This list features 10 of the most iconic performances of the year; players shining in the most pressured environments, producing jaw-dropping displays of individual dominance, and team-carrying efforts under severe duress.

A lot goes into judging the top on-field performances in our code, systems and algorithms don't seem to capture the memorability of the moment, the conditions of the arena, the magnitude of the contest or even the match-winning efforts that transpire.

Fantasy points and SuperCoach scores highlight the best accumulative players on any given day, but also don't do justice to what will appear in the history books decades down the line. Bobby Hill's fantasy scores in his Norm Smith Medal performance might not jump off the page, but the emotion and buzz it created as it unfolded will leave it fresher in the memory banks to tell future generations.

Without further ado, number 10 on this list is...

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10. Bobby Hill - GF vs Brisbaneย 

Stats: 4 goals, 18 disposals, 9 score involvements, 8 marks, 5 tackles

Collingwood's 16th flag is not won without their first half performance on grand final day, driven by Bobby Hill's four goals, relentless pressure and mark of the year contender.

Hill was the most pivotal of Collingwood's tone-setters in one of the greatest matches our sport has ever seen, kicking the second goal of the game in the first term before playing one of the great grand final quarters in the second.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Bobby Hill of the Magpies celebrates kicking a goal during the 2023 AFL Grand Final match between Collingwood Magpies and Brisbane Lions at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on September 30, 2023, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Kicking a set shot from 45, then flying over Brandon Starcevich in the glaring sun for a MOTY contender, before dazzling defenders with a candy-selling, left-foot snap for his third goal of the quarter not only took our breath away watching live, but maintained a pivotal three-point lead heading into half-time.

A late third-quarter assist to Scott Pendlebury gave the Pies the lead heading into the fourth before multiple crucial defensive efforts in the last stanza helped solidify the flag and a Norm Smith medallion.

Honourable Mentions:ย 

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