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.
2. Melbourne-Fremantle (Round 22)
When the AFL sat down prior to the start of each season, rewriting the rulebook to try and make the game as aesthetically pleasing as it can be, this is the type of match they would have had in mind.
Two high-quality teams going full throttle for all four quarters.
While the crowd wasn't massive, the Melbourne fans made up for it with their voice. So much so that it sounded like there were an extra 20,000-25,000 in the stands.
Fremantle travelled to the MCG, top of the ladder and the team to beat in 2026, and, more importantly, desperate to win at the ground where the Grand Final is played, given it was only the Dockers' second time at the G for the season
Melbourne, on the other hand, had surprised all before them under new coach Steven King and were playing a brand of football you couldn't take your eyes off.
The opening half was as free-flowing a game of football as you will ever see. The two sides went into the sheds with the scores sat at 65-68 in the Dockers' favour.
There were memorable moments everywhere with Harvey Langford's screamer, Patrick Voss' long bomb goal from the centre square and Kysaiah Pickett magic everywhere you looked.
Fremantle kicked away in the last, but Melbourne couldn't be outdone as the Dees finished in a flurry to claim a major scalp.
The match also finished in slight controversy with Bayley Fritsch taking a mark, which should have been out of bounds on the full, with 30 seconds left to ice the game.
