Premiership Pies, goal review debacle, coaching dramas highlight biggest moments of 2023 AFL season
The 2023 AFL season will be hard to forget. From amazing performances to controversial moments, Glenn McFarlane looks at 23 moments and stories we talked about the most.
2023 was filled with unforgettable moments on the footy field and off it, as the AFL season culminated in a glorious grand final for Pies fans.
But which other moments stood tall as those we won’t forget anytime soon after an epic season.
Glenn McFarlane looks back on the biggest AFL moments and stories of 2023.
THE 23 MOMENTS THAT SHAPED FOOTY IN 2023
1. PIES’ FLAG FAIRYTALE
Collingwood’s 16th premiership fairytale came off the back of one of the great modern grand finals. The Magpies joined rivals Carlton and Essendon on 16 VFL-AFL flags with a four-point grand final win over Brisbane Lions. There were so many highlights – 21 wins from 26 games; the ‘Houdini’ Pies won three finals by 12 points; Craig McRae’s Midas touch saw him became the club’s sixth premiership coach on the same day he had his third daughter; and Darcy Moore received the cup off his dad Peter as the sons of Peter Daicos – Nick and Josh – capped off All-Australian seasons. Pies veterans Scott Pendlebury (who broke the career disposals and most watched records) and Steele Sidebottom shone in their second flag; Bobby Hill won the Norm Smith less than 18 months after battling testicular cancer; as this Magpies’ 2023 side wrote a new history for a club haunted by past grand final losses. The drama continued post-season with Jack Ginnivan and Taylor Adams traded to Hawthorn and Sydney. Can the Pies make it back to back flags for the first time since 1935/36?
2. DIMMA QUITS, DEW SACKED, AND THE ‘ITALIAN JOB’ TO MAKE DIMMA SUNS COACH
The AFL coaching landscape turned seismic in May, two days after Richmond lost the almost ‘unlosable’ Dreamtime clash. With a year left on his contract, Damien Hardwick shocked the club with his decision to quit, announcing at a press conference he was burnt out. Given the whispers surrounding Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew, it was no surprise when he was sacked 52 days after the three-time premiership coach quit the Tigers. Gold Coast chairman Bob East and CEO Mark Evans flew to Italy to meet with Hardwick and within a matter of weeks the master coach was named as Dew’s replacement.
3. GOAL-GATE PUTS THE HEAT ON THE AFL
Adelaide should have played finals; Sydney shouldn’t have, and it all came down to the goal umpiring mistake of the season. Crow Ben Keays was convinced he had put his team in front with 70 seconds left on the clock in their round 23 clash with the Swans. But he hadn’t noticed the goal umpire indicating the ball had hit the post, without calling for an ARC review. It hadn’t. The Swans held on, tipping the Crows out of finals. The AFL apologised the next day and stood the goal umpire down. Adelaide considered taking the matter further before accepting their fate. Don’t be surprised if the fixture is a little kinder to them in 2024.
4. THE PASSING OF LEGEND RON BARASSI
This could have been rated even higher as the man who towered over the game like a colossus passed away, aged 87, a day after his two former sides as a player, Melbourne and Carlton, played off in a semi-final. Ronald Dale Barassi changed Australian football forever, being the catalyst between the father-son rule, playing in six premierships with the Demons, coaching four flags (with Carlton and North Melbourne) as well as having stints at Melbourne and Sydney. Barassi was an icon, a visionary and a rare gem who transcended the game.
5. CLARKO STEPS DOWN, AS THE AFL RACISM INVESTIGATION GROUNDS TO A HALT
The allegations of historical racism at Hawthorn hijacked grand final week 2022, but the impact rolled into 2023 – without resolution. It came to a tipping point when North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson was forced to step away to focus on his wellbeing in May. Shortly after the AFL announced the independent panel set up to investigate the allegations had been shut down without making any findings against Clarkson, Brisbane coach Chris Fagan and former Hawks staffer Jason Burt. Clarkson returned to North for the last four games.
6. MAYNARD/BRAYSHAW CLASH, AND THE DEES/PIES AT WAR
Instead of King’s Birthday next year, it might end up being a right royal rumble at the ‘G. This Dees-Pies angst has been brewing for a few years (who recalls ‘All Duck, No Dinner’), but Brayden Maynard’s collision with Angus Brayshaw ramped the heat to boiling point. Maynard was sent to the tribunal over the incident which left Brayshaw concussed in the qualifying final. He was cleared. But Steven May’s B&F declaration that the Demons should have “smoked” the Magpies ramped up the bad blood. It’ll be on in 2024!
7. WELCOME, TASSIE
The AFL’s decision to finally agree to admit a Tasmanian team by an expected 2028 date – pending a new stadium – was a significant moment. There is still a lot of water to pass under the Tasman Bridge before the AFL expands to a 19th franchise, but in the words of outgoing league CEO Gillon McLachlan this was “an important and historic day”. Better late than never. A truly national comp needs Tassie!
8. DILLS REPLACES THE BOSS, KANE’S STAR RISES, AND GILL’S FAREWELL KISS
The headhunters looked everywhere to find a replacement for Gillon McLachlan, and found the right candidate in the next office. It took longer than it needed to, but the decision to appoint Andrew Dillon was well received. The AFL also appointed Laura Kane as the permanent executive general manager of football. McLachlan got a good farewell, overseeing record crowd numbers, a new CBA deal, one of the best grand finals of the modern era, and even a KISS grand final spectacular.
9. JAMARRA’S GESTURE AS THE PIES APOLOGISE
In one of the season’s most powerful moments, Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan recreated one of footy’s iconic moments 30 years on. Ugle-Hagan lifted his jumper and pointed to his skin against Brisbane Lions, paying tribute to Nicky Winmar’s stance at Victoria Park in 1993. It came five days after he had been racially abused. It was fitting that during the inaugural Gather Round in Adelaide that Collingwood also made an apology to Winmar for what some fans did 30 years ago.
10. BUDDY’S SAD FAREWELL AND A COUPLE OF TIGERS GREATS LEAD THE RETIREMENTS
It wasn’t the way we wanted to say goodbye to Buddy Franklin. The end for footy’s greatest goalkicker this century came in the immediate aftermath of his calf injury suffered in the round 20 clash with Essendon. He ended with the fourth most number of goals in VFL-AFL history (1066) from his 354 games. One day he will be an Australian football hall of fame legend at some stage. Other big retirements include Richmond triple premiership heroes Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt, Isaac Smith, Jack Ziebell, Shannon Hurn, Luke Shuey, Nic Naitanui, Daniel Rich, Ben Cunnington. The sad enforced retirements due to concussion issues included Paddy McCartin, Paul Seedsman, Marcus Adams and Max Lynch.
11. CARLTON COMES FROM THE CLOUDS
The Blues were staring down the barrel of a seventh straight loss as some fans called for the sacking of Michael Voss at quarter-time of the round 14 clash with Gold Coast. Then Carlton turned the game – and their season – around in the space of a quarter. They won nine games in a row. It was a stunning turnaround that wasn’t just about the much-talked about ‘nudie swim’ in Ed Curnow’s dam. This was a club standing firm on the pressure engulfing it, and the two finals wins over Sydney and Melbourne provided a platform for real success in 2024.
12. PORT’S SHOWDOWN STUFF-UP
In a time of heightened concern around the long-term impact of head knocks, what happened in the round 20 Showdown clash cost Port Adelaide far more than four premiership points. It cost them an embarrassing PR moment as well as a $100,000 AFL fine – half of it in the soft cap – for what Ken Hinkley called “a big mistake” when long-time Port Adelaide doctor Mark Fisher did not put Aliir Aliir through a concussion test and allowed him to go back on when he shouldn’t have.
13. WEST COAST’S WOES
How did one of the mightiest football clubs go from premiers five years ago to a basket case? West Coast’s wooden spoon season was embarrassing – three wins, a percentage of 53, the most points conceded, the least points scored and the biggest loss in the clubs history (171 points vs. Sydney). It seemed certain that Adam Simpson would be sacked … until the Eagles board shocked everyone by reaffirming the coach would stay.
14. DEES STRAIGHT SET WOES; THE GRUNDY FAIL; THE OLIVER HAMMY; THE SMITH DRUG SUSPENSION
This time last year Melbourne was convinced it had struck a trade deal that could lead to a second premiership in three seasons. But the decision to trade for Brodie Grundy turned pear-shaped which saw the two-time All-Australian on almost $1 million – paid by two clubs – playing with the Casey Demons. From the moment Grundy was dropped, it seemed certain he would be traded at season’s end. It turned out to be Sydney. The Demons also had to deal with the frustrations around Clayton Oliver’s hamstring injury which cost him a large chunk of the season. Then, a month after being outed in straight sets for the second straight year, it was revealed postseason that Joel Smith had tested positive to cocaine after a round 23 game.
15. POWER OUTAGE
This year’s extraordinary ‘lights out’ moment at the Gabba was reminiscent of the infamous 1996 night at Waverley. The only difference was that the game 27 years ago had to be finished on a Tuesday night. This time, the Lions and Demons game went ahead after a 35-minute delay. The power went out at the 12-minute-mark of the last quarter. The teams went back to the rooms, power was restored and the game was thankfully finished.
16. GATHER ROUND
It might have been a copy of an NRL idea with a gimmicky name but the decision to send all clubs to Adelaide for one remarkable round of footy in round 5 proved a masterstroke. Adelaide embraced it, the rest of the country followed it, and the clubs, players and broadcasters were laughing all the way to the bank with the extra cash/round. The AFL quickly locked in Adelaide as the Gather Round venue for three more years.
17. DAICOS’ INJURY AS NEALE WINS IN BROWNLOW THRILLER
It was the injury that had everyone talking, and it might have cost Nick Daicos a remarkable second-year Brownlow Medal. When Hawk James Blanck crashed into Daicos’ knee in round 21, scans revealed he had suffered a hairline fracture. But while it cost him the final three home and away games as well as a final, the 20-year-old made it back in time for the last two weeks of the finals and got the premiership medal he wanted. Five days earlier, he was run down in the race for the Brownlow Medal with Lachie Neale going ahead of him. Neale (31 votes) won his second medal, from Marcus Bontempelli (29) and Nick Daicos (28) in a thrilling count.
18. NORTH’S COSTLY INTERCHANGE BLUNDER
With stand-in coach Brett Ratten at the helm in Alastair Clarkson’s absence, North Melbourne looked set to record an emotional win over Sydney late in their round 10 clash. Then came what seemed like an inexplicable free kick to the Swans as well as a 50m penalty. As it turned out, the Roos had made a heartbreaking interchange blunder – going over the maximum number – which cost them dearly with 37 seconds left, leaving Hayden McLean to kick the matchwinning goal.
19. BIG BAGS OF GOALS AS CHARLIE WINS BACK TO BACK COLEMANS
Two lots of 10 goals and four bags of nine goals made 2023 one of the most watchable in recent times. Charlie Curnow won back to back Coleman victories, with his season tally of 81, destroying West Coast with hauls of 10 and nine. Taylor Walker turned back the clock with 76 goals, including 10 and nine against the Eagles. Nick Larkey kicked 71 goals, including nine against Gold Coast. Jesse Hogan also kicked nine goals against Essendon.
20. THE GOALS THAT MATTERED
This was a season when the big goals mattered – as we saw in the grand final. We had Steele Sidebottom’s long bomb from outside 50m; Jordan De Goey’s classic after a slick Nick Daicos handball; and Zac Bailey’s extraordinary smother and goal that would have been etched in folklore if the Lions had won. During the season, there were some huge goals, too – Will Ashcroft’s mid-air scissor kick goal of the year, Dan Houston’s goal to sink the Bombers; Sam Durham’s Dreamtime clincher; Paul Curtis’ never-say-die effort, to name a few.
21. TOBY, KINGERS AND THE RETURN OF THE ORANGE TSUNAMI
What odds would you have taken a few years ago that one-time wild child Toby Greene would be the All-Australian captain? What odds would have been given for first year coach Adam Kingsley taking GWS Giants to within a point of knocking off Collingwood in a preliminary final after a slow start to the season? This was a huge season for the remodelled Orange Tsunami.
22. SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT
North Melbourne’s Harry Sheezel created history by having the most disposals of any first-year player in VFL-AFL history as he swept to Rising Star success and the Kangaroos’ best and fairest award. Will Ashcroft’s brilliant season was rudely interrupted by his ACL injury; George Wardlaw’s form partly convinced Alastair Clarkson he needed to return to coaching; Mitch Owen’s freakish performances for the Saints; this will be some sort of 2023 Rising Star class.
23. EXPERIENCE COUNTS FOR COACHES
A decade ago superstar players walked into coaching jobs with barely an apprenticeship. But the wheel of coaching has turned, with older, more experienced coaches shining. Chris Fagan, 62, became the oldest coach to appear in a VFL-AFL grand final; Craig McRae, 50, won the flag in his second season at Collingwood after a 15-year apprenticeship; Voss, 48, made a prelim in his second season in his second stint as coach; Adam Kingsley, also 48, did it in his first season after a long and patient career. Ken Hinkley, who turned 57 in September, won a new deal before the finals after a 13-game winning streak. Ross Lyon, 56, was back coaching, while the Suns turned to triple premiership coach Damien Hardwick, 51, as its mentor for the next six seasons.
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