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

5. Carlton (60 vs 56) Melbourne - Round 22

MCG
Crowd: 68,577

Last year's Round 21 classic between these two ended in a late Melbourne miracle, when Kysaiah Pickett nailed a 35th-minute fourth-quarter snap from the top of the goalsquare to crush Carlton souls watching their side blow another finals berth.

This time around, Carlton was the form team of the competition looking to notch a seventh consecutive win in a rampage toward finals.

In quest of reaching a top two ladder position and avoiding an interstate qualifying final, a win was pivotal for Melbourne and their hopes for a second premiership in a primed era at the club.

The entire nation, including much of the MCG crowd, was alive early, having seen the Matilda's secure a famous penalty shootout win in the Women's World Cup, all during the first quarter of footy.

Fan attention shifted between the World Cup and the AFL, where only two goals were kicked in the opening term.

However, the 9-6 quarter-time scoreline reflected finals-like intensity in wet conditions rather than the lifeless scrub produced by these two sides in Round 12.

Adding more intrigue, Melbourne finally welcomed Clayton Oliver back onto the field after his nagging 12-week hamstring injury.

Easing back into the gears of match day, Oliver was soon amongst the action as per usual, finishing the match with an impressive 27 touches and 10 tackles on return.

For the Blues, the absence of Sam Walsh and Adam Cerra presented a confronting challenge for Patrick Cripps, George Hewett and Paddy Dow to stand up as a unit against a heralded midfield.

These three, along with Nic Newman, Adam Saad, Zac Fisher and Tom De Koning, were brilliant on the night, typifying the level of play Carlton had achieved for nearly two months straight.

Charlie Curnow's one-on-one battle with Steven May saw both manage their share of contest wins and impact plays in what was a riveting contest from start to finish.

As we hit the fourth quarter Carlton held a slight advantage on the scoreboard but appeared to be winning far more battles on the field.

Their persistence was rewarded when a quick burst led to Curnow nailing a set-shot from 50 to evenly square his battle with May and, more importantly, give the Blues their biggest lead on the night; 18 points.

As the great sides do, however, Melbourne clawed their way back.

A masterful goal at a forward contest from Kysaiah Pickett and a clutch Joel Smith set-shot from the boundary line left Melbourne 15 minutes to outwork Carlton in critical contests and somehow cram through one final goal.

The atmosphere was officially 'finals-like', with every contest more important than the last and fans of both sides watching on in agony.

A palpable sense of deja vu filled the stadium as Carlton repeatedly forced pressured kicks out of defensive 50 during the closing stages, allowing Melbourne several chances to break their hearts once again.

Luck was on their side however, when Christian Salem wasted a golden chance on the run after a hacked dribble kick fell in his lap with two minutes remaining.

All eyes were peeled moments later when Christian Petracca marked the ball 50 metres out with 50 seconds left, before setting sail with a thumping drop punt. The ball skimmed through the rain and seemingly grazed the goalline pack en route to home, forcing the most dramatic score review of the season.

The review footage was inconclusive and one behind was confirmed for a decision that would become the biggest talking point of the season... before being completely eclipsed just a week later.

Melbourne forced one final forward entry in the dying seconds where a Leo Barry-esque pack brought the ball to ground and brought Carlton to the final siren of their most dramatic home & away win in season 2023.