Who would have thought that when the 2020 fixture was released that this was how the year would have ended up?

You would have been laughed across the Murray River if you were to suggest to the fervent footballing public of Victoria that many of them would not see a single game live this season.

A straight jacket would have been tailored to your measurements should you have suggested that the Grand Final would be played under lights at the Gabba in October.

However, due to arrival of an unforeseen and, as of yet, untameable virus, the game, like the rest of the world, was forced to make compromises.

With these changes came a fresh batch of terms to enter the footy lexicon, as well as the array of previously unthought of headlines that appeared on mastheads everywhere.

So despite a season that provided challenges for everyone involved in the game, it has also supplied many moments (both good and bad) that will live long in our memories.

Here are the top 10 headlines from a season unlike any before it.

6. Lachie Neale lands the Brownlow

In a regular season that only ran for 18 rounds, it seems inconceivable that Brisbane's Lachie Neale could poll a total of 31 votes on Brownlow night.

Having played in each of the Lions' 17 fixtured matches in 2020, Neale was named best on ground on ten occasions following a season in which he averaged 30 disposals (13.9 contested) and six clearances per game.

To put the former Docker's Brownlow dominance into perspective, it must be mentioned that in 2017, Dustin Martin polled the highest single season total with 36 having played five extra games.

Perhaps the largest peculiarity of the red hot favourite's night was that he had to award himself his โ€˜Charlie' due to strict Covid protocols. Although this did seem strange in isolation, the footballing public had become all too familiar by then with the oddities 2020 was capable of dishing up.