IT WAS a historic September that saw a young star and a champion midfielder further enhance their reputations as we continue to count down AFL.com.au's 50 biggest stories of 2025.
Queensland faced a natural disaster that impacted Opening Round, while Gold Coast found itself front and centre in September and on Brownlow Medal night.
In a six-part series, AFL.com.au is counting down the biggest stories and most memorable on-field moments from 2025, continuing with 20-11.
PART ONE 50-41 Biggest stories of 2025
PART TWO 40-31 Biggest stories of 2025
PART THREE 30-21 Biggest stories of 2025
20. Geelong champion's epic prelim
There is a case to be made that Patrick Dangerfield's unforgettable preliminary final against Hawthorn was the best performance of his career given the stakes and what his team needed from him. It wasn't just what the Brownlow medallist did at the MCG, it was when he did it, igniting his team after a slow start and standing up every time the Cats were challenged. With 31 disposals, three goals, 20 contested possessions, eight clearances and 13 score involvements, it was the highest-rated preliminary final since Champion Data started taking records, and one of the great finals performances of the past 10 years. "I'm certainly ready for Dangerfield to retire," Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell quipped after the monumental performance, which rivalled games like his Geelong debut in 2016, a five-goal effort against Hawthorn on one leg in 2017, a 48-disposal game against North Melbourne in 2016, and his 2022 Grand Final as Dangerfield's best and most influential performance.
19. Suns create September history
It took until the very last match of the home and away season, but Gold Coast finally secured the first finals appearance in its 15-year history when it beat Essendon by a club-record 95 points. Not content with simply qualifying, they travelled west to take on Fremantle in an elimination final and also chalked up their first finals win. It was a classic final at Optus Stadium, with the Dockers coming from behind to boot four straight goals in the final term to take a six-point lead. Defender Mac Andrew tied the scores when he swung forward before retiring veteran David Swallow provided a fairytale finish, kicking a match-winning point from a 50m set shot that left the Dockers heartbroken. One final piece of history was still to come, with the Suns and Brisbane meeting in a the first ever QClash final. That's where the Suns' run ended, losing by 53 points at the Gabba, but it was clear by the end of 2025 that Damien Hardwick's team had arrived.
18. Rioli banned for social media threat
Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli initially escaped sanction for a social media threat towards Western Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale, but the League decided to investigate further after reports that the goalkicker had allegedly made similar threats in the past to opponents. By the time the AFL handed down its one-match ban to Rioli, he had already withdrawn himself from the upcoming Showdown and apologised to Dale for actions that were "totally unacceptable". It was one of two controversies involving the 30-year-old, who also posted on social media about his "hatred" of Hawthorn. The Power acknowledged Rioli's "deep-seated pain and sadness from past family experiences" but said his deleted post was not the appropriate forum to express those feelings. A supremely talented forward and a key member of West Coast's 2018 premiership team, Rioli was contracted for 2026 but announced his surprise retirement in August, declaring he had given all he could at the highest level after 151 goals in 109 games.
17. Cyclone rips through Opening Round
Tropical Cyclone Alfred was one of the most significant weather events in recent history, causing severe flooding and destructive winds across south-east Queensland and northern NSW in March. It also impacted the launch of the 2025 season, forcing the anticipated season-opener between Brisbane and Geelong to be rescheduled in round three when both teams had byes. The clash between Gold Coast and Essendon also had to be moved but was much more difficult to reschedule, with the match eventually staged on a Wednesday night in August as part of the floating round 24. Opening Round went ahead in NSW, with the season launched by Sydney and Hawthorn at the SCG, and Greater Western Sydney hosting Collingwood. The concept is back in 2026, but with a twist, as St Kilda hosts Collingwood at the MCG in addition to four matches in the northern states.
16. Cats overwhelmed on GF stage
Geelong coach Chris Scott admitted after the Grand Final that there would be nights where he is up at 3am thinking about the Cats' 47-point loss to Brisbane and the circumstances of the club's missed opportunity in 2025. Not much went right for the Cats in their third Grand Final in six years, with star forward Jeremy Cameron suffering a broken right arm in the second quarter in a collision with captain Patrick Dangerfield. Cameron showed incredible grit to play on with a protective arm guard, even laying a one-handed chasedown tackle on Jaspa Fletcher that will long be remembered. The five-time All-Australian was left in agony after that moment, however, which proved a turning point in the game as the Lions went on a devastating run. Dangerfield, who was well held by Brandon Starcevich in the decider, offered no excuses post-game as the Cats look to 2026 with a list that should contend again.
15. Young Lion claims Norm Smith double
In just his third AFL season and 58th game, Brisbane midfielder Will Ashcroft cemented himself as one of the great Grand Final performers. Ashcroft won his second consecutive Norm Smith Medal after a brilliant performance against Geelong that included 32 disposals and an equal game-high 10 clearances. In a match that swung on stoppages, Ashcroft was the decisive player across four quarters, becoming just the third player to win back-to-back Norm Smith medals, joining Richmond champion Dustin Martin (2019-20) and Adelaide great Andrew McLeod (1997-98). The 21-year-old's game day preparation for the 2025 decider included watching highlights of his 2024 performance to get in the right headspace and remind himself what he is capable of. "Everything I've done in my life, it's not something where I want to just contribute, I want to be a real difference maker," Ashcroft said in the rooms shortly after his memorable performance.
14. "Rattling" concussion has big fallout
One of the most confronting injuries of the season was the concussion suffered by Collingwood forward Lachie Schultz against his former team Fremantle in round nine. Schultz tried to apply a tackle on Dockers defender Jordan Clark but was knocked out in the process, laying motionless at Optus Stadium as play went on around him. He then collapsed while trying to jog off the ground with trainers, with Collingwood captain Darcy Moore describing the incident as "rattling" immediately after the game and adding that it "didn't feel right" that play continued. The fallout was also significant, with the AFL investigating why play had not stopped but falling victim to internal miscommunication. The League initially released a statement saying that field umpires did not stop play because they didn't see Schultz on the ground, but that was contradicted by match audio. A subsequent statement from the League said the wrong information was provided by the umpires before another follow-up, this time clarifying that the wrong information was provided by the umpiring department.
13. Hinkley's handover marks end of an era
Port Adelaide announced in February that 2025 would be Ken Hinkley's last season as its senior coach, setting in motion a long year that turned into a "battle" for the experienced coach. By hatching a season-long succession to Josh Carr, the Power shielded their next coach from a challenging year but ramped up pressure on Hinkley in his 13th season in the job. A 1-3 start threw the spotlight on the arrangement, and the Power were 4-7 at the halfway point, with finals never looking likely. If the succession plan was a misstep and ultimately unfair on Hinkley, then Port's players at least saw off the club's longest-serving coach in the right way come round 24, beating Gold Coast by four points in an emotion-charged win. Hinkley finished after 297 games and seven finals campaigns, with the club also farewelling champion midfielder Travis Boak. "The footy Gods were watching and they gave Travis, Chad (Cornes) ... myself, they gave us something we deserved, because we’re just good people," Hinkley said after finishing with the Power, with a move into the media now looming.
12. Gun midfielder and "footy weirdo" the toast of AFL
Gold Coast star Matt Rowell created history at the 2025 Brownlow Medal and blew his competition away early after becoming the first player to poll three votes in each of his first four games. In a stunning Brownlow boilover, Rowell polled 39 votes and was declared the winner after round 22, with his final tally the second most in history behind 2024 winner Patrick Cripps' 45. The 24-year-old was a worthy and humble winner, speaking about his obsession with the game growing up and the habits he had formed in the AFL as a "footy weirdo" who had taken to eating turf off the AFL playing surface before games as part of a grounding process. It was a big year for Rowell, who re-signed with the Suns until the end of 2027, earned All-Australian selection for the first time, and helped lead the Suns to an inaugural finals campaign and win. Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos (32 votes) finished on the podium for the third straight year without a win.
11. More turmoil for struggling Blues
Carlton was a big story waiting to happen all year, returning to the headlines with every bad loss, run of poor form, or off-field controversy. The year started with president Luke Sayers standing down after a lewd image was posted from his social media account, tagging a female executive of one of the Blues' corporate partners. Despite being cleared of wrongdoing by the AFL after his account was "compromised", Sayers relinquished his role and was replaced by Robert Priestley. The challenges kept coming for the Blues, who took a body blow when No.3 draft pick Jagga Smith suffered a pre-season ACL injury in a practice match against St Kilda. A 0-4 start followed and saw pressure mount periodically on coach Michael Voss until he was backed unanimously by the club board in August after a recommendation from incoming chief executive Graham Wright. There was still off-field change at the Blues, with Port Adelaide football boss Chris Davies replacing Brad Lloyd in the key post, and several changes in the coaching ranks as premiership coach Adam Simpson joined the club as a consultant. As with every year, a big season looms for the Blues in 2026.
