The 2026 AFL season might be remembered in future years for the scandals that occurred at Geelong, Carlton and Sydney. But fans should not forget how beautiful and glorious some of the football has been this season.
For all the concerns about how the game has been "ruined" by the league, umpires, or you name it, according to talk back radio, the 2026 season has seen fast-paced, high-scoring and free-flowing football return.
There were a number of unlucky contenders that missed out on this list of the best five games of the home-and-away season.
One sunny Sydney Sunday saw fans witness a full-throttle classic between Sydney and Melbourne in Round 8, with the former winning 131-114.
Out west, Wharfie Time was thrust onto centre stage when Fremantle completed a stirring comeback against Hawthorn at home in Round 9 to the raptures of a packed-out Optus Stadium.
Or when North Melbourne overcame one of its many demons to finally win an Easter Friday match against Carlton. Under the roof at Marvel Stadium, the Roos won by 10 points in a thriller in one of the best victories in the club's recent history, while it was one of the many nails in Michael Voss' coffin at Carlton that would see him depart five weeks later.
There could only be five ranking spots, so here are the best five games of the season according to Zero Hanger.
4. Brisbane-Western Bulldogs (Opening Round)
During the much-despised Opening Round, a scintillating contest played out at the Gabba between the two-time reigning premiers Brisbane and a Western Bulldogs side led by two generational talents in Sam Darcy and Marcus Bontempelli.
The Dogs looked up against it from the outset as the Lions got even stronger during the off-season with the additions of key forward Oscar Allen and ruck Sam Draper into their squad.
In a high-scoring match, the Lions kicked away to a five-goal margin in the third quarter, before the Bulldogs clawed their way back into the contest.
Dogs utility Bailey Williams kicked a memorable Goal of the Year contender, dancing through several Lions defenders before kicking truly.
In a see-sawing final term, Brisbane took the lead with six minutes to go thanks to a Cam Rayner snap and roar. However, the Dogs were not done as ruckman Tim English took a mark inside 50 with two minutes left and converted to steal back the lead and secure a remarkable win.
For Bulldogs fans, it's a game that triggers the thought of, 'What could have been in 2026 if Darcy hadn't done his ACL a few games later?'
