<p>The AFL Finals roll around every year. With just nine games to decide the premiership, expect to be treated to some of the best games of the year.</p> <p>Some stick out in folklore as instant classics and there are those that, in the fullness of time have grown into five-star contests. From the best AFL preliminary finals to elimination finals, we’ve got you covered.</p> <p>So, what are the best five finals matches, that haven’t been Grand Finals, since the turn of the century? Check out Sportsbet’s top five below.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>List of Best AFL Finals Games</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Elimination Final 2017</h3> <p><strong>Port Adeliade vs West Coast Eagles - 2017</strong></p> <p>There aren’t many finals matches that end up with a draw. Well, there are a couple of famous ones.</p> <p>But even more recently than that one, was this classic between the Power and the Eagles which finished with a goal after the siren. The extra time siren that is.</p> <p>The Power couldn’t kick straight all night, which kept the Eagles alive. Remember the heroics of Eric Mackenzie who chose to collide with the point post in the dying seconds of regulation time to prevent a heartbreaking one-point loss? Yep, that happened.</p> <p>The Power found their way up by 13 points in the first period of extra time, but the Eagles hit back either side of the extra-time – half-time break.</p> <p>As they had done all night, the Power missed two more shots before Luke Shuey was awarded a free kick and go-ahead shot on goal for a high tackle with 20 seconds left on the clock.</p> <p>It never looked like deviating off the line, and for the second time that season, the Eagles had beaten the Power after the siren on their home turf. Only this time, it hurt that much more.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Preliminary Final 2016</h3> <p><strong>GWS Giants vs Western Bulldogs – 2016</strong></p> <p>This is one of the games that whenever it’s on the TV for a replay for the umpteenth time, you’re still going to sit down and watch it because it was just that good.</p> <p>It had every ingredient you could want. A building rivalry. Injury drama. Superstars. Cameo appearances and remarkable moments late in the final quarter.</p> <p>From Clay Smith’s four first-half goals to the injury carnage before halftime on both teams with Dogs ruck Jordan Roughead and Giants co-captain Callan Ward both ruled out for the rest of the match.</p> <p>The margin never exceeded 14 points, with the lead at each quarter breaks all in single digits.</p> <p>Entering the final quarter, the Giants kicked two quick goals to extend to the biggest lead of the game before a trio of Bulldog goals saw them reclaim the lead.</p> <p>With less than five minutes remaining, Jon Patton kicked his fourth goal to tie the game up at 82-apiece.</p> <p>Not even a minute later, the Dogs had responded through Jack Macrae who hauled in a brilliant contested- mark and kicked truly. But with three minutes to go, in a game that had had everything, anything could have happened.</p> <p>Some desperate defending from skipper Easton Wood saw the ball out of bounds on centre wing with 74 seconds to play.</p> <p>&nbsp;A free kick for a high tackle to Tory Dickson saw the clock wind down and put the Dogs into their first Grand Final in 55 years.</p> <p>We all know what happened the next week.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Preliminary Final 2011</h3> <p><strong>Geelong Cats vs Collingwood Magpie – 2011</strong></p> <p>Geelong had been the dominant team of 2007. They finished home and away season four games clear on top of the ladder and were by so far, the premiership favourites.</p> <p>&nbsp;But for all that, they came within moments of missing out on the Grand Final that season.</p> <p>A Paul Medhurst goal, cut the lead to just five points with under a minute to go leading to a frantic final minute.</p> <p>The Cats hadn’t won a flag since 1963 and almost lost the chance of advancing to that Grand Final as a persistent Collingwood annoyed them all night.</p> <p>It was only a supreme performance from Brad Ottens that got the Cats over the line by five points. A clearance from Alan Didak put the ball in Collingwood’s forward 50 with seconds ticking down. Jimmy Bartel had taken the ball and earned a stoppage for the Cats when the final siren sounded.</p> <p>It would be Nathan Buckley’s final game for the Magpies, while the Cats would go on to defeat Port Adelaide by a record 119 points the following week.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Semi-Final 2023</h3> <p><strong>Melbourne Demons vs Carlton Blues - 2023</strong></p> <p>Legend has it that the stands at the MCG are still shaking from that famous night last year.</p> <p>The heroics of that final play and the moments leading to Blake Acres’ goal are still at the forefront of every Carlton fan’s mind. For most Blues fans under the age of 25, that’s probably the best thing they’ve ever seen their club do.</p> <p>It was so tight all night. Every time the Dees threatened to pull away, the Blues would hit back. Not just with one goal, but if the Dees scored multiple goals, the Blues would hit back with multiple goals.</p> <p>With the Dees clutching to a six-point lead at the final change, the Blues, led by Sam Walsh kicked the first two goals to reclaim the lead and raise the tension of the 96,000-plus crowd by heaps.</p> <p>The Dees hit back with a pair of goals to reclaim the lead. With the ball living in Melbourne’s attacking half, the Dees kept squandering golden opportunities to drive the nail into the Blues coffin.</p> <p>Five straight Melbourne behinds, including one rushed by Max Gawn knocking what was going to be a certain goal over the line, left the door ajar for the Blues.</p> <p>Then the magic happened of that famous Carlton play. Acres kicked the goal to edge the Blues ahead by 2 points with just a minute left to play. He sealed his place in Carlton folklore and sent the Blues to their first Preliminary final in over 20 years.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Preliminary Final 2013</h3> <p><strong>Hawthorn Hawks vs Geelong Cats - 2013</strong></p> <p>The curse. It’s over! The famed Kennett curse had become such a big elephant in the room every time these two sides played. Which was a shame because every single time they played since they faced off in the 2008 decider, they were all epic.</p> <p>11 times the Cats and the Hawks had played each other since Hawthorn upset Geelong in the 2008 Grand Final. Geelong had won all 11 times with each game filled with moments, drama, and heart-stopping moments.</p> <p>This one was heading in exactly the same direction.</p> <p>Geelong had opened up a 20-point three-quarter time lead and was poised to break Hawthorn hearts again on their quest to write the wrong of 2012.</p> <p>But the Hawks stormed home in the last quarter. Shaun Burgoyne, after he set up one goal for Jack Gunston, kicked his third goal with just five minutes to play, receiving a handball, and running into an open goal.</p> <p>But just as Jimmy Bartel and Tom Hawkins had broken Hawthorn hearts over the journey, Travis Varcoe threatened too as well as he wheeled onto his right foot and had a shot for goal from 40m on the run with 30 seconds remaining. But the kick faded to the right and the Hawks held on for a momentous win.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>So there you have it, the entire list of the best AFL Finals Matches of all time. Some have been here more than other. Keep on reading on The Huddle and find out some more great AFL history from <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/afl/news/most-afl-premierships">Teams With The Most AFL Premierships</a> or the <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/afl/news/best-grand-finals">Best AFL Grand Finals This Century</a>.</p> <p>Want to follow on with our predictions throughout this years AFL premiership competition? Stay on The Huddle and head over to our <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/afl/predictions">Weekly Expert AFL Tips &amp; Predictions</a> including individual game previews!</p>