This year the Pies have won 11 times by less than 12 points, with nine of those being by single digits, and six under a goal.
There have been many storylines throughout the 2022 home-and-away season that have satisfied the appetite of AFL fans, with some set to continue throughout an intriguing finals series.
The results-based nature of the AFL often sees clubs judged not on home-and-away form but on finals competitiveness when the season is reviewed in hindsight.
Listed below are five different chapters from the top eight clubs that have been compelling to view throughout the course of the 2022 AFL season, on which you can get the best value when you enter your Ladbrokes bonus code.
Collingwood’s rise from 17th to top four
After the sacking of Nathan Buckley amid an abysmal 2021 campaign, you would have been forgiven for tipping a bottom-four finish for Collingwood in 2022.
However, Craig McRae has completely shifted the fortunes of the Magpies this season, guiding them to a top-four finish whilst breaking the record for the number of close wins in AFL history.
This year the Pies have won 11 times by less than 12 points, with nine of those being by single digits, and six under a goal.
It is a remarkable turnaround that has AFL fans on the edge of their seats, wondering whether there will be another twist in the tale as September looms.
The reunion of the McCartin brothers at Sydney
The success of Paddy McCartin at Sydney competes with the comeback of Sam Docherty as the most heart-warming AFL story of 2022.
The former number one draft pick was sidelined for two years after complications from repeated concussions threatened to end his career.
Sydney then signed him as a rookie in the pre-season supplemental selection period in what was considered his last opportunity at AFL level.
McCartin has barely missed a beat at the Swans, playing all but one game in 2022 and joining his brother Tom as a stalwart of a stingy Sydney defensive unit.
If Sydney is to succeed in this year’s finals series, the ability of the McCartin brothers is all but certain to be a significant factor.
The dominance of an evergreen Geelong list
Geelong, as a perennial contender, is no stranger to success.
The 2022 home-and-away season ended in dominant fashion for the Cats, winning 13 games in a row at an average margin of 39.3 points to claim the minor premiership.
Five Geelong players were named All-Australian, with full-forward Tom Hawkins given the captaincy after another stellar season.
Geelong is the only team ranked top three for points for (97.55 per game) and the fewest points against (67.64 per game), despite being the oldest team in the competition.
The clear premiership favourite now needs to shake the finals yips that have plagued it for the last decade and deliver on the epic promise it has shown this season.
The emergence of Fremantle as a contender
When Nathan Buckley reviewed the season of all 18 AFL clubs, he only named two that exceeded his pre-season expectations.
Those clubs were Collingwood and Fremantle, with the Dockers rising from 11th in 2021 to fifth in 2022.
“I thought they [Fremantle] were brilliant. The first half of the year, their defensive profile was as good as any.” Buckley told Gerard Whateley on SEN radio. “So hard to move the ball against, so hard to score against, so hard to get the ball inside 50 against … they exceeded expectations”
Despite a difficult second half of the year marred by injury and form issues, the Dockers will be hoping to win their first final since 2015.
The finals x-factor of Richmond
After winning premierships in 2017, 2018 and 2020 there were question marks over how long success could be sustained at Punt Road.
A disappointing 2021 season left the Tigers 12th on the ladder and out of finals contention, with many writing them off as a club in need of a rebuild.
However, after enduring a rollercoaster year, Richmond finds itself seventh on the ladder heading into a blockbuster final against an out-of-form Brisbane outfit on Thursday night.
There is no denying the x-factor on a Richmond list that includes triple Norm Smith medallist Dustin Martin, domineering key forward Tom Lynch and a host of other premiership players.
Tiger fans will be hoping they can repeat the heroics of previous years and claim a fourth flag in six years.
