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.

2. Carlton's wild ride

The thrill generated by Carlton's winning run from Round 14 onwards, culminating in their famous semi-final victory over Melbourne, must land the Blues at the top-end of the 2023 AFL storylines.

The narrative flip over the course of their nine-game win streak through the back-half of the season saw Michael Voss leap from near sacking to near coach-of-the-year contention.

Locked in to fifth place at the home and away season's conclusion, the next step for Carlton was to prove that this group wouldn't falter under finals pressure, and the first test would come on a Friday night elimination final against Sydney.

In typical Carlton fashion, the Blues controlled majority of proceedings yet found themselves at risk of choking the game away in the dying stages.

A Blake Acres goal in time-on seemingly put the low-scoring affair out of reach, until Hayden McLean pegged one back with 25 seconds remaining and a six-point margin to chase. Carlton scrapped out the victory and moved on to a Friday night semi against the Demons.

In one of the greatest semi-finals this century, Carlton trailed by five points when Blake Acres stepped up again to kick the decider with less than a minute remaining, as Carlton fans shook the foundations of the stadium.

The final siren queued the loudest crowd roar of the season, cementing Carlton's best win since 1999 and a preliminary final berth against Brisbane.

Despite the Blues' red-hot first quarter, the eventual runner-up Lions took control and fought out a comfortable victory, halting Carlton's campaign one game short of the big one.

Love them or hate them, not a single football supporter could take their eyes off what they were witnessing as Carlton charged toward a finals berth and two finals victories.

They will enter 2024 as the most discussed and most exciting team of the year, with newfound hopes of premiership success.