There's an interesting mix of controversy, breaking news and tragedy in our list – some generated lively conversations, others outpourings of grief and support.

Without further ado, take a look through the stories you clicked on the most in 2017.

David Dunstan prompted an ongoing discussion about the rights of gun owners after confronting a man who was armed with a knife during a home invasion with an unloaded .22 rifle.

Mr Dunstan's three guns were confiscated by Albury Police after he forced the would-be home invader into his car and drove him to the Albury Police Station.

The controversy prompted NSW deputy premier John Barilaro to travel to Albury later in September to discuss why his weapons had been seized.

Eventually Mr Dunstan was cleared of any wrongdoing.

A truck driver was lucky to escape without serious injuries after his truck plunged into the Ovens River in December.

He was able to remove himself from the cab before it fully submerged.

The EPA, CFA and North-East Water are still working through clean-up efforts.

The Wangaratta community was devastated by the loss of Leading Senior Constable Gavin Frew in September.

Capable of bringing light to a room in his own unique way, Leading Contable Frew had been stationed in Wangaratta for a few years since moving to the region from Horsham.

His daughter, Kaycee Frew, described him as her 'sad clown', and wanted his passing to be a reminder of the spectre of post-traumatic stress disorder in the Victorian Police force.

A 72-year-old Melbourne man was lucky to survive being shot in the head and chest by a still unknown assailant in Everton.

Police believed at least six shots were fired from a pistol at Kelvin Tennant, a Ringwood grandfather.

The retired schoolteacher later revealed he had played dead in the hopes the attacker would leave him alone.

Mr Tennant said he had seen a car parked on the side of the Myrtleford-Everton rail trail before he was shot.

There's no two ways about it – Karl Jacka's passing in January had a profound effect on not just the Border football scene, but the community as a whole. 

The affable coach of Rutherglen was never short of a word and endeared himself to many after revealing a stomach cancer diagnosis in July 2016.

His mantra of ‘making the little wins count’ resonated with everyone around him, and he was instrumental in raising more that $65,000 for the Relay for Life in 2016, which raised a total of more than $400,000.

Differences in P-plate laws between Victoria and New South Wales continued to cause grief in 2017.

South Albury teenager Aidan Gibbs was fined for carrying too many passengers on a trip to Yarrawonga, despite being allowed to do so under the conditions of his NSW license.

The story followed a similar tale from Lavington's Dani Sanderson, who resorted to calling police officers on both sides of the Border to figure out what was and wasn't allowed.

An bomb hoax on a flight from Sydney to Albury led to dramatic scenes in winter, leading to a Sydney man to be charged with send document threatening death or grievous bodily harm and give false information person/property in danger.

Passengers were instructed to flee the Virgin flight as soon as it came to a stop.

Nobody was injured, but passengers were left confused as to exactly what the man was thinking by leaving a note in the plane’s bathroom.

Carly Findlay had had enough of people judging her by her appearance – which was why she decided to accept an offer to appear on the ABC’s ‘You Can’t Ask That’ to dispel some of the stupid questions about her conditions.

The Walla-born advocate has a form of icthyosis, a skin condition that leaves her skin extremely fragile.

She’s made it her mission to change the language and attitudes people have when it comes to people with a disability.

Her powerful piece of writing resonated strongly with the Border Mail community, and was one of our most-read stories for the year.

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