What a year 2022 was.
Geelong stole the show with their dominance throughout the season and particularly in September, but every club had their moments throughout.
Whether it was Buddy’s 1000th goal, Collingwood’s magical run, Sam Docherty and Ben Cunnington’s triumphant returns or Joel Selwood’s perfect finish, season ’22 was one to remember.
With that in mind, check out your team’s best storyline from 2022 below.
Winning a Showdown after the siren
While it exactly a season for the history books in Adelaide, they were the main feature in one of 2022’s best games, claiming an after-the-siren victory in the Round 3 Showdown against the Power.
With eight minutes remaining, Port Adelaide held an 18-point lead and looked set to win their fifth straight showdown.
Yet as the game wound down, two late majors from Elliot Himmelberg gave the Crows life, setting the stage for a hero.
It was Adelaide’s newest recruit Jordan Dawson that rose to the occasion, slotting a set shot after the siren from 35m out to send the Crows into an absolute frenzy.
It was the moment that Dawson established himself as a key part of Adelaide and undoubtedly their moment of the year.
Jack Makeham
Getting the finals monkey off the back
After finishing inside the top four but struggling to make a dint in finals, many thought Brisbane had no hope of achieving anything in September coming from sixth in 2022.
Up against a hot Richmond side in week one, the Lions won late in dramatic fashion to claim their first knockout final since 2009.
A trip to Melbourne the next week to face the reigning premier Demons looked an even more insurmountable task, but again, the Lions roared home to claim victory.
While it all came crashing down to the Cats in the Preliminary Final, Chris Fagan and his side will feel they have the monkey off their back heading into 2023.
Lachlan Geleit
Sam Docherty's incredible return
The clear story for Carlton in 2022 was the return of Sam Docherty.
After battling a second bout of testicular cancer he played the entire season at a near All-Australian level in a true fairy tale storyline.
Charlie Curnow returning from missing nearly three seasons with ongoing knee issues to win the Coleman coupled with Patrick Cripps’ return to form and winning the Brownlow Medal also worth a mention.
Nic Negrepontis
McRae’s Magpies and the magical late-season run
After finishing 17th in 2021, there weren’t high expectations surrounding Collingwood in the lead-in to 2022, particularly given it was Craig McRae’s first year in charge.
But armed with a capable list and fresh game plan, the rookie coach was able to weave his magic as the Magpies stunned the footy world to finish top four and only one point off a Grand Final berth.
McRae’s Magpies played with dare and were a thrill to watch, particularly in tight games as Collingwood won nine games by less than 10 points and even pulled off an 11-game win streak at one stage.
Apart from Geelong’s dominance, many will remember 2022 for the multiple storylines surrounding the black and white.
Lachlan Geleit
From scrapheap to best and fairest winner
Little needs to be made about all that went wrong for Essendon in 2022, but Peter Wright provided some hope for the future.
The key forward was traded to Essendon two years ago for essentially a packet of chips, and little was hoped for a prospect who couldn’t flourish at the Suns.
But Wright’s 2022 form has proved any and all doubters wrong. 53 goals – the second most of any player not to play finals – and a best and fairest to go with it would be a remarkable season for any forward, yet alone one who was on the scrapheap just 24 months ago.
The club’s next leading goalkicker, Jake Stringer, booted 25 goals and Nic Martin was third with 19, highlighting Wright’s worth to the team. At only 26, he could carry this forward line for years to come.
Seb Mottram
The continued rise of Brayshaw
It’s hard to believe the Fremantle superstar was just 22 for the season just gone given the form he displayed.
The young gun ended the season with 25 Brownlow votes to finish equal fourth in the count while claiming his maiden Doig Medal.
What’s more impressive, it was a factor in surging the Dockers back to finals footy.
Brayshaw established himself as a star in 2020, but his efforts in 2022 returned Fremantle to the finals for the first tie since 2015.
The midfield jet represents the current and the future for Fremantle and 2022 has arguably made him the most valuable commodity in the game.
Seb Mottram
Chris Scott wins a flag no one can take away
Detractors of Scott have long pointed to his finals record in criticism and claimed the premiership in his first season wasn’t truly his.
But the narrative has flipped after Scott led one of the oldest teams to a Grand Final win over Sydney in emphatic fashion.
For years this team was written off as one that was too old and wouldn’t be able to rock up. But Scott now holds the best winning percentage of any coach to have coached over 100 games by a clear margin and has two flags to go with it.
Scott is now in the conversation of the league’s best-ever coach and could take that mantle with another premiership or two.
Seb Mottram
Noah Anderson makes his mark
2022 marked the arrival of Noah Anderson as one of the most important players in the league.
The former 2nd overall pick had shown plenty of potential throughout his first two seasons of senior football, however it wasn’t until this year that he put everything together.
The star midfielder averaged career highs in almost every single statistic, as well as ranking in the top 10 for kicks, inside 50s and metres gained per game.
His defining game came against Richmond in Round 17, slotting a goal after the siren to cap off a 34-point comeback for the Suns.
While Gold Coast ultimately fell short of making finals, Anderson was pivotal in the Suns putting together the most competitive season in their history.
Jack Makeham
Taylor takes it to the next level
Sam Taylor was barely able to walk for months on end in 2020.
A mystery illness that attacked his hip, later diagnosed as septic arthritis, struck the defender down and saw him lose 11kg.
Fast forward to 2022 and Taylor is now a Kevin Sheedy Medallist and an All-Australian.
His ascension from solid backman to one of the competition’s premier key defenders is a remarkable story.
Andrew Slevison
Newcombe's ascension
Jai Newcombe started the 2022 season as a fringe Hawk but ended it as the clear no.1 midfielder.
It was a breakout year for the 21-year-old who finished second to James Sicily in the Peter Crimmins Medal. He was also awarded the Best Young Player by the AFL Coaches’ Association.
Newcombe won the player-voted Lethal Award which is considered one of “the most highly regarded accolades within the four walls” of the club before being honoured with Leigh Matthews’ no.3 jumper.
From VFL star to one of the club’s most important players in the space of 15 months and all capped off with a lengthy contract extension until 2026 this week.
Andrew Slevison
Clayton Oliver re-signs til 2030
Locking in your generational midfield talent until the end of the decade is always a win.
In June, Melbourne announced they had re-signed Clayton Oliver until 2030 on a deal reportedly worth $7 million.
With Christian Petracca already locked away until the end of 2029, the Demons have secured their dominant duo for their careers in a huge coup.
Nic Negrepontis
Clarko arrives and Cunnington's comeback
Bringing Alastair Clarkson through the door as their next senior coach could change the very complexion of the North Melbourne Football Club. The four-time premiership coach brings with him an air of relevancy that the Roos haven’t felt since Denis Pagan.
In a year where they won the wooden spoon and sacked their coach, it’s hard to find too many incredible stories at the Roos, but bringing Clarkson through the door represents a changing of the guard and the beginning of a new era.
Ben Cunnington making his return after testicular cancer late in the season also warmed the hearts of not just Roos fans, but everyone around the competition.
Nic Negrepontis
Rozee delivers on hype
Connor Rozee’s first three seasons at AFL level were more than competent.
In his debut campaign in 2019, he won the Gavin Wanganeen Medal as the club’s best player under 21 and the club’s goal kicking away while making the 22under22 side.
He dropped off ever so slightly in 2020 and that form continued in 2021.
However, this year he went from talented youngster to legitimate star of the competition. Rozee won his first John Cahill Medal, polled 14 Brownlow votes and was selected in the All-Australian team for the first time.
It was a coming-of-age campaign for the 22-year-old South Australian who promises to be one of the Power’s most influential players for the next decade.
Acquiring no.1 draft pick and local boy Jason Horne-Francis was also a nice way to end the year.
Andrew Slevison
Bolton's emergence, Lynch's big year and blooding youngsters
There was nothing that jumped right out from the Tigers so we’ll touch on a few subjects.
Shai Bolton’s emergence as a genuine star of the competition was a highlight. He went from talented forward/midfielder to an All-Australian who averaged close to 18 disposals and kicked 43 goals.
He was one of Richmond’s best players in 2022 alongside key forward Tom Lynch who produced one of the very best seasons of his career.
Lynch returned 63 goals, took the most contested marks and was mighty stiff not to be selected in the All-Australian team.
The club also blooded youngsters as they attempt to rebuild on the run while keeping the premiership window open.
The form of the likes of Maurice Rioli Jnr, Noah Cumberland, Josh Gibcus, Tyler Sonsie, Judson Clark and co. was a major positive for the Tigers.
Andrew Slevison
Club greats return
The journey to get there was rocky, but St Kilda brought back some of Moorabbin’s greatest ever clubmen at the end of the 2022 season.
Starting with senior coach Ross Lyon, who will bring a level of authority to the Saints after middling success under Brett Ratten.
The real ‘best’ story however is who followed Lyon. Club greats Robert Harvey, Lenny Hayes and Brendon Goddard returned in assistant coaching roles – something that would have to have St Kilda fans smiling.
Nic Negrepontis
Buddy 1000
One of the more famous moments in recent AFL memory, Sydney’s standout story was Lance Franklin kicking his 1000th AFL goal.
Given that the Swans made it all of the way to the decider, it had to be a big moment to steal the headlines, and Buddy reaching his milestone certainly did that.
We will probably never see it again as footy fans, and it was a magical sight to see as the SCG crowd poured onto the ground to celebrate with the modern great of the game.
The delay of the game, the fact that it was at home, how it came late in a big win against a top-four rival – everything about it was as close to perfection as you can get.
Those scenes will be reflected on for as long as footy exists. A legendary moment for a legendary player.
Lachlan Geleit
Kennedy’s final bag of goals in retirement game
Retiring West Coast great Josh Kennedy did everything and more to drag the Eagles over the line in Round 21 against Adelaide.
It wasn’t to be as West Coast fell by 16 points. But Kennedy’s eight-goal performance, a clear season-high for him, was something to be marvelled at.
His teammates were looking for him, but coming off an injury and in the state he was in, the performance was a mighty one.
He even got the Eagles to within five points in the final quarter, and gave fans hope in a season where there wasn’t much.
It capped off a storied career that included 723 goals, three All-Australians blazers and two Coleman Medals.
Seb Mottram
Ugle-Hagan tears the Demons apart
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan didn’t quite set the world on fire in his debut year and came into 2022 with plenty of expectations on his shoulders.
The former number one pick started out the year slow, being dropped from the senior side after Round 6.
Yet after some strong VFL form, the forward was brought back up in Round 14 and began to show exactly why he was so highly touted.
It all came together for the youngster in a Round 19 thriller against the Demons, tearing the game apart with a five-goal haul, capped off by a monstrous bomb from outside 50m to give the Dogs the lead.
It may have not been the season the Bulldogs were hoping for, but the signs that their top prospect showed will have them optimistic going into next season.
Jack Makeham