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

8. Collingwood (82 vs 80) Adelaide - Round 15

MCG
Crowd: 65,930

Eight weeks after Collingwood's first comeback over the Crows in Round 7, Adelaide were placed under the microscope once again, this time on a slightly grander stage and seeking revenge on the competition's best, this time on their soil.

Collingwood's fourth-quarter closing ability produced a stunning win in South Australia and heartbreak for Adelaide, but it was now up to the Crows to make a statement of their own in hostile territory.

Jordan Dawson's 100th game added a reason for Adelaide to bring their best, the skipper led the way with 35 disposals and 12 tackles in a potential three-vote performance.

On the other side, Nick Daicos again added to his Brownlow case with a casual 37 touches and goal, with highlights littered throughout.

The start of the match was hot, as both sides created chances but managed just one goal each late into the first quarter.

The second quarter saw Collingwood own the corridor like only they can, moving the ball with scintillating skill off turnovers and out of defensive 50. They broke away to a convincing 47-14 lead before Adelaide pegged one back before half-time. Though the Crows looked in trouble.

In probably their best quarter of the season, Adelaide tore through the third quarter like a house on fire, forcing errors with pressure before moving forward with danger. They quickly kicked back into the contest before Taylor Walker and Darcy Fogarty tipped them over the edge with long goals to take the lead and then extend it.

'Tex' booted three for the quarter, having kicked none to half-time, and the Crows were in business. They took a 13-point lead into the final change in a dramatic one-quarter turnaround, kicking seven goals to none and putting the challenge back in Collingwood's hands.

As expected at this point, however, the Magpie army willed their team back into momentum after young Harvey Harrison kicked the first of the last from point-blank range.

The crowd were then officially captivated when Mason Cox did what he sometimes does; stand up in a big moment with two clutch goals before provoking the opposition. The big man cut the margin to one point and let his opponent know about it, starting a brief scuffle as the crowd energy lifted further.

Inaccuracy plagued the Adelaide Crows in this match as it did all season, and after four straight behinds, Collingwood booted their fourth and fifth consecutive goals to establish a seven-point buffer as we entered time-on.

Up stepped Taylor Walker for his fifth goal of the day at the 27-minute mark to cut it back to a single kick with over three minutes remaining.

Both teams went to war in the dying stages, and with 20 seconds left, Adelaide made their final move.

An inside 50 hack fell in the path of Jordan Dawson, who charged at the footy and copped a hand to the face which went un-whistled. It was later found that a correct decision would have given Dawson a free kick, meaning a set-shot on the siren to win another famous game off his own boot. This time it wasn't to be.

The Magpies exited defensive 50 and the crowd cheered... then erupted as the final siren sounded yet another Collingwood closing masterclass.