15 rounds in and we've never been more perplexed over which teams are serious, and who's on fraud watch.
One thing is for certain, it is Sydney's to lose from here and it may take something miraculous to halt their surge to a sixth flag.
Below them lies unending confusion; the two sides with the second & third best percentage sitting outside the top eight.
10th-placed Brisbane sit less than two wins out of the top four, but the former bottom-dweller Hawks may be one of the four best teams going around at this moment.
As the ladder deceives us like never before, stars from every team are making a compelling case for their spot in the AFL All-Australian team.
In this edition, all but three sides are represented and five clubs have earned the honour of featuring multiple names.
Men we had thought set their names in stone by Round 10 have been stunningly omitted, through their own struggles or another's rise.
As always, a host of names remain stiff to miss, but here is the cream of the 2024 crop lucky enough to secure a spot in our Round 15 rolling side.
2. Midfielders
While there's a strong case for fielding all of Brodie Grundy, Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and James Rowbottom, with Errol Gulden floating on the outside, just three Swans have been named.
Heeney starts at centre while Warner sits to start, these two combine for nearly 17 score-involvements per game as two of the most concerning opposition matchups roaming through the entire AFL midfield brigade.
Gulden has also shone at the centre bounce, but is a proven winger who takes that combined score involvement tally to over 24 per game.
Nick Daicos is as close to a lock as they come in Round 15, having transitioned his game inside this year to become one of the best contested players in the competition, evading tags and influencing games any way possible.
Zach Merrett played his way into a starting spot with his performance against West Coast, reasserting his status as one of the most well-rounded onballers in the competition.
Max Gawn keeps edging out his competition for the ruck spot. Grundy has made a compelling case with his recent performances against Adelaide and GWS but it will take a herculean effort to uproot big Max.
Patrick Cripps and Caleb Serong round out the middies on the interchange bench, providing a nice balance of in & under grit, outside damage and defensive accountability between them. Adam Treloar unfortunately misses despite being the most prolific ball-winner in the competition, though there is still time to stake his claim.
Stiff to miss:
