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

3. Essendon (74 vs 78) Port Adelaide - Round 16

MCG
Crowd: 38,957

Port Adelaide's 13th consecutive win this year probably came with the most memorable AFL moment in their coach's tenure, as Ken's men took another step to their eventual top-four finish in a special win over Essendon.

Once again it was a greasy night at the 'G where the battle between two top midfield units of the competition took centre stage.

Zach Merrett, Darcy Parish and Jye Caldwell each sensed their moments and matched the brilliance of Connor Rozee and Zak Butters throughout the match, with inspired performances produced by all.

Forced into a late change with Scott Lycett pulling up lame at the 11th hour, 20-year old Dante Visentini stepped into ruck for Port Adelaide for his first game of AFL on the latest notice possible.

The Power were otherwise fresh and, despite kicking 2.8 to open proceedings, began inflicting damage with some smooth goals from distance from their elite kickers Connor Rozee, Kane Farrell and Ryan Burton.

Still, the match was evenly poised and ready for the Bombers to make their move, which they did through intense forward pressure and chaotic ball movement. Merrett's leadership set the tone for the Bombers, who put themselves in a strong position heading into the fourth up by nine.

The final quarter was simply box-office, as Port Adelaide quickly kicked themselves into a 17-point lead with a string of momentum and a flurry of goals, including Rozee's third.

The Bombers wrestled back momentum as the quarter entered extra time where Jye Caldwell kicked a boundary-line contender to keep the bombers alive.

Soon after, Kyle Langford caused a ruckus as he flew for a contested grab and cut the margin below a kick.

Both sides tussled the territory war until Caldwell found the footy again with a mark inside 50 and a chance to astonishingly put the Bombers in front.

He put it through as Bomber fans shook the stadium.

As conceded by Ken Hinkley post-game however, something miraculous had infected the psyche of Port Adelaide during this unprecedented winning run, as against all odds, the Power earned a final chance. A hacked kick out of Essendon's defensive 50 ideally found the chest of Dan Houston, a capable kicker from 55 metres out.

The siren sounded, leaving him no choice.

Houston unleashed the iconic kick of 2023, pumping a mighty drop punt that sailed toward goal, narrowly past the Essendon fingers on the goalline.

The final frame of the score review captured iconic imagery of the ball crossing the goalline over a nest of desperate players. Among this pack stands the resilient goal umpire staunchly squatting in his rightful position to determine the correct soft call of a goal, which decided yet another famous Ken Hinkley victory in a storied season for Port Adelaide.