The agony and the ecstasy: 2020’s most emotional footy moments
From AFL boss Gillon McLachlan’s shattering press conference to Eddie Betts passionate speech against racism, the brilliant matchwinning goals and Gazza’s emotional Grand Final farewell, these are the footy moments that moved us in 2020.
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It was a season like no other.
Footy’s new frontier was forged when the 2020 season was abruptly stalled by the global pandemic.
Through sheer effort, the game made it back.
And aren’t we glad it did, because these are the moments that made us ride the emotional roller coaster.
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FAREWELL GAZZA
It’s hard to believe our admiration for Gary Ablett could have grown even more across the past 12 months – but it has. His final AFL season made for one of the most moving stories of the year.
He played his 350th game alongside Joel Selwood (300th) in Round 5 before going into the club’s interstate hub the following week.
The image of Ablett hugging his son, Levi, after returning from the Cats’ Perth hub in July touched the heartstrings.
We didn’t know if he would ever play football again – as quite rightly – his family was the only consideration at that point.
Levi had been diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease and his mother-in-law was dying of cancer.
Back in Victoria, Ablett kept training – in case an opportunity presented itself.
He, his wife Jordan and Levi were on the last AFL-sanctioned plane out of Melbourne on September 1. They lived in a transitional quarantine hub for two weeks – where he trained alongside Shane Edwards and Dan Hannebery – before rejoining the Cats.
Ablett, 36, made it back for the last round, then played all four of Geelong‘s finals.
So much of the talk of Grand Final week was the motivation of sending Ablett into retirement with another flag.
Then came the drama of the opening quarter when he crashed to the turf clutching his shoulder. His game looked over, but somehow he returned, even though later scans would show a cracked shoulder.
He had 12 disposals under duress, but his deft handball to Patrick Dangerfield will live long in the memory.
The flag wasn’t meant to be.
Thanks for the memories, Gazza.
‘MOST SERIOUS THREAT IN 100 YEARS’
Midway through the last day of an eerie first round when footy was played before empty stands, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan shut down the 2020 AFL season with some fearing it would never be restarted.
The COVID-19 pandemic had hit Australia. No one knew what might come next.
“To say this is the most serious threat to our game in 100 years is an understatement. It is unprecedented in its impact,” McLachlan said.
Footy wouldn’t resume for 82 days, and weeks after that, the game was transported north into hubs as a second wave of the virus sent Victoria into lockdown.
In truth, it would prove the most unusual of seasons – with 18 rounds, 16-minute quarters, interstate hubs, rolling fixtures and a Festival of Footy.
But thanks to all involved it came to a thrilling conclusion.
YEAR OF THE FANS
There is not one single moment that denotes the moving sacrifice that the fans made for the game that so few of them actually attended in 2020.
But make no mistake, if it hadn’t been for the members, the show would not have gone on.
Almost 1 million members – McLachlan put the figure at 992,000 – stuck fat with their clubs and in doing so kept them afloat financially.
So take a bow, members. The AFL couldn’t have done it without you.
ROO RHYCE TAKES A BREAK
North Melbourne best-and-fairest winner Luke McDonald summed up what Rhyce Shaw means to the Kangaroos playing group when he said his former coach was “probably the best person I’ve ever met in footy”.
Shaw has left the coaching role to deal with his personal health, which has shown a light on how the stresses can take a toll on coaches.
The football world collectively wishes him all the best for his recovery, and would love to see him back in the game when he is fit and well.
HUB FAMILY LIFE
Some of the most moving moments came inside the Queensland hubs, especially when the players were reunited with their families.
Kids have never been as close to the action within the hubs.
Patrick Dangerfield said the connection between Geelong’s playing group and its families had never been tighter than within the hub. And in what other situation would you see Trent Cotchin bring in a rule whereby a Richmond player who gave away a 50m penalty had to change the nappy of the skipper’s son.
There were a few headline-making hub breaches in 2020, but the images of the players and their kids – and other players’ kids – brought plenty of smiles.
SAD FAREWELLS
The shock deaths of former Tiger Shane Tuck and GWS AFLW all rounder Jacinda Barclay brought an outpouring of emotion.
Tuck, 38, was a much loved Richmond player and the son of AFL champion Michael Tuck, who paid an emotional tribute to his son after his passing in July.
The Tigers were heartbroken.
So, too, were those who knew and admired 29-year-old Barclay, a cross code pioneer, described as “a shining comet” and ”a beacon for all women in sports.”
There were many other former players and officials who passed away in 2020, including in recent days, Essendon’s long-time doctor Bruce Reid.
MAJAK’S BACK, SO IS JACK
There were few more inspirational tales than Majak Daw’s return to AFL football in 2020, with his comeback game in Round 9 coming more than 700 days after suffering horrific injuries following a fall from the Bolte Bridge.
Daw’s return was a triumph against the odds, and his goal against the Crows sealed the deal.
He was delisted by the Kangaroos at the end of the season, but his impact on the game is far greater than his stats would indicate.
Jack Higgins’ return to footy was another triumph, given his two rounds of brain surgery last year.
The ever-smiling Higgins returned in the Round 2 AFL resumption and kicked a goal that lifted the spirits of the Tigers.
DREAMTIME AT THE ‘D
The AFL needs to find a way to ensure Dreamtime at the ‘D – a match between Richmond and Essendon in Darwin – becomes an annual event.
How about one in Melbourne and another in Darwin each year?
It was a magic night, kicked off by a stirring Welcome to Country, and capped off by Shai Bolton‘s heroics and Irving Mosquito’s debut.
More please!
DUSTY, DIMMA, AND THE DYNASTY
As soon as the final siren sounded on Richmond’s back-to-back flags, three-time Norm Smith Medallist Dustin Martin made a beeline for one man – coach Damien Hardwick.
It showed the link between the best big-game player in modern memory and his coach.
Richmond’s win over Geelong officially crowned their dynasty of three flags in four seasons.
There were moving stories everywhere, none more so than best-and-fairest winner Jayden Short, who made a passionate speech about the passing of his dad.
RATTS, SAINTS AND POOR PADDY
Brett Ratten gave second-chance AFL coaches the biggest endorsement by lifting the Saints to their first finals appearance in nine years.
He opened up about his son Cooper‘s tragic death in a car accident in 2015 in an emotional Adapting In My Grief podcast, saying: “I’ll never get over it.”
But on what would have been Cooper’s 21st birthday this year, the Saints wrapped their arms around their coach, just as he has done to his players.
St Kilda won through to its first final since 2011 and won their first final, thanks to a herculean effort from ruckman Paddy Ryder.
Sadly, the emotion spilled over after that game after Ryder was left in tears on the bench after suffering a serious hamstring injury in the dying moments.
YOU BETCHA EDDIE
Eddie Betts’ return to the Navy Blues brought joy to Carlton supporters.
But it was his passionate Fox Footy interview about racism that brought about one of the most powerful statements of the season.
He revealed he had thought about stepping away from the game because of racial vilification.
Thankfully, he hasn’t. Thankfully, Betts continues to shine a line on the scourge of racism.
BACHAR’S MESSAGE
In one of the most heartfelt sporting messages of 2020, Richmond’s Bachar Houli urged anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to take a test, revealing his mother was in ICU with the virus.
Houli said: “I thought I’d share a very quick message and a reminder for myself and everyone out there and more specifically to the Muslim community out there.“
The veteran remained in Melbourne for the first half of the season to await the birth of a child, but his message had a big impact on the community.
Thankfully, his mother recovered, and Houli made it back to Brisbane in time to win his third flag.
THE FAREWELLS
We said goodbye to so many great players in 2020, but the emotion surrounding Brad Ebert’s final act in football is etched in history.
In an Adelaide Oval preliminary final, Ebert made a desperate attempt to spoil, suffering yet another concussion that ended his career.
If the Power had won, he wouldn’t have played in the Grand Final.
Kade Simpson ended his career with the Blues and helped carry off Bryce Gibbs a week earlier; Ben Stratton went out with his first goal since 2010; and others to depart included Heath Shaw, Travis Varcoe, Justin Westhoff, Paul Puopolo, James Frawley, Lynden Dunn, Sam Jacobs, Matthew Kreuzer, Jack Watts, Ben Reid, Nathan Brown, Tory Dickson and Tom Bellchambers.
CONCUSSION LESSONS
The impact of groundbreaking news stories involving posthumous revelations that footy greats Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer and Danny Frawley had been suffering from the crippling neurological disorder CTE shone a light on concussion in AFL football.
Add to that the emotional story told by Bulldogs premiership player Liam Picken, and Paddy McCartin’s fight to return to the game, and the issue of concussion threatens to be one of the most important the game has to face.
THE MONEY KICKS
Robbie Gray, step right up.
The Port Adelaide clutch player had to kick from a tight position about 40m out against Carlton to win the game after the final siren.
But with nerves of steel, he slotted the ball through to the joy of his teammates who ran into celebrate and to the heartbreak of the Blues.
The Blues were in a different position weeks later when in its Round 12 game against Fremantle in Perth Jack Newnes had the ball in his hands on an angle a long way out.
He had to move a cameraman, a chair and audio cables, before scoring one of the most remarkable goals to bring about a riotous celebration from teammates.
FINALLY, THE CROWS
First-year coach Matthew Nicks looked as if he was going to be the first AFL coach since Fitzroy’s Kevin Murray to go through an entire season without a win.
But in Round 15, against Hawthorn, the Crows got up off the canvas to record their first win since Round 20, 2019.
In a win for the underdogs, the Crows celebrated hard.
They ended up winning three-in-a-row to give the club – and Nicks – a confidence booster heading into 2021.
DIRTY PIES CLEAN UP
Collingwood always knew its elimination final clash against West Coast in Perth was going to “us against the world”.
But that challenge turned into one of the club’s great finals wins.
After being forced to endure a hard lockdown at Joondalup, with injuries galore and being dubbed “the Dirty Pies”, the Magpies scored a one-point victory over the Eagles that few saw coming.
The celebrations matched the achievement, even if the cross country travelling meant the club was hammered the week after by a rampant Geelong.
PATTON’S PAIN
In a moment that was painful to watch, injury-plagued Hawk Jon Patton was left sobbing on the bench after suffering a hamstring injury in Round 6.
The frustration of yet another injury saw the emotions spill over. It was a hard watch. Then, in his second game back, he went down again with an Achilles injury in Round 15.
The footy gods need to provide him with some luck.
THE POWER OF KENNY
The power of a hot-gospelling coach whose players desperately play for him saw Ken Hinkley sweep Port Adelaide to within a kick of making the Grand Final after finishing 10th the previous year.
Well done, Kenny, we even loved it when the players dragged you into the song after your 300th game as a player and coach.
THANKS, QUEENSLAND
No one can ever doubt the contribution Queensland has made to Australian football after the state collectively saved the game in 2020.
The hubs, the Gabba, Metricon Stadium, a historic night Grand Final and Lachie Neale’s tearaway Brownlow success made it feel as if Queensland was the AFL’s epicentre.
It might have been even more if Matt Rowell hadn’t been injured.
But as grateful as we are, there is a stadium in Jolimont – and millions of Victorians – desperate for a return to the status quo in 2021.