotal moment came shortly after when Daniel Wells took the ball across half-forward. Sidestepping Mark Blicavs twice, Wells then threaded the ball to Lindsay Thomas in a forward pocket. Rather than blazing away on goal, Thomas centred the ball to Ryan Bastinac, who marked and goaled from 15m out. It was the type of poise under pressure that had eluded North earlier in the season and marks the standard it will be shooting for in 2014. - Nick Bowen
PORT ADELAIDE
Nobody other than the club itself gave Port much, if any, hope of upsetting Collingwood in the elimination final. Whereas the Magpies fielded a finals-hardened team, most of Port's players were getting their first taste of business-end footy. But, just as David defeated Goliath, the Power's fairytale season continued as they eliminated the Magpies on their home turf. The defining moment of the game though was Jay Schulz's spectacular mark and goal early in the second quarter. He rose from the back of the pack to mark on his chest and then nailed the clutch set shot. The goal put the Power four goals up and, although Collingwood closed the gap in the third term, from that moment on the Power always looked to have the right answer. - Harry Thring
Port Adelaide's elimination final win over Collingwood was an unexpected highlight. Picture: AFL Media
RICHMOND
The enduring image of Richmond's season will be Chris Newman's celebration after the final siren in round 19. In the pouring rain at the MCG, the Tigers had knocked off premiership favourite Hawthorn, giving them 12 wins for the year and all but cementing their first finals appearance since 2001. For Newman, who hadn't played a final in his 231-game career to that point, it was a memorable moment as he clenched his fists and roared in celebration. The Tigers had led by 22 points in the first quarter but didn't kick a goal in the second. They then went on to kick 10 goals to three in the second half to win by 41 points. The win gave the Tigers – and Newman – belief they could knock off the best sides. "It was more relief coming off the game the week before and knowing it was a step closer," Newman said of his celebration. "I like to celebrate my victories when I get the opportunity because I obviously haven't had as many as I would have liked over the journey." - Nathan Schmook
ST KILDA
The Saints didn't have a great season but they did manage to end it on a high. Their final game was against Fremantle at Etihad Stadium, and while the result didn't really matter to the finals-bound Dockers or the 16th-placed Saints, it was an emotion charged afternoon that ended in a red, white and black celebration anyway. Justin Koschitzke, Jason Blake and Stephen Milne were playing in their final games, and Koschitzke and Adam Schneider were celebrating their 200th milestones. It was what Kosi called a "great St Kilda day" with the players' kids involved before and after. The 71-point victory was the cherry on top. - Jennifer Phelan
St Kilda's big win over Fremantle was a perfect send-off for Blake, Milne and Koschitzke. Picture: AFL Media
SYDNEY SWANS
The highlight of the Swans' season was its performance, from the opening bounce all the way through until full-time, against the Crows in Adelaide in round 11. Considered a danger game for the premiers, they got off to a strong start and never let up as they inflicted a 77-point annihilation, representing the second worst home loss in Crows history. Brilliant handball chains, swarming defence, never-ending intensity and 11 different goalkickers set up the 19.13 (127) to 6.14 (50) stroll that made the competition sit up and take notice. With Jesse White, Andrejs Everitt, Mitch Morton, Dane Rampe and Tom Mitchell bolstering the team in place of some injured Swans, it also demonstrated the club's depth was better than most believed. "There's a benchmark out there we're all chasing," Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said at the time. "And that's called Sydney." - James Dampney
WEST COAST
There was only one moment for the Eagles to savour this year and it came in round eight against North Melbourne. It was a night that nearly went the way of so many others for West Coast in 2014. When Brent Harvey goaled 11-minutes into the last quarter the Eagles trailed by 15-points and were staring down the barrel of a fifth loss in eight matches. Goals to Josh Hill and Luke Shuey cut the margin to three points. It stood at four points with 40-seconds left when Adam Selwood got a controversial free kick 80m from goal for high contact. He kicked long inside 50 in hope of a miracle. Nic Naitanui ran from seven deep to soar over the pack and bring down an amazing mark. The siren sounded as he stood motionless 30m out on a 40-degree angle. Naitanui never flinched and calmly slotted the set-shot to send Patersons Stadium into pandemonium. The Eagles season never reached a higher point than the apex of Naitanui's incredible leap that night. - Alex Malcolm
Nic Naitanui's after-the-siren goal to beat North Melbourne was a season highlight. Picture: AFL Media
WESTERN BULLDOGS
A lull in the middle of the year put the Western Bulldogs in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, but it all turned after a workmanlike win over Greater Western Sydney. Scraping through, it was a far from impressive victory but even so, it did plenty for the team's belief. It was the match where the siren went missing up at StarTrack Oval in Canberra, so the broadcast clock was forced to count up rather than down. The young Giants had built a handy lead, and looked set to take that into three quarter time, the match clearly slipping out of the Dogs hands until Clay Smith snapped a late goal to reduce the margin to just two points. The Bulldogs escaped with a win, and turned it into momentum for the second half of the season. They challenged the likes of Essendon, Hawthorn and Sydney, and claimed impressive victories over West Coast, Carlton and Adelaide to cap off the year. And it all stemmed from that scrappy win over GWS. - Jacqui Reed
