2023 in Australian rules football

The following are the events of Australian rules football for the calendar year 2023, 165 years after the first game was played in 1858.

AFL
In the Australian Football League (AFL), won their 16th VFL/AFL premiership (and 17th senior premiership) after defeating  by four points in the 2023 AFL Grand Final.

The AFL fixture was extended to 23 matches per club, the longest in history, to accommodate the introduction of Gather Round, a special round featuring all 18 clubs playing in the same city and its surrounds. South Australia won the bid for the event.

In the AFL Women's (AFLW), won their second women's premiership with a 19-point victory over  in the 2023 AFL Women's Grand Final.

won the McClelland Trophy, the format of which was altered to a club championship including results from both the AFL and AFL Women's 2023 seasons. Under the points system, Melbourne won 128 points with a percentage of 142.3, clear of second-place, who won 116 points and 126.4 percentage.

In May 2023, Tasmania secured an AFL licence for the first time, following a unanimous vote of AFL club presidents.

Gillon McLachlan stepped down as AFL CEO in October 2023 and was replaced by Andrew Dillon.

VFL
In the Victorian Football League (VFL), a non-Victorian team won the premiership for the first time, with defeating  by 19 points in the 2023 VFL Grand Final.

Talent League
Sandringham Dragons won their 5th Talent League Boys premiership, while Oakleigh Chargers won their second Talent League Girls premiership after defeating minor premiers Eastern Ranges in the Grand Final.

Australian Capital Territory
won a total of four premierships in 2023, and were runners-up in a fifth grand final.

QAFL
In the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL), won the premiership for the second consecutive time, after defeating  by 42 points in the 2023 QAFL Grand Final.

In the QAFL Women's (QAFLW), defeated  by 49 points.

Other leagues
During the AFL Mount Isa grand final between Alpurrurulam Bats and Mount Isa Buffs, supporters of Alpurrurulam stormed the field in protest of an umpiring decision. Two men were later charged with assaulting police officers.

TSL
Kingborough won their first Tasmanian State League (TSL) premiership, defeating North Launceston by 15 points.

VFLW
In the VFL Women's (VFLW), won their first VFLW premiership after defeating  in the grand final, a week after eliminating defending premiers  in the preliminary final.

There was one change to the competition, with the Hawthorn Football Club transferring their VFLW license to during the off-season, replicating the club's men's team reserves arrangement in the AFL and VFL.

VAFA
In the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), Collegians won their 18th Premier Division premiership, defeating St Kevin's by 85 points.

St Kevin's won their second consecutive VAFA Women's (VAFAW) premiership, defeating Kew by 25 points.

Although they were defeated in the Premier B Grand Final, was promoted to Premier Division for the first time since the club entered the VAFA.

Two clubs − Westbourne Grammarians and Old Mentonians − were in recess for the 2023 season.

Other leagues
On 28 March 2023, the Ovens & Murray Football Netball League (OMFNL) announced the Wangaratta Magpies would be stripped of their 2022 premiership following salary cap breaches. The OMFNL operates with a $125,000 salary cap, which the Magpies exceeded in 2022.

This was the first time in regional Victorian football that such a penalty had been handed down because of a salary cap breach. As a result, no premier was declared for the 2022 OMFNL season.

Anniversaries

 * Maldon Football Club (MCDFNL) − 150 years
 * Port District Football Club (Adelaide FL) − 150 years
 * St Kilda Football Club (AFL) − 150 years
 * Mayne Australian Football Club (QFA) − 100 years

January

 * 29 January – John Devine (82), former VFL player and coach

February

 * 23 February – Jack Sheedy (96), former and  WANFL player

April

 * 22 April – Antonio Loiacono (20), Birwood player who died during Hills Football League game

May

 * 27 May – Dallas Keogh-Frankling (17), Castlemaine player who died during Bendigo Football Netball League game

June

 * 27 June – Graeme John (80), former Australian Football League commissioner
 * 28 June – Matt Rendell (64), former AFL and SANFL player and captain from 1985 to 1987

July

 * 13 July – Alan Morrow (86), 1966 VFL premiership and Dandenong 1967 VFA premiership player

August

 * 3 August – Nick Lowden (23), Norwood 2022 SANFL premiership player
 * 22 August – Austin Robertson Jr. (80), former VFL and  WANFL player

September

 * 1 September – Ken Bennett (83), 1958 VFL premiership player
 * 16 September – Kevin Neale (78), 1966 VFL premiership player
 * 16 September – Ron Barassi (87), former VFL/AFL player and coach across four clubs, Hall of Fame "Legend"
 * 26 September – Geof Motley (88), former SANFL captain and coach

November

 * 20 November – Ted Hopkins (74), 1970 VFL premiership player