Football can be a cruel master, but it can also provide the sweetest taste of redemption there is.
In big games or moments players are human and falter, sometimes costing their side a premiership. But the players that respond the best are the ones whose stories shine the brightest.
Some players' mistakes happen off the field, besmirching their name. But again, football gives them light at the end of the tunnel and a path back for them to show their true character.
So which stories in recent memory have the best redemption arc?
2Mark Williams
Williams walking down the stairs of the MCG with his tie held up is one of the most iconic moments in football, and the act of redemption captured perfectly.
For years, Williams and the Power were labelled as "chokers". A team that was dominant during the home-and-away season but would fail to deliver when it mattered come September.
In 2004, Port Adelaide won the minor premiership for the third consecutive season. But the Powers' previous two attempts had fallen short in preliminary finals in both 2003 and 2002.
While in 2001, the Power finished third but fell out of the finals in straight sets.
Williams throughout this period of dominance was under the pump and taking criticism from all angles. Including, from trucking magnate and club sponsor Allan Scott who declared the Power wouldn't win a flag under Williams.
The premiership vindicated Williams as a coach and created history for the club as the Power toppled three-time reigning premier Brisbane in the first ever grand final not to feature a Victorian club.
