Often regarded as the best players in the competition, the AFL's top midfielders are placed in the upper echelon of football talent.
The most likely position to win the AFL's esteemed awards, from Brownlows, to Norm Smith's, to club best and fairests, midfielders clean up as they roam the full field. Regularly running farther than other players, the best midfielders have incredible endurance as they accumulate touches of the football again and again.
In recent times, the ability for midfielders to hit the scoreboard has become a key part of the best midfielders' game, whilst influential touches are seen as greater than amassing a pile of possessions for little impact.
With onballers typically the best player on each team, there are plenty of players to choose from when determining a top 10. So, before we delve into the 10 best midfielders, here is a group of players unlucky not to be rewarded with a spot on the list...
Snubs:
*Positions based on Champion Data's 'midfielder' qualifications.
10. Caleb Serong
Serong pips teammate Andrew Brayshaw to earn the tenth spot on the midfielders list after an enormous year for the Dockers.
Serong averaged 29.4 disposals for Fremantle, as well as five tackles, 4.5 inside 50s and 6.8 score involvements. Serong polled a career-high 28 Brownlow votes, too, as well as earning a second consecutive Doig Medal.
A ball magnet, Serong started his year with a whopping 46-disposal game, and wouldn't record less than 25 disposals until Round 16. As Fremantle faded late in the year, so did Serong, including a season-low 19 disposals in Round 24's loss. As a result, his quieter finish to the season sees him sliding down our midfielder rankings to tenth.
