The Best Moments From The 2026 AFL Season

A wrap-up of the most spectacular, tense and thrilling moments.

With the 2026 men’s AFL season done and dusted, let’s look back at some of the best moments from early in the season to the nail-biting Grand Final.

The Easter Monday thriller.

The Easter Monday blockbuster on 6 April between Hawthorn and Geelong ended in a chaotic one-point thriller that saw the Hawks beat the Cats 92 to 91. With only 13 seconds left, Jack Gunston got his boot to the ball striking  the post for a behind, giving the Hawks a 1-point lead until the final siren.

A Showdown decided in the final seconds. 

In the Round 8 match between Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows on 1 May, Brayden Cook was hailed a hero for kicking the match-winning goal on the run from 45 metres out with just 10 seconds remaining securing the win for Adelaide. Sam Berry was awarded the Showdown Medal for a stellar game of 29 disposals and 19 tackles.

Wharfie time.

While its last appearance (and future) is heavily contested, Wharfie Time succeeded twice for the Fremantle Dockers this season prior to the Grand Final. In Round 9 vs Hawthorn on 7 May, it helped inspire a final-quarter comeback and in the Semi-Final vs Geelong on 11 September it was also activated to seal a win.

Celebrating Scott Pendlebury.

Collingwood legend Scott Pendlebury was celebrated for breaking the all-time VFL/AFL games record on 23 May. He played his record-breaking 433rd match against West Coast Eagles, surpassing Brent Harvey’s previous record of 432 games. Over 90,000 fans at the MCG gave him a standing ovation at the 10-minute mark of the first quarter, with more applause and fireworks at the final siren.

Captain Cripps saves the Blues.

Carlton captain Patrick Cripps saved the Blues in a thrilling Round 12 match against Geelong on 29 May, taking a mark and kicking a match-winning goal with just over a minute remaining to secure a dramatic four-point victory at the MCG.

An emotional Big Freeze match.

The atmosphere at the MCG was deeply emotional on 8 June for the first Big Freeze event since the passing of FightMND co-founder and AFL legend Neale Daniher. He passed away on 25 May after a 13-year battle with motor neuron disease. Ten prominent Australians braved the icy plunge to raise funds for MND research and both teams ran through a single, joint banner to honor Daniher’s legacy and his famous “Play On” rallying cry.

The Mark and Goal of the Year.

The winning moments for the 2026 AFL Mark of the Year and Goal of the Year both took place on the field during Round 24. Hawthorn’s Nick Watson won Mark of the Year for a horizontal grab against the West Coast Eagles on 23 August, and Brisbane’s Conor McKenna claimed Goal of the Year for his winning goal against Collingwood on 21 August.

Dockers prelim comeback.

On 18 September, the Fremantle Dockers completed an incredible comeback to defeat the Sydney Swans by 12-points  in the second preliminary final at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The Dockers trailed by as much as 28 points late in the third quarter but just before the third-quarter siren, Hayden Young kicked a miraculous goal on the 50m boundary. Energised by the goal, Freo dominated the final quarter and won 83 to 71.

The thrilling prelim between Brisbane and Hawthorn.

The Brisbane Lions defeated the Hawthorn Hawks 131 to 122 in their preliminary final at the MCG on 19 September. Hawthorn fought back from a 28-point deficit early in the final quarter, taking the lead before a late holding-the-ball free kick was called against Jarman Impey. Brisbane’s Hugh McCluggage kicked the goal to put the Lions ahead with 18 seconds remaining.

Lions claim epic three-peat.

The 2026 AFL Grand Final on 26 September was a tense, stunning contest between the Fremantle Dockers and the Brisbane Lions. The Dockers suffered a devastating blow when captain Alex Pearce went down in the third quarter with a serious Achilles injury, leaving Fremantle's defence vulnerable during the Lions' late onslaught. In the final quarter, the Dockers held a 17-point lead, with many fans celebrating what appeared to be an impending premiership, when the Dockers activated their signature Wharfie Time. In a sudden turn of events, the Brisbane Lions pulled off an extraordinary late comeback kicking four unanswered goals in the final minutes to defeat the Fremantle Dockers 96 to 89, securing their third premiership in a row. Fremantle’s Shai Bolton was awarded the Norm Smith Medal as the best player on the ground, becoming the first player from a losing team to win the award since 2005.