Rightly or wrongly, midfielders have a monopoly on just about every major individual award in our game, similar to an NFL quarterback.
It makes sense to a degree, they are situated where the ball resides for the majority of the contest - in the middle - but must also cover the entire field to find the footy wherever required.
In turn, they typically clock in the most kms, accumulate the most touches and fill up the stat sheet more than any other typer of player on the ground.
They play a variety of roles - in & under the contest feeding the outside runners, exploding out of packs with strength, speed and agility, plus using the ball skilfully and efficiently by hand or foot.
Some are suited to a particular role more than others, making it hard to definitively rank one player over another using stats or achievements. Patrick Cripps and Nick Daicos both fall under the midfielder category but carry a 12cm & 15kg size difference and dominate in vastly different ways on the ground.
We must look beyond just the numbers which may favour a Tom Green, or the eye-test which may favour a Jordan De Goey to decide on number one.
Instead, we need a rich tapestry of impact, stats, moments, value, performance and pedigree to judge who holds the crown as the league's best midfielder.
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7. Sam Walsh
Sam Walsh gives us a prime example of how finals performances can lift your individual status into rare air in just a three-week period.
An injury-hampered year with little-to-no pre-season training for the former No.1 pick saw Walsh poll just five Brownlow votes in the home & away season, then unleash with a finals campaign from the top shelf.
He was arguably best on ground in each of Carlton's three September outings, with his strongest performance coming in one of the best semi-finals of this century.
His 34 disposals, 43 pressure acts, eight tackles and two lead-changing goals kept the Blues alive when all looked lost, carrying them to their best win since 1999.
Since entering the league, Walsh has consistently reaffirmed the remarks made of his professionalism and work ethic.
He is well on the path to becoming Carlton's next captain and should be on watch as a Brownlow fancy come 2024.
