According to Champion Data, Adelaide, Port Adelaide and West Coast have the most 'elite' players in the competition.

Sydney is the next best with five, with Geelong, GWS and Melbourne coming in third with four 'elite' players each.

The Swans' list has been graded by Champion Data as the best in the competition. 

Champion Data classifies an 'elite' player as a player that has been in the top 10 percent of players in their position over the past two seasons.

With the Crows boasting six players in the elite category including Brodie Smith, Eddie Betts, Rory Sloane, Tex Walker, Tom Lynch and Rory Laird, Adelaide also have five players that are classed as above average including San Jacobs and Matt Crouch.

Crosstown rivals Port Adelaide, also have six players, however new recruits Jack Watts and Steven Motlop are classified as above average.

West Coast are the other top ranked team that have the most elite players, with Nic Naitanui being classified as elite, even though he didn't play in 2017 due to an ACL injury. Shannon Hurn, Josh Kennedy, Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo and Jeremy McGovern are the other players at West Coast that are classified as elite.

Sydney are seen as the most intriguing team. Although having 5 elite players on their list, which includes Tom Papley, Champion Data records show that they have 12 above average players.

Geelong's Daniel Menzel is also classed as elite, having kicked 73 goals in the last two seasons. Despite missing numerous games last season due to soreness and omission, Menzel along with star recruit Gary Ablett, Patrick Dangerfield and Sam Menegola are the four Cats that are classed as elite.

New recruit Jake Lever, is classed elite for the Demons, having crossed from the Crows this off season, with Jayden Hunt, Tom McDonald and Christian Petracca making up the Demon's elite quartet.

Surprisingly, Marcus Bontempelli isn't graded as elite for the bulldogs, with 2016 Norm Smith Medalist Jason Johannisen classified as the only elite player on the list, even after a relatively poor season last year.

Other surprise players that have been classified elite players include, Essendon's Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, St Kilda's Jack Sinclair, Brisbane Lion Daniel Rich, Collingwood's Jack Crisp and North Melbourne's Todd Goldstein. 

Reigning premiers Richmond have three elite players in Dustin Martin, Shane Edwards and Alex Rance. In another surprise, skipper Trent Cotchin is only rated above average.

Below is a list of every clubs elite players 

Adelaide

Brodie Smith
Rory Sloane
Rory Laird
Eddie Betts
Tom Lynch
Taylor Walker

Brisbane Lions

Daniel Rich
Dayne Zorko 

Carlton

Sam Docherty 

Collingwood

Jeremy Howe
Scott Pendlebury
Jack Crisp 

Essendon

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
Michael Hurley 

Fremantle

Nat Fyfe

Geelong

Patrick Dangerfield
Gary Ablett
Sam Menegola
Daniel Menzel

Gold Coast

Aaron Hall
Tom Lynch 

GWS

Zac Williams
Toby Greene
Jeremy Cameron
Lachie Whitfield 

Hawthorn

Ben McEvoy
Luke Breust
Cyril Rioli 

Melbourne

Jake Lever
Christian Petracca
Jayden Hunt
Tom McDonald 

North Melbourne

Todd Goldstein

Port Adelaide

Robbie Gray
Paddy Ryder
Justin Westhoff
Charlie Dixon
Chad Wingard
Travis Boak 

Richmond

Dustin Martin
Alex Rance
Shane Edwards 

St Kilda

Jack Sinclair

Sydney

Lance Franklin
Dan Hannebery
Tom Papley
Josh Kennedy
Dane Rampe 

West Coast

Jeremy McGovern
Elliot Yeo
Shannon Hurn
Josh Kennedy
Luke Shuey
Nic Naitanui

Western Bulldogs

Jason Johannisen