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.
SEE ALSO: THE TOP 10 DEFENDERS OF THE 2023 AFL SEASON
5. Zak Butters
Zak Butters subverted all expectations for a 180cm and 78kg inside midfielder in 2023, transcending cult hero status at the Power to become a Brownlow contender known league-wide as perhaps the AFL's toughest competitor.
His rise to stardom has been exponential since his sophomore season and led to a career-best year in 2023, taking out the AFLCA Award, Most Courageous Player Award, a maiden All-Australian blazer and Port Adelaide's best & fairest in a top four season.
Whilst only a sliver of the total season, his 41disposal and two-goal performance in the wet against Melbourne has a strong case as the best individual performance of the season and is a status booster into the top five on this list.
Together with fellow midfield maestros Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis, Butters forms part of the most exciting young midfield in the competition to keep eyes on for the next decade.
