SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 19: Tom McCartin of the Swans (left) and brother Paddy embrace after the 2022 AFL Round 01 match between the GWS Giants and the Sydney Swans at Accor Stadium on March 19, 2022 In Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
The 2022 AFL Season has been rich in feel-good, heartwarming moments since the beginning of the year and amongst a lot of negativity circling the AFL world, it seems right to look back on some of the best moments from this season thus far.
From players returning from injury to goals after the siren, we here at Zero Hanger have compiled a list of 10 of the very best stories of the year.
This list is in no particular order and is here to reflect on some of the best moments and, as always, let us know which is your favourite from this season.
The 2022 Mid-Season Draft is already one of the most impressive after just over a month since the 17 names were read out on June 1st.
As expected, the draft came with some sensational stories of resilience, perseverance and, of course, immense talent.
We've already seen six of the 17 players make their AFL debuts in Hawthorn's James Blanck, Carlton's Sam Durdin and Will Hayes, Essendon's Massimo D'Ambrosio, Port's Brynn Teakle and Collingwood's Josh Carmichael.
On top of this, a few of the others wouldn't be too far away from an AFL debut, whether it is the end of this season or the start of next.
Number one pick Jai Culley was an emergency for West Coast last week, while GWS' Wade Derksen had also been named as an emergency in recent weeks. Sydney's Hugo Hall-Kahan has been super impressive in the VFL, as with Brett Turner in the SANFL for Adelaide.
Other names like Oskar Faulkhead (Gold Coast), Jye Menzie (Essendon), Kallan Dawson (North), Max Ramsden (Hawks), Jacob Bauer (Richmond), Zane Williams (Geelong) and Sebit Kuek (Fremantle) are also impressive talents and could easily feature for their side in the near future.
These players have faced the hard way into AFL programs and there's nothing better than seeing these draftees make their name on the big stage.
No doubt next year will also provide an array of these great stories and immense talents.
They might not be at the highest level numbers-wise but how good is it to have a crowd back at the footy!?
After two years of mostly canned noises and empty stadiums, nothing beats the authentic sound of a crowd wildly celebrating a major at the death.
We've already seen this season in the close clashes such as Geelong vs Richmond, the Showdown and most recently the Suns vs Richmond game that features late goals and after the siren goals, that the crowds add so much more to those moments.
There have been some great games on show, especially in the last couple of weeks, and having a crowd makes them feel that much more special to not only other supporters but most definitely the players.
Some of the best showmen of the competition feed off the crowd energy and it is great to see that connection back again.
Even look at Buddy's 1000th. The scenes were unreal, and it was great that it occurred in front of a vocal home crowd, rather than an empty stadium.
The thought of not only the grand final back at the 'G, but the opening weeks of finals there as well is enough to bring a smile to the face of most fans.
As mentioned in the previous story, Buddy Franklin's 1000th career goal and resulting pitch invasion was the pinnacle of chaos but also beauty.
It's something that fans have had to wait for since Buddy's 100th in 2008, and boy did it not only live up to but exceed so many of the supporters' hopes.
A milestone that is unlikely to be hit anytime soon by current key forwards and made Franklin only the sixth player ever to kick 1000 majors, Buddy's goal will forever go down as a major part of AFL/VFL history and will live long in the memory of anyone that got to be a part of it.
The pitch invasion and reaction were not only a celebration of Buddy's milestone but of the mercurial forward's remarkable career in full as he enters the final stages of it.
In case you wish to relive the moment and ensuing chaos, enjoy the video below.
Most AFL fans know plenty about Geelong small forward Tyson Stengle's past, but the 23-year-old has come on in leaps and bounds at the Cattery in 2022.
Starting his career at the Tigers before returning to South Australia via the Crows in 2019, Stengle was delisted by Adelaide officially in 2021 after a string of off-field incidents.
After returning to the SANFL, Stengle became an important cog in the Woodville-West Torrens forward line as they won a second consecutive SANFL premiership.
Stengle kicked 44 goals in 19 games for the Eagles and was immediately put back on the radar of AFL clubs as a delisted free agent.
After the recruitment of Eddie Betts as a development coach, Geelong secured Stengle's signature and he hasn't looked back.
Picking him up for next to nothing, Stengle has played in all 16 games for the Cats, kicking 32 goals in the process and skyrocketing his name into the All-Australian conversation.
The definition of redemption so far, it is still early in Stengle's Geelong career and with finals to come, that is where he could become a star.
Chris Scott would be thrilled with the pick-up and Stengle's goal sense and cleanliness on the ball are what has already made him a fan favourite at GMHBA Stadium and an essential part of the stacked Geelong forward line.
Here's hoping that Stengle can let his football do the talking and become a star of the competition for years to come, just like his mentor in Betts.
Nic Martin joined the Bombers as a rookie during the pre-season supplemental selection period after impressing in the AAMI Community Series games for the Dons.
The Western Australian was quickly thrown in to make his debut in Round 1 against Geelong, and no one was expecting how great of a debut he'd make.
Despite the Bombers getting crushed by the Cats, Martin finished with 27 disposals, 10 marks and five goals in a performance that resulted in the first Rising Star nomination for the season.
While he might not have had that type of individual statline since, Martin has been seriously impressive for Ben Rutten's side.
The 21-year-old is averaging 19.7 disposals, 6.1 marks and a goal per game in what has been an outstanding debut season.
His skills and decision making is a major feature of his play and he, like Stengle, has become a fan favourite at the Bombers and looks to have a great future in the AFL system.
A story that junior football players should admire, Martin has come from the clouds to become such an important player for Essendon and his resilience is something that all AFL fans can admire and become inspired by.
There's just so much to like about this young and exciting Gold Coast team.
The quality of their list is vastly underrated and even with season-ending injuries to so many first 22 players, the Suns continue to impress every week.
Stuart Dew has just re-signed, they're pushing for finals while tallying up some impressive victories over tough sides, and they are blooding a team filled with young talent.
Many aspects of this season would have most AFL fans quietly supporting the Suns this season.
Firstly, their forward line is set to be one of the most exciting in years to come. We've seen Izak Rankine take his game to a whole new level, Malcolm Rosas and Joel Jeffrey staked their claim in the front six, Hewego Paul Oea's background and story are incredible, and Levi Casboult and Mabior Chol have both come in as new recruits and completely changed the way they play.
We also saw young gun Alex Davies have a special moment with his grandfather, who travelled from Japan to watch his grandson play against the Crows. In a truly heartwarming moment, Davies' grandfather took part in singing the song in the rooms after the win too.
Just last week, midfield jet Noah Anderson sunk the Tigers in a thrilling contest after the siren after the Suns were 40-points down at one stage and 10 points down with just over a minute to go. The scenes, the raw emotion and the celebrations were enough to make all AFL fans, barring Richmond's, crack a smile and think 'how good is this!'.
Amongst this, it's easy to forget the established talent in the team. They've got Anderson, Matt Rowell, Jarrod Witts and Touk Miller in the middle. Sam Collins is supremely underrated at fullback, while important defenders like Charlie Ballard quietly put together impressive games.
Even if they just fall short of a maiden finals appearance, the Suns have lost no fans in 2022 and are a side to keep an eye on next year as well.
Arguably the best pick-up of the off-season in the league, Will Brodie's rise from the outer at the Suns to a star in the Dockers' midfield has been incredible.
I don't think anyone knew just how good Brodie would perform in a midfield that already boasts the likes of Caleb Serong, Andy Brayshaw and now the returning Nat Fyfe to name a few.
The 23-year-old was a former top 10 pick in 2016, with the Suns calling out his name. Injuries, COVID and form meant Brodie struggled to break into and cement a spot in the 22. The Victorian was only able put 25 games to his name in five seasons on the Gold Coast.
At the end of last year, the Dockers came calling for Brodie's services, trading their future second and fourth-round selections to the Suns in return for Brodie, pick 19, and picks 61 and 69.
In retrospect, that is an absolute steal considering Brodie has been one of the most in-form midfielders in the competition throughout 2022.
Brodie is averaging 27.9 disposals, five tackles, 6.1 clearances and 12.9 contested possessions per game through all 16 games this season.
He has also slotted four goals, one more than his previous tally at the Suns.
One of the best trades in modern times, Brodie looks set for a long and successful career at the impressive Fremantle Dockers and will play finals footy for the first time in his career.
An outstanding talent that had his career almost derailed through constant injury, Charlie Curnow's 2022 season has been nothing short of incredible.
The former Geelong Falcon was drafted to Carlton with the 12th pick in the 2015 National Draft, and straight away his talents were obvious.
Curnow enjoyed a breakout season in 2018, kicking 34 goals for the Blues in 20 games but has since been hampered by injury.
Between 2019 and 2021, Curnow played just 15 games in the Navy Blue as fans were eager to see their talented forward back in the side.
However, now fully fit, Curnow has taken the league by storm in 2022 and currently leads the Coleman medal tally with 50 goals to his name after 16 games.
Working with reigning Coleman medallist Harry McKay, Curnow has stepped up both with and without McKay in the side to average 3.1 goals per game in 2022.
Not only that but the 25-year-old also averages 11.6 disposals and 5.8 marks per game, becoming a force not only inside fifty but also able to impact around the ground.
His return from a cruel few years is inspirational in itself but to see the deadly form he is producing week in, week out at the Blues is truly incredible to watch.
At his best, he is one of the most watchable and entertaining forwards in the league and hopefully he can consistently stay top of the goalkicking charts for years to come.
Another remarkable story of courage and persistence from Carlton, Sam Docherty's return to football after a harrowing four years has been superb.
Docherty suffered two ACL ruptures in 2017 and 2018 and therefore missed the 2018 and 2019 seasons after a career-best year in 2017 where he was named in the All-Australian team.
The 28-year-old would then be diagnosed with testicular cancer for the first time in November 2020, before being diagnosed a second time in August 2021.
Docherty played 30 games between 2018 and 2021 but remarkably returned in Round 1 of this season against the Tigers.
'Doc' racked up 26 disposals, six marks and kicked a goal in an emotional victory for the Blues.
The reaction from the crowd, the players, and fans watching at home showed incredible support for Docherty in a heartwarming moment.
Since then, Docherty is having an incredible season to date and looks set to secure a second All-Australian blazer at season's end, when not many thought he could.
Averaging 28.3 disposals, 7.4 marks and 505.4 metres gained through all 16 games this season, Docherty is truly reminding all fans of how much of a star he is in defence.
He's been through so much in recent years, and every supporter in the AFL world will forever be a fan of Sam Docherty.
Another return after years on the sidelines, Paddy McCartin's career resurgence at the Swans has been inspiring to watch.
The former pick one was drafted to St Kilda in the 2014 AFL National Draft, where he'd only feature 35 times and suffered a cruel eight concussion from 2014-2019.
McCartin was delisted at the end of the 2019 season to deal with issues surrounding the concussions, and doubts were placed over whether he would ever play AFL again.
McCartin returned to football in 2021, linking up with the Sydney Swans VFL team and joining his younger brother Tom in Sydney.
After an impressive season at VFL, McCartin was signed by the Sydney Swans during the pre-season supplemental selection period and since then, hasn't missed a beat as an intercept defender.
McCartin has played in all but one game this year for the Swans and has been regularly impressing with his intercept abilities in the back half.
The 26-year-old averages 13.4 disposals and 3.8 intercept marks per game (in which he ranks elite), and is easily in the top handful of intercept defenders in 2022.
After playing his 50th game last weekend, seeing McCartin playing consistent football and seemingly enjoying it is a great site for AFL fans.
From having his career feared to be over to a genuine star of the competition, McCartin's journey is the definition of heartwarming and we hope he'll tick off more career milestones in coming seasons.