The top 50 biggest AFL stories of 2024: 50-41 - sportsnewsfoot

MELBOURNE moved from one off-field drama to the next in a year that ended in high-level change, while a Brisbane team typified the unpredictable nature of football in 2024 to rise from a 2-5 start and win a famous flag. 

There was a record-breaking Brownlow Medal count, a pair of monumental milestones for a Collingwood great, and a new way to start the season in the northern frontiers that lingered in its impact. 

In AFL.com.au‘s annual six-part series, we count down the biggest football stories of 2024 and the season’s most memorable on-field moments, starting with 50-41.

50. The Amartey Party 

The best goalkicking performances of the season belonged to Joel Amartey and Jeremy Cameron, who kicked nine goals apiece in games against Adelaide and West Coast, respectively. But while Cameron’s brilliance has come to be expected, Amartey’s haul came from the clouds as he exceeded his previous career-high of four in a game-turning performance at Adelaide Oval in round 14. Amartey kicked eight goals across the second and third quarters to turn the match on its head, and teammates did everything they could to help him get to the magical 10 in the final quarter. Coach John Longmire scuppered those plans though, with Amartey having two late spells on the bench, including the last two minutes of the 42-point win. 

49. Dimma delivers hard truths to stumbling Suns

Gold Coast’s 10-point loss to West Coast in round 21 felt like a final straw for Suns coach Damien Hardwick, who delivered a pointed message in his post-match press conference. “You’ve got to play a September brand of footy and we didn’t,” Hardwick said. “We’re going to make some tough calls about what that September brand looks like, and are we at that level at the moment.” Missing finals was an “all too familiar tale” for the club and it was clear from that point that Hardwick wanted players who could execute his brand of football on the finals stage, when that moment comes. Forthright exit meetings followed and 12 players departed, including forward Jack Lukosius to Port Adelaide. Triple premiership Tiger Daniel Rioli joined the Suns in a high-price trade, with Collingwood’s John Noble also heading north, with Hardwick delivering an off-season of change as he pursues the club’s first ever finals campaign in 2025. 

48. Another draw in Anzac Day blockbuster

When tireless midfielder Sam Durham found Essendon sharpshooter Kyle Langford 30m from goal and with little angle, the Bombers looked poised to snatch a narrow win in an Anzac Day thriller. But Langford’s resulting miss tied the scores with 68 seconds to play at the MCG, and the 85-85 deadlock could not be broken. Jamie Elliott had the best chance when he lunged for a mark just inside 50 but couldn’t hang on, with 93,644 fans left restless on the siren after a captivating match that included both brilliant play and critical errors, with Bombers skipper Zach Merrett awarded the Anzac Medal. The result came 29 years after the first Anzac Day clash between Essendon and Collingwood was also drawn. 

47. Final day thriller leaves Blues’ fate in Power’s hands

The scenario on the last day of the home-and-away season made for two compelling games at opposite ends of the country. First, Carlton needed to beat St Kilda to secure its finals spot and lock out Fremantle. If the Blues lost, the Dockers would get their chance to play in September, but only if they could beat Port Adelaide that evening. The stage was set, and the final minutes of Carlton’s clash with St Kilda were as drama-filled as you could ask for, with potentially match-winning set shots from both teams missed before Jack Higgins kicked a stunning goal with 12 seconds left to secure a two-point win. There was a roar around Optus Stadium from Fremantle fans watching on phones before their team ran out, but the Dockers couldn’t deliver, losing by 20 points and handing the Blues a life raft.  

46. The Daisy Effect 

West Coast labelled it one of the “biggest recruiting coups” in the club’s history, and AFLW great Daisy Pearce delivered in her first season as the club’s new AFLW senior coach. With a focus on building belief and relationships, Pearce led a young and talented list to the Eagles’ best AFLW season yet, setting a new club record for wins after just four games and going on to win four of the first six. Driven by young star Ella Roberts, who produced some of the best performances of any player in the competition in 2024, the Eagles also kicked a club record score when they beat Greater Western Sydney 10.4 (64) to 6.4 (40) in week five. The wins dried up, but Pearce’s arrival as a senior coach breathed new life into the West Coast women’s program after five troubled seasons that had netted a combined eight wins.  

45. Saints draw Battle lines at best and fairest 

Defender Josh Battle had earned the right to exercise his free agency after eight years of service to St Kilda, and he went out on a high after placing third in the club’s 2024 best and fairest. But once his decision was made to join Hawthorn, he was told not to attend the awards night and was not referenced on stage by the club’s leaders, including club president Andrew Bassett, who made pointed remarks about player movement on the night. It was a decision in stark contrast to how other clubs had handled departing players, including West Coast, which honoured premiership key defender Tom Barrass with life membership as he prepared to leave through a trade. The Saints were ultimately well compensated under the free agency system, receiving band one compensation and pick No.8 in the Telstra AFL Draft. 

44. Tackling trend prompts holding the ball change 

Round 11 proved a flashpoint in the holding the ball debate as coaches Damien Hardwick and Michael Voss called for change and the AFL responded. With tacklers reluctant to take opponents to ground because of the risk of suspension, a trend emerged for players to hold possession longer, making tackles dangerous in other ways and resulting in less holding-the-ball free kicks. Hardwick and Voss highlighted the issue after their teams clashed and four holding-the-ball decisions were paid to both teams from 131 effective tackles. A new, tightened interpretation was introduced by the AFL for players to be given “reasonable time” to dispose of the ball, with the whistle to be blown earlier to protect player welfare. It was a successful change, albeit with predictable teething problems, that resulted in an initial spike in holding the ball decisions.

43. Swans skipper shattered after no risk approach 

Sydney captain Callum Mills did what he needed to in the lead up to the Grand Final, training well and putting his hand up for selection after suffering a minor hamstring injury in the week following the Swans’ qualifying final win. But after missing the preliminary final, he was victim to a no-risk approach from the Swans and was left tearful and disappointed, missing a shot at a premiership after losing Grand Finals in 2016 and 2022. It was a rollercoaster year for Mills, who underwent shoulder surgery ahead of the pre-season following a Mad Monday mishap and was then made standalone captain, playing just seven games after returning in round 18, with his absence extended by a calf injury. 

42. Dogs and Bombers prompt AFLW introspection 

Essendon was playing its fourth game in 15 days when it met the similarly tiring Western Bulldogs in week seven of the AFLW season, and exhaustion was evident for players and fans alike in the dourest match of the season. The Bombers won 3.8 (26) to 0.3 (3) but the style of play prompted a wider discussion about the state of the competition and the standard of play, with the Bulldogs using two spare players behind the ball at times. Rival coaches weighed in and agreed there was a responsibility to fans to play an attractive style of game to build interest in the competition and increase crowd numbers. There was also a responsibility for the governing body, however, to provide a clear vision for the AFLW’s future and clarity on key decisions. 

41. Rankine runs too far in MCG thriller 

The Crows’ round 10 loss to Collingwood included one of the most controversial umpiring decisions of the season when star forward Izak Rankine was pinged for running too far as he attempted to win the game for his team in the final 20 seconds. Having earlier slotted a memorable goal from the pocket, Rankine burst down the wing with his team trailing by four points and sent the ball inside 50, but he was called back for running further than the allowed 15m. It was a rare example of that decision being paid and the merits of the call were hotly debated, despite replays showing Rankine had run approximately 24m without bouncing the ball. Rubbing salt in the wound for the Crows, Rankine suffered a hamstring injury in the process and was sidelined for a crucial four-game period that saw the Crows go 1-3.