IT WAS a season of thrillers as 2023 smashed a record in a memorable campaign.

Collingwood's four-point Grand Final win over Brisbane proved to be a fitting way to end a season of heart-stopping finishes.

The final Saturday in September was, remarkably, the 57th game of the 2023 season decided by 10 points or less.

While there was an extra round in 2023, that smashed the all-time competition record for the most matches decided by 10 points or less in a single season.

The previous record was 49 in 2014, while recent seasons have also delivered and highlighted the evenness of the competition, with 2022 (42), 2021 (47), 2019 (47), 2018 (45) and 2017 (44) all making the top 10.

While the expansion of the competition in recent decades has meant more games and more chances for close finishes, the recent trend is nonetheless clear - this is the era of the thriller.

  Record in games decided
by 10 points or less in 2023
Collingwood 8-1
Carlton 6-1-0
Port Adelaide 6-1
Greater Western Sydney 5-3
Fremantle 3-2
Essendon 4-3
Sydney 4-1-3
Brisbane 2-2
Melbourne 4-6
Hawthorn, St Kilda, West Coast 2-3
Richmond 2-1-3
North Melbourne 2-5
Gold Coast 1-3
Adelaide 1-5
Western Bulldogs 1-5
Geelong 0-1-4


As has become the norm under Craig McRae, the Magpies were again dominant in thrillers.

Collingwood went 8-1 in matches decided by 10 points or less in 2023, a win percentage of 89, while preliminary finalist Carlton was the only side to go unbeaten, its 6-1-0 record giving it a win percentage of 86.

Port Adelaide went out in straight sets but was 6-1, while Greater Western Sydney was 5-3, falling to the Magpies by a point in their preliminary final.

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There is perhaps cause for optimism, or hope, at the other end of the spectrum.

Geelong was winless in its five games decided by 10 points or less, while Adelaide (1-5) and the Western Bulldogs (1-5) fell short of finals.

And only one team lost more close games than North Melbourne (2-5), with Melbourne (4-6) putting its supporters through several thrillers, including losing its two finals by a combined nine points.

Seasons with most matches decided by 10 points or less

57 – 2023
49 – 2014
47 – 2019, 2021
45 – 2018
44 – 2017
43 – 2002
42 – 2010, 2013, 2022

Round 6: Beat Hawthorn by three points
Round 7: Lost to Collingwood by one point
Round 15: Lost to Collingwood by two points
Round 19: Lost to Melbourne by four points
Round 22: Lost to Brisbane by six points
Round 23: Lost to Sydney by one point

Record: 1-5

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Round 18: Lost to Melbourne by one point
Round 21: Beat Fremantle by three points
Round 22: Beat Adelaide by six points
Grand Final: Lost to Collingwood by four points

Record: 2-2

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Round 1: Drew with Richmond
Round 2: Beat Geelong by eight points
Round 3: Beat Greater Western Sydney by 10 points
Round 22: Beat Melbourne by four points
Round 23: Beat Gold Coast by four points
Elimination Final: Beat Sydney by six points
Semi Final: Beat Melbourne by two points

Record: 6-1-0

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Round 5: Beat St Kilda by six points
Round 7: Beat Adelaide by one point
Round 13: Lost to Melbourne by four points
Round 15: Beat Adelaide by two points
Round 19: Beat Port Adelaide by two points
Round 22: Beat Geelong by eight points
Qualifying Final: Beat Melbourne by seven points
Preliminary Final: Beat Greater Western Sydney by one point
Grand Final: Beat Brisbane by four points

Record: 8-1

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Round 8: Lost to Port Adelaide by five points
Round 10: Beat Richmond by one point
Round 12: Beat North Melbourne by six points
Round 16: Lost to Port Adelaide by four points
Round 20: Lost to Sydney by two points
Round 21: Beat West Coast by one point
Round 22: Beat North Melbourne by nine points

Record: 4-3

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Round 2: Lost to North Melbourne by one point
Round 5: Beat Gold Coast by 10 points
Round 11: Beat Melbourne by seven points
Round 20: Beat Geelong by seven points
Round 21: Lost to Brisbane by three points

Record: 3-2

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Round 2: Lost to Carlton by eight points
Round 11: Lost to Greater Western Sydney by seven points
Round 16: Drew with Sydney
Round 20: Lost to Fremantle by seven points
Round 22: Lost to Collingwood by eight points

Record: 0-1-4

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Round 5: Lost to Fremantle by 10 points
Round 8: Lost to Melbourne by five points
Round 11: Beat the Western Bulldogs by seven points
Round 23: Lost to Carlton by four points

Record: 1-3

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Round 3: Lost to Carlton by 10 points
Round 5: Beat Hawthorn by two points
Round 7: Beat Sydney by one point
Round 11: Beat Geelong by seven points
Round 12: Lost to Richmond by six points
Round 16: Beat Melbourne by two points
Round 20: Beat the Western Bulldogs by five points
Preliminary Final: Lost to Collingwood by one point

Record: 5-3

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Round 5: Lost to Greater Western Sydney by two points
Round 6: Lost to Adelaide by three points
Round 11: Beat St Kilda by 10 points
Round 19: Lost to Richmond by one point
Round 22: Beat the Western Bulldogs by three points

Record: 2-3

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Round 8: Beat Gold Coast by five points
Round 10: Lost to Port Adelaide by four points
Round 11: Lost to Fremantle by seven points
Round 13: Beat Collingwood by four points
Round 16: Lost to Greater Western Sydney by two points
Round 18: Beat Brisbane by one point
Round 19: Beat Adelaide by four points
Round 22: Lost to Carlton by four points
Qualifying Final: Lost to Collingwood by seven points
Semi Final: Lost to Carlton by two points

Record: 4-6

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Round 1: Beat West Coast by five points
Round 2: Beat Fremantle by one point
Round 10: Lost to Sydney by three points
Round 12: Lost to Essendon by six points
Round 19: Lost to St Kilda by eight points
Round 20: Lost to West Coast by five points
Round 22: Lost to Essendon by nine points

Record: 2-5

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Round 4: Beat Sydney by two points
Round 7: Beat St Kilda by seven points
Round 8: Beat Essendon by five points
Round 10: Beat Melbourne by four points
Round 11: Beat Richmond by 10 points
Round 16: Beat Essendon by four points
Round 19: Lost to Collingwood by two points

Record: 6-1

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Round 1: Drew with Carlton
Round 4: Lost to the Western Bulldogs by five points
Round 10: Lost to Essendon by one point
Round 11: Lost to Port Adelaide by 10 points
Round 12: Beat Greater Western Sydney by six points
Round 19: Beat Hawthorn by one point

Record: 2-1-3

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Round 5: Lost to Collingwood by six points
Round 7: Lost to Port Adelaide by seven points
Round 11: Lost to Hawthorn by 10 points
Round 16: Beat West Coast by eight points
Round 19: Beat North Melbourne by eight points

Record: 2-3

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Round 4: Lost to Port Adelaide by two points
Round 7: Lost to Greater Western Sydney by one point
Round 10: Beat North Melbourne by three points
Round 16: Drew with Geelong
Round 18: Beat the Western Bulldogs by two points
Round 20: Beat Essendon by two points
Round 23: Beat Adelaide by one point
Elimination Final: Lost to Carlton by six points

Record: 4-1-3

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Round 1: Lost to North Melbourne by five points
Round 16: Lost to St Kilda by eight points
Round 20: Beat North Melbourne by five points
Round 21: Lost to Essendon by one point
Round 23: Beat the Western Bulldogs by seven points

Record: 2-3

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Round 4: Beat Richmond by five points
Round 11: Lost to Gold Coast by seven points
Round 18: Lost to Sydney by two points
Round 20: Lost to Greater Western Sydney by five points
Round 22: Lost to Hawthorn by three points
Round 23: Lost to West Coast by seven points

Record: 1-5

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