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
4. Lachie Neale
After topping our midfielder rankings last season, Lachie Neale slips to fourth on this list despite a Brownlow-winning 2023 campaign ending in a runner-up season for the Lions.
Before this year's Brownlow mMedal count, it seemed unanimous that Neale had played a down year relative to the lofty standards set by his performance in recent seasons.
Stunningly, his 26.7 disposal average this season was his lowest since 2014, yet saw him collect an equal career-best 31 Brownlow votes.
Despite the accumulative drop-off, it's fair to say Neale's impact per disposal took a leap this season, becoming the league's top clearance-getter despite the additions of Josh Dunkley and Will Ashcroft into the midfield mix.
At his best, it's hard to pick anyone in the league cleaner below their knees or with better hands in tight congestion than Lachie Neale.
That's his one-wood, but the consistent development of his contest explosion and speed has lifted him into one of the competition's most valuable commodities.
Now a two-time Brownlow medallist, Neale has joined an exclusive shortlist of names of which only Nat Fyfe sits among today's players.
With Brisbane on the rise to potential premiership success, Neale has the chance to add to his collection of individual honours with some elusive silverware and create a legacy matched by few in the history of the game.
