Brendan Fevola-Jonathan Brown combo

They were supposed to be the "Dream Team" partnership up forward, a pair of goal-kicking assassins set to lead the Lions back to the promised land. Instead, the road too often led straight to the casualty ward, and the Lions' season subsequently slipped into the abyss. While Brown has been all class off the field, Fevola - still earning $700,000 a year - reverted to type and reinforced why the Blues finally decided to kick him out. There was the Lara-Bingle nude-photo scandal and confirmation of his gambling problems, while there are now revelations of another alcohol-fuelled bender last weekend in Melbourne when, really, he should be concentrating on recovering from major groin surgery. What's that saying about leopards? Fevola's woes also brought into greater focus coach Michael Voss' questionable decision last summer to recruit a handful of, at best, B-grade senior players, including Xavier Clarke, Andrew Raines and Amon Buchanan. Expect some major off-field restructuring up north in the coming weeks.

The Essendon FC board

The way Matthew Knights has been handled has been terrible, highlighting that a once mighty club is still coming to terms with a messy divorce from long-time love, Kevin Sheedy. Knights, firstly, should not have been given a two-year extension last year, but once that decision was made, the board surely should have wholeheartedly backed him this season. Instead, the rumblings of discontent, driven by anguished supporters, and the declaration of a post-season review have made Knights' position untenable, despite being contracted until the end of the 2012 season. Put simply, it's one big mess, and James Hird - if he is to be believed - is no longer willing to clean it up.

Etihad Stadium surface

Has not been up to scratch all year and it was only after yet more protests from the likes of Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett, Chris Judd and the Western Bulldogs that the AFL conceded this was a major issue. The problem will always remain that it is a multi-purpose venue and investors, naturally, want to make money. Let's hope, however, management will never again stage concerts on the eve of the season, as it did this year when INXS came to town, for the surface never recovered. In this professional era, contentious playing fields are no longer acceptable. So please, no more comments such as "you should have seen what the conditions were like in the 1980s".

Adelaide Crows

The Crows were expected to challenge for the flag this year but now find themselves suddenly rebuilding. To some, their fall has been surprising, even disappointing. Bottom line, Neil Craig fell for the oldest trick in the coaching book when he allowed 30-somethings Andrew McLeod, Tyson Edwards, Simon Goodwin, Andrew McLeod and Brett Burton to all play on this year, believing his team was on the cusp of a premiership. All have now retired, been pushed or a combination of both, with Edwards even involved in an ugly mid-season 'retirement' over his right to a farewell game. Don't be surprised to find Goodwin in an assistant coaching role with a Victorian-based team next year.

Match Review Panel

Well, what can I say? It's been a horrible year for the match review panel and its chairman Mark Fraser. Even Nostradamus would have had trouble predicting the weekly findings. There's been many contentious calls, but here's just a few. Steven Baker's 12-game suspension (reduced to nine) in round 13 for several striking incidents involving Geelong's Steve Johnson, including hitting his broken hand, was branded the worst verdict in 25 years of reporting by one senior Melbourne football journalist. That penalty came just weeks after Richmond's Jack Riewoldt escaped sanction for hitting the sore hand of Essendon's Tayte Pears. On the same weekend of the Baker/Johnson spat, Carlton captain Chris Judd was not cited for making contact with the cheek of Fremantle's Matthew Pavlich. The blow drew blood and Judd's escape attracted widespread criticism. Yet later in the season Campbell Brown was suspended for two weeks for an almost identical hit on St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo. Go figure. The list goes on and on. We think it may be time for a review of the review system.

Western Bulldogs

They were all the rage after reformed recruit Barry Hall led the Doggies to the NAB Cup premiership. Some so-called wise pundits even tipped they would knock off St Kilda and Geelong this season. So much for that. From the moment the Bulldogs were pounded in round one by the Magpies, they were unable to really find their groove. They were unable to claim a major scalp on the field, while the troubles with Jason Akermanis and now injury have all but cruelled hopes of a breakthrough premiership and perhaps the closed the "window" on this core group. Astute commentator Robert Walls has even suggested it may be time for Rodney Eade to leave the kennel and head to Windy Hill.

Jason Akermanis

Deserves a mention on his own, for he didn't handle himself at all well through the controversy over his newspaper column claiming gay footballers should stay in the closet - an act that ultimately led to his demise. It was a column Akermanis should have said no to. Backpagelead.com.au always applauds players for providing interesting and analytical comment. That Akermanis' radar wasn't up on the gay issue after years of media experience, however, bewildered many. Banished to the VFL and almost sacked in response to the column, Akermanis, for his part, should have immediately shown contrition and kept his mouth shut. Instead, he belittled his VFL opponent and continued to create headlines. He was subsequently sacked, and robbed himself, the Bulldogs and the football public of one last piece of September magic from a man who should be remembered for his on-field exploits - but, unfortunately, may not.

Umpire Stuart Wenn

It may seem trivial, but umpire Stuart Wenn's sledge on Richmond's Daniel Connors in round 21 was unacceptable. While his spray was one thing - "You're batting out of your league, pal. You're batting so far out of your league" - the aggressive manner and body language with which it was said was alarming and could easily have sparked Connors into a physical reaction. To his credit, Wenn later apologised and was suspended for a week. It did little to ease suspicions that some umpires are overly keen to get 'involved' in the game. Umpiring isn't easy, and never will be, but it's hard to give the men in white, or yellow, or green, or whatever color this week's fashion is, more than a B-grade this season.

Fremantle's resting of players

While Mark Harvey was within the rules to rest six of his best players against Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium, the move was a blight on the sport. It made a mockery of what is supposed to be the toughest competition in Australia and those who gave up their ‘hard-earned' to head to the game surely were within their rights to ask for a refund. Could Harvey's move be the start of a new trend, particularly if the season expands, of teams resting players for matches they have targetted a fortnight or so later? Let's hope not.

The end of the Paul Roos-Brett Kirk era

The Swans haven't always been pretty to watch, but in Kirk and Roos they have boasted the best captain and coach of the past six years. Kirk was as unfashionable as they come on the field but his discipline and passion to enforce the "Bloods code" was compelling. In Roos, the Swans have lost not only an astute premiership coach but a key spokesman able to sell a game still struggling for traction in Sydney - despite what many people will tell you. Let's hope a refreshed Roos eventually returns to the coaching ranks.

Nic Naitanui

Began the year almost an unbackable favourite to win the Rising Star award, but slipped dramatically as the season unfolded. While it may be unfair to brand a second-year player a disappointment, particularly one that has played every game, Naitanui, 20, clearly still has a lot to learn about the nuances of the game. Averaging 12 disposals and 17 hit outs per game, he must learn how to find easy possessions in space and become more of a target up forward if he is to really hurt opponents.

Worth a mention

BPL would never be so bold but some have ventured to say the emergence of Collingwood as flag favourites has been disappointing. The same people have said they'll be attending the grand final with a passport in their back pocket - just in case the Pies win. And then they're getting a cab straight to the airport. As though 20 years between premierships isn't long enough. But because we're only interested in serious comment here at backpagelead.com.au, we're disregarding that frivolous talk - and, like the Herald Sun, learning to love the Pies. How does it go again .... ''side by side, we stick together, to uphold the Magpies name'' ....

And others up for consideration:

- Michael Barlow's horrific broken leg for Fremantle, ending a brilliant rookie season and also taking some serious wind out of the Dockers' sails.

- Steven Baker's box-on with Steve Johnson in a long-running feud that earned the feisty Saint a nine-match suspension, one of the longest in recent history.

- Mick Malthouse's unseemly mouthing off at Stephen Milne during the Round 3 St Kilda-Collingwood match, an incident that did nothing to enhance any reputation he had as a statesman of the game.

- Goal umpire blunders; Mathew Stokes, Michael Johnson and their drug bans; Nick Riewoldt's terrible hamstring injury in that same Rd 3 match, the AFL's naming and shaming of match officials who bet $2 on games (and any other of your nominations here ....)