We're up to Part II in our 2023 AFL midfield rankings, with the next six teams assessed and ranked ahead of the new season.

Across three instalments we'll rank each AFL club's midfield list, breaking down the competition in thirds.

Here is Part II of our midfield rankings, covering 12th to 7th.

SEE PART I OF OUR MIDFIELD RANKINGS. 

3. (10th) Collingwood

What screams out about Collingwood's midfield group is the fact they don't rely on one or two players to do the heavy lifting, instead Craig McRae has the benefit of rotating and utilising players that can ply their trade in the middle and on other lines of the field.

With premiership pair Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom handing over the baton, the Magpies have seen several players stick their hand up to be the new leading options in their engine room.

Taylor Adams has held down the fort for the better part of a decade, while Jack Crisp, and more recently Brayden Maynard, have looked to shift from the back third into the middle.

Crisp's transition into a midfielder has been a fruitful one for Collingwood, as shown by the former Lion's successive Copeland Trophy nods, while Maynard's run in the middle is still quite raw.

They'll gain some assistance from the likes of Patrick Lipinski and new recruit Tom Mitchell, who has made the move from Hawthorn and will be an astute facilitator in McRae's midfield planning.

Collingwood's efficiency to secure the ball and move it forward from centre bounces was among the small criticisms the Magpies faced last season, with Mitchell set to slot into the in-and-under role in his first season in black and white.

Forward-turned-midfielder Jordan De Goey will be among those that benefit most from Mitchell's arrival, with his explosive run and power from the middle set to aid Collingwood's plans to smoothen their fluidity in the forward half.

Another name that is sure to headline the Magpies' midfield contingent will be second-year star Nick Daicos, who is expected to take on a larger role in the middle after spending most of his rookie campaign at half-back.

The 20-year-old poise and pace are what have him so highly rated heading into 2023, while his brother, Josh, is seen as one of the better wing options in the competition.

Pairing with Sidebottom last season, Daicos was a standout for the Magpies on their way to a preliminary final finish as a conduit between the two arcs.

Despite losing dual All-Australian ruckman Brodie Grundy, the Magpies' ruck plans are in safe hands with Darcy Cameron to lead the way after a breakout campaign.

American Pie Mason Cox is likely to assist as a pinch-hit option, but Collingwood's ruck stocks are inexperienced from there on.