With the 2024 season in the rear-view mirror, it's time to list the cream of the crop of AFLย talent.
We've compiled a list of the top 50 players in the competition, assessing each candidate on a subjective mix of their 2024 production, career pedigree and future projections.
Ranking an exclusive list ofย AFL stars has never been more difficult. Each team is littered with candidates on all lines, and different players press their case for All-Australian recognition every week.
A plethora of genuine stars have not even made the cut inside the top 50, a handful of names have been included despite interrupted campaigns, while a few have been featured ahead of their time.
SEE:ย TOP 50 AFTER 2024 (50-41)
SEE: TOP 50 AFTER 2024 (40-31)
SEE: TOP 50 AFTER 2024 (30-21)
SEE: TOP 50 AFTER 2024 (20-11)
Here is the final edition (10-1) of our top 50 AFLย players right now...
3. Patrick Cripps
The Brownlow Medal results in 2024 would suggest that Cripps just played out the greatest season in AFL history, and by some margin - polling a record 45 votes at nearly two votes per game.
He appeared to make some tweaks to his game in 2024 which made his dominance more noticeable; exploding out of contests himself rather than feeding outside teammates from the inside.
He wins the ball at the coalface with a ferocity that is impossible to stop, even with two opponents hanging off him, as is often the case.
He did most of the dirty work by himself in Carlton's midfield this year, given the absences of Sam Walsh and Adam Cerra throughout the season, leaving a usually stacked Blues' midfield group depleted for most of 2024.
Routine injury concerns kept Carlton from competing late in the season and they were eventually torched out of the race by the eventual premier Brisbane.
After a second Brownlow Medal and a cabinet of awards like few others in the history of the game, Cripps' legacy now hinges on the team's success next season and onwards.
