Collingwood’s Brody Mihocek and Taylor Adams embrace after a Mihocek goal sealed a 24-point win. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Go on, admit it. You made the same mistake I did.

At some point this month, with the first hint of finals football in the air, you reached into your kitchen drawer and pulled out the metaphorical fork, ready to stick it in at least one club that has since proved you wrong.

Collingwood, Greater Western Sydney and Melbourne were all prime candidates in recent weeks, but all gave their finals prospects timely booster shots over an action-packed weekend of football.

Some games have been tough to watch during the compressed fixture, for a multitude of reasons, and some of us have been forced to deal with an affliction akin to summer’s “Big Bash fatigue” at times.

But footy is always better than no footy, and, if you stick around long enough, you’ll be rewarded. Like kids on Christmas, we got all sorts of presents in Round 14.

Richmond and West Coast took pressure and intensity up to a finals level, while Essendon and Geelong posted enthralling comeback wins.

Port Adelaide’s Charlie Dixon and Melbourne star Christian Petracca each kicked four goals to play crucial roles in their sides’ victories.

Joe Daniher kicked three – more on him later – and Scott Pendlebury did what he does so well for the undermanned Pies.

There were some big injuries, too, and Collingwood’s Chris Mayne put his body on the line in an inspirational effort that left him dazed from a clash with Patrick Cripps, while Hawthorn’s unlucky Jonathon Patton went down again with a calf injury.

Toby Greene found himself in trouble for an off-the-ball strike – we’ve heard that before – on Fremantle’s Reece Conca, and Melbourne’s Charlie Spargo was booked for a dangerous tackle for the second time this month.

Sitting back watching Bombers fans detail their rollercoaster of emotion via social media on Thursday night was value enough for the neutrals, but Daniher’s long-awaited return was even better.

His three second-half goals lit a fire under Essendon as it overcame Hawthorn in a stunning turnaround that might just have flipped the season script for the Bombers.

The avalanche after half-time even drowned out the over-the-top commentary that accompanied Daniher’s every move before the main break, when he really didn’t see much of the action.

All of a sudden, Melbourne, too, is in line for a finals berth, and the team it has been compared to for so long, St Kilda, is staggering. But it could easily have been so very different.

Saturday night’s Demons-Saints clash in Alice Springs could prove to be one of those real sliding doors moments, which reached a controversial crescendo in the dying stages.

Petracca’s miracle snap in the final term gave him his fourth goal of the night and sealed a tough three-point win at TIO Traeger Park.

PLEASE HELP US CONTINUE TO THRIVE BY BECOMING AN OFFICIAL FOOTYOLOGY PATRON. JUST CLICK THIS LINK.

There is no doubt the ball was touched by Dougal Howard, but we can’t know for sure whether or not the ball had crossed the line when contact was made.

The goal umpire was in perfect position and the soft call was a goal, so it stood.

If nothing else, the ensuing debate and exasperation over goal-line technology – or in the case, the lack thereof – at least provided a sense of normality in this most abnormal of seasons.

Footy tipping in 2020 has proved tough, even for the most seasoned of experts, but we can say with relative certainty that the Demons now have a decent run home.

They occupy eighth spot and have a game in hand on some finals rivals, with matches against Sydney, Fremantle, GWS and Essendon to play – all sides that sit outside the top eight.

St Kilda, meanwhile, sits four points above Melbourne and has a bye, Hawthorn, West Coast and GWS to come. It’s going to be a season of narrow margins.

The Saints know that better than most, having lost four of their five matches that have been decided by no more than a goal this season.

One side capable of snatching their spot in the top eight is the Western Bulldogs, but “capable” doesn’t mean it will happen.

In the first quarter at Metricon Stadium on Friday night, the Bulldogs looked “capable” of beating anyone and winning the flag with a 2016-style charge through the finals.

A couple of hours later they had been overrun by a Geelong side that chipped away at a six-goal quarter-time deficit to post a memorable come-from-behind win.

Maybe one of the Bulldogs’ great modern rivals could be the one to fly home with a wet sail?

Leon Cameron’s “Ferrari” stalled earlier this month, but now appears to be back in gear after a promising 38-point win over Fremantle in Perth.

The Giants have unveiled a gem in Jake Riccardi and there’s still enough time to reach top gear for the finals if they’re good enough to sneak in.

Collingwood, meanwhile, has taken more injury hits than most this year, but played some of its best football of the season in holding Carlton goalless after half-time in a 24-point victory at the Gabba.

The result was a huge hit to the Blues’ finals hopes, but it could have been so much worse as Cripps’ knee buckled on the wing. Fortunately, the co-captain was cleared after being checked for ACL damage.

Gold Coast won’t play finals this year, but the signs from Noah Anderson, Izak Rankine, Ben Ainsworth, Ben King and co were encouraging to say the least in a massive 63-point win over struggling North Melbourne.

The injury-ravaged Kangaroos went goalless after-half-time in their heaviest defeat under Rhyce Shaw to date, and face all sorts of questions at the end of the season.