Midfields are as star-studded as it gets in the AFL, with even the mid-table teams boasting firepower and genuine All-Australian talent.
It could be on the wing or in the ruck, or simply the classic contested ball-winner, but each AFL club undoubtedly owns a star in the middle of the ground.
So where does your club rank across all teams in the competition? Do they have the depth across all positions to be the best in the league, or have last year's results proven their ability?
TEAMS 18-13: Every AFL team's midfield ranked: Part 1
In the second edition of Zero Hanger's midfield rankings, we've undertaken the challenge of ordering teams placed 12th through seventh, with each club potentially missing just that last piece to be considered one of the best in the competition.
1. (12th) Essendon
The Bombers own a crop of emerging talent and underrated stalwarts, but they were unable to turn their talent into dominance on the stat sheet.
Zach Merrett forged out a near career-best year and stiffly missed All-Australian selection, while Sam Durham and Jyde Caldwell are expected to continue to blossom at the elite level.
Pundits have been awaiting Darcy Parish to take his game to the next level but he just played 12 games in the AFL side and had a decline in disposal figures in an injury-riddled 2024.
Young pair Ben Hobbs and Elijah Tsatas will be keen to grow their game in 2025 also.
Sam Draper will likely own the ruck role but veteran Todd Goldstein still showed impressive signs in 2024, locking in a one-year extension for this season.
Nic Martin and Xavier Duursma are strong wingers who can run both ways, allowing for overlapping transitions from the clearance.
The Bombers averaged just 35.5 clearances per game in 2024, ranked 14th in the league. They were one of the better inside 50 sides, however, highlighting the talented outside run they have. An improvement in the contest could be the key to the Bombers flying up next season.
