The 2023 AFL season will go down as one of the all-time greatest years of footy seen in our code, with countless high-profile storylines generated on the field and off the field.
On the field, we saw controversy, comebacks, clutch moments, big games and maybe the greatest Grand Final ever.
Off the field we saw drama, sackings, major acquisitions and a Brownlow Medal count out of a fantasy novel.
With endless headlines to pick from, see below what we picked as the top 10 AFL stories of the 2023 calendar year.
8. Maynard's bump
Those who thought the concussion debate in the AFL was beginning to settle at the end of the home and away season were in for a roller-coaster of a week to kick off September footy in 2023.
The opening stages of Collingwood's qualifying final clash with Melbourne saw the single most heated discussion over a bump ever seen in footy be launched by Brayden Maynard's collision with Angus Brayshaw.
For over a week, the footy world was divided by disputes over Maynard's eligibility to play out the remainder of the finals series, Brayshaw's own history with head-knocks, the suitability of the act of smothering in our sport and continued debate over the status of the bump.
While the casual observer witnessed a clear moment of desperation leading to an accidental collision, the finer details of Maynard's launch were dissected, the heated home-visit in the aftermath was analysed, and family members were questioned by the media.
But the marathon four-hour tribunal hearing found Maynard was not guilty of rough conduct and free to play on preliminary final weekend.
The incident sparked outrage from all angles of the argument and has lifted what is already one of the most iconic, historical rivalries in Australian Rules football, with the 2024 King's Birthday clash already being touted as the most anticipated home and away match of the season.
