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.
3. Marcus Bontempelli
From an all-round perspective, Bontempelli had a near career-best year despite the lack of votes on Brownlow night.
Bontempelli became a potent scoring threat in conjunction with his high ball use, kicking 32 goals at an average of 1.3 per game. Even by playing majorly as a midfielder, the 29-year-old scored the fourth most goals for any Bulldog this year.
He also averaged 25.8 disposals per game, 5.5 inside 50s, and a league-leading 8.2 score involvements per game. A 30-disposal, three-goal performance against Fremantle was the Bulldogs captain's best in 2024.
