Contenders for the game of the year began on the opening night of the season when a Tom Lynch contested clunk and goal tied up the Richmond vs Carlton opener, setting the scene for one of the greatest home & away seasons in the AFL era.

Nearly every round after produced thrillers, comebacks, upsets and big crowds that make our game so special and have led us to yet another premiership race to not miss a second of.

Last season's Round 23 Carlton vs Collingwood clash saw the home & away season reach heights never before seen in our sport, as the grim reaper in Collingwood stormed home to secure a top four spot, eliminating the Blues in the clear-cut game of the year.

This season saw one side eliminated from contention in even more heartbreaking fashion, while others claimed statement wins throughout the season via comebacks, individual brilliance and close-game artistry.

With a plethora of thrilling battles to choose from, here is the list of the 10 best matches of the 2023 home & away season.

Honourable mentions

9. Collingwood (90 vs 77) Essendon - Round 6

MCG
Crowd: 95,179

2023 may have provided the most anticipated Anzac Day clash since the inaugural 1995 match which ended in an astounding draw.

This year, both sides entered the occasion at 4-1 on the season; Collingwood entrenched as premiership favourites and Essendon running hot after their staggering defeat of Melbourne at Gather Round.

Hampered by the suspension of their skipper, Zach Merrett, a win for the Bombers on this stage in front of a record-breaking 95,000 at the 'G would send shockwaves through the competition. To do it, they would have to stop Collingwood's corridor surge and accordingly, their 20-year-old phenom Nick Daicos.

They looked to be doing so in the opening stages, snagging the first three goals before a long bomb from Jordan De Goey on the quarter-time siren concluded an ideal start to a riveting contest.

Momentum flipped throughout the second term as both sides put on strings of scores and squared the contest at 37-35 by half-time.

Bomber fans watched on in disbelief as their side stuck it to Collingwood in the third term, kicking six goals to one in an unbelievable quarter of pressure footy and pinpoint precision. A left-foot Jake Stringer snap blew the margin out to 28 points, leaving Collingwood the task of putting together another fourth-quarter comeback for the ages.

Collingwood's burst began and in a flash, they were back in the game. An early goal was quickly doubled by a long bomb outside 50 from Ash Johnson which sent the crowd alight. The nation then watched on in awe as Nick Daicos crashed a full-forward contest to kick his first goal and cut the margin to nine.

With the Anzac Medal all but decided, Daicos found the pill once more to curl through his second goal for the quarter, this time giving the Pies a two-point lead and solidifying a best-on-ground performance.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 25: Nick Daicos of the Magpies poses for a photo after winning the Anzac medal during the 2023 AFL Round 06 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Essendon Bombers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 25, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

He finished with 40 disposals to go with the two fourth-quarter majors as the Magpies charged home with seven goals to nil for the term, defeating the Bombers 90-77 in an Anzac Day epic.