Legacies are defined by what teams and players achieve, or fail to achieve, in September.
The stakes are higher. Every effort is amplified. Every mistake is compounded. Every victory is glorified. Losses are rarely forgiven.
With the first week of finals upon us, let's take a look at some of the most memorable matches this corresponding point of the season has blessed footy fans with in recent memory.
The eight best first-week finals of the last decade:
1Geelong Cats v Collingwood Magpies, 2022 Qualifying Final
Geelong won through to their sixth prelim in seven years, after edging Collingwood in one of the greatest matches of all time. The Magpies were riding the high of a mesmerising first year under new coach Craig McRae, and the close-game wizardry that came with it.
The Cats were trying to send legendary captain Joel Selwood into the sunset with another premiership.
Brilliant set shot goalkicking from both sides was a feature of the contest, and the third term, in particular.
The lead changed nine times across the course of the match, with tension reaching unbearable proportions in the last term.
With scores knotted, in time-on, a defensive breakdown led to a two-on-one deep in the Cats' forward line. Gary Rohan recovered from dropping the mark, passing the Sherrin to a baby-faced Max Holmes, who kicked the winner into the third tier of the Ponsford Stand.
Rohan's performance buried torturous memories of poor finals outings that had marred his career, while Jordan de Goey provided another example of the exemplary finals play that characterises his storied career, registering 26 touches, two massive goals, nine tackles, eight clearances and seven score involvements.
Collingwood made a bold bid to force a September rematch with the Cats in the 2022 AFL Grand Final, but came up a point short at the SCG against the Sydney Swans, who Geelong belted by 81 points to win the premiership.
