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.
8. Zak Butters
Quickly firming himself as Port Adelaide's best player, 24-year-old Zak Butters backed up a stellar 2023 campaign this year.
The feisty Power member racked up 27.1 disposals a game, plus 4.6 inside 50s and 6.9 score involvements. Butters recorded his team's most Brownlow votes with 29, exceeding his 2023 count of 27.
Whilst only scoring a goal once every two games on average, Butters' burst from the contest makes him a continuous dangerous threat. His best performance in 2024 came in the second Showdown clash with the Crows, where a ruthless Butters recorded 42 disposals and a goal, winning the best-on-ground medal.
