The 2017 season was one of peaks and troughs…right to the end of the campaign.

The highs in the qualifying rounds included a stunning victory over 2016 premiers Western Bulldogs at Domain Stadium, but the lows were an unexpected loss to Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium as well as stumbling against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.

It left the Eagles with some work to do going into round 23 against top team Adelaide.

The Eagles needed to win – and by a margin of around four goals – to lock down a spot in the finals series. Adding to the sense of occasion that match against the Crows, coached by club great Don Pyke, was the finale to football at Subiaco Oval (aka Domain Stadium).

Sitting in ninth position on the ladder at the start of round, they were aware they needed at least one result to fall their way but the bottom line was that they would not play finals unless they upset the Crows.

After Melbourne, who were seventh, were upset by Collingwood a day earlier, the door was ajar.

Leading by 31 points at the last change, the situation was perilous about 20 minutes into the last term when Adelaide had kicked the only three goals to reduce the margin to 17 points. At that stage Melbourne were in the top eight by the barest of margins.

It was then that Lewis Jetta, who had already enjoyed a good term, turned it on. He intercepted a clearing defensive kick from the Crows at the top of the 50 metre arc, bringing the ball to ground with a one-handed drag to the deck. He then gathered, stepped his way through a couple of tackles and kicked a check side goal when running away from the target towards the southern stand.

And two minutes later Jack Darling galvanised the ascent to finals when he took a courageous mark running with the flight of the ball into a pack of opposition defenders. When he converted from the goal square Eagles fans celebrated deliriously in the knowledge their club was finals bound.

Their first September assignment was against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. If the drama was high at Subiaco Oval it was off the scales in the City of Churches on what would become a momentous day in club history.

When the Power opened up a 10-point advantage in the early part of the last quarter of regular time it seemed they had done enough to snatch victory. But the Eagles came again and in a desperate final few minutes produced some heroics that locked scores at full time – 9.6 (60) to 8.12 (60).

If West Coast had failed to establish scoreboard pressure in the first half, Port was guilty of wasting chances thereafter and they were denied a last-ditch push for victory by Eric Mackenzie.

With the scores tied in the final seconds, he slid after a ball that seemed destined to dribble through for a behind. Desperate to prevent Port scoring in that remarkable situation, he crashed ribs first into the behind post and shovelled the ball over the boundary line.

Seconds later the siren sounded and the game was sent into extra time.

Port again looked poised to advance to the elimination finals when they led by 13 points in the first five-minute block, but a late soccer from Josh Kennedy reduced the margin to seven points as they changed ends for the last time.

This game that already appeared to have had anything, found an extraordinary climax.

A snap by Dom Sheed, a left footer in the wrong pocket at the city end of Adelaide Oval, rolled across the boundary line.

The resultant throw-in saw the ball spill to the back of the congestion. It bobbled around for a couple of seconds before squirting in the direction of Luke Shuey. He swooped, gathered and was taken high in the tackle.

As Shuey received the ball he was aware it was the last kick of the game.

He had a little smirk to himself, perhaps saying ‘I’ve got this.’ Then lined it up from about 40 metres as the siren sounded.

Shuey walked in deliberately and struck it sweetly. The ball was going nowhere except through the middle as the Eagles scored one of the most thrilling victories in history.

Unfortunately the fortnight of euphoria could not be replicated the following week and the season came a halt at the hands of the polished GSW outfits at Giants Stadium.