The 2012-13 campaign for Aberdeen was a season of vital change and the emergence of a new hero, culminating in an 8th-place finish in the Scottish Premier League. The Dons were led by the sensational Niall McGinn, whose 20 league goals proved a thrilling highlight in a year that saw the arrival of Derek McInnes as manager to lay the groundwork for future success. Despite a mid-table league finish and a quarter-final exit in the League Cup, the campaign remains memorable for McGinn's prolific form and for introducing the core of the squad that would soon bring silverware back to Pittodrie.