AFL's masterminds: Rating players with the highest footy IQ

Who are footy's masterminds? Amid the desperation for speed and athleticism, the old-school skill of simply understanding the game strongly and building your game off that is arguably undervalued. So who has the best footy IQ? Zach Merrett From pouring over vision to catching up with former captains of the club, Merrett has always been noted as a player who goes above and beyond to get the absolute most out of himself. It presents itself on the footy field, with his ability to marshal, lead and damage opponents through his elite decision-making, a feature for the Bombers across a barren generation. Was taken away from his long time midfield post at times late in the Brad Scott era and still impacted, highlighting his flexibility and game smarts. Taylor Walker Has 693 goals and 309 games of experience and is one of the toughest matchups in footy. The work rate, skill and strength are one thing, but his understanding of leading lanes and what is required of him at different stages of the game is what takes him to the elite level. Has been a forward his entire career but has filled different roles – deep forward, higher forward, anchor, sacrificial role to allow others to thrive – which makes for a scary package as a direct opponent deep into his career. Much has been made of the Crows' three-pronged forward line and his understanding of how to maximise the strengths of himself and teammates has been an important feature of his side when at its best. Murphy Reid For many, it's their years of experience that gets them onto the list, but Murphy Reid has come through blessed with the smarts to navigate his way through traffic. The talk he lacked the speed or athleticism to thrive at the top level ahead of his draft looks like folly now. The Rising Star winner is averaging 24 disposals in just his second year of footy, and has elite vision and temperament which buys him time and allows him to set the game up. Never panics and seems to have an innate knowledge of where his teammates and opponents are. Jack Gunston How has this career renaissance been possible? Has kicked 108 goals in his last 32 games and helps a premiership contender's forward line structure effectively. Vision has previously circulated of Gunston coaching Calsher Dear where he communicates his strong understanding of the game which underpins his goal-kicking prowess. Harris Andrews How often in the last decade has the camera panned to Brisbane's backline and Harris Andrews has been in the right spot to take an intercept mark? Assesses whether to peel off, and when, so well, and always locks down first. If he isn't intercepting, he's positioning his body and holding space to protect the drop zone perfectly, nudging out his opponent just when they think they're a chance of competing. Has never had outstanding speed or athletic traits but has always thrived with his ability to read the ball better than others. Dayne Zorko The former skipper is an antagonist for opposition players, regularly getting under people's skin and winning his team free kicks. He has played different positions across his career and sets up attacking chains dangerously and is clever with the way he beats opponents in one-on-one contests and shuts down players. Marcus Bontempelli Footy IQ is off the charts. His skill and athletic profile is perfect for modern footy but the way he thinks his way through different scenarios, particularly when in traffic and looking to work the ball forward. Knows when to draw tacklers to open up teammates and has incredible vision and the skill execution to hit his kicks. Knows how to best utilise his incredible array of talent. Max Gawn If you go to the MCG and don't take your eyes off Max Gawn, the first thing you'll notice is his ability to run and run and run. For a big man, his tireless efforts set him apart and allow him to work other rucks over. But don't underestimate the efficiency of his running patterns which enable him to get from contest to contest without overexerting. Ruck craft is an underrated skill, but the most fundamental for rucks to achieve their primary objective and he possesses it in spades, enabling him to set up the midfield for clearance ascendancy, with his hit-to zones allowing Melbourne to surge forward. He's also maintained his greatness across a generation where ruck rules have changed and different types of rucks have come and gone. Nick Daicos Everyone marvels at the skill execution, blistering breakaway speed and ability to make things happen and lead Collingwood's midfield, but it is all set up by Nick Daicos' vision and ability to see things other players don't. He knows his way around a stoppage like few others, outworks and outsmarts taggers and can fox opponents to open the game up. And how often does he draw teammates to where he wants them to be with his magnificent kicking or fool opponents by contorting in different ways to open the game up? Plays chess while everyone else is playing checkers. Jack Ginnivan The very best of Jack Ginnivan has been unlocked since arriving at Hawthorn, but concealed beneath his antics and at times immaturity has always been an impeccable footy IQ that comfortably ranks among the league's best. Hell, you could even argue that his ducking for high free kicks and exploiting the rules as he was making his way in the big time showed a degree of footy IQ. More holistically, his ability to get to the fall of the ball, spot teammates and beat opponents one-on-one comes down to his innate footy nous given he has never been blessed with speed or the athletic attributes of many of his opponents or teammates. Listen to an episode of his ball magnets podcast with Tom Mitchell and you'll feel more informed about the game. Scott Pendlebury An on-field coach. Collingwood's transitioning list looks a different team when it has Pendlebury compared to when it does not. He sets up their stoppage structure, and instructs all while giving himself the greatest opportunity to impact. The gap between his best and worst games is noted as exceptionally skinny and its built off the back of an unbelievable understanding of the game and ability to communicate which makes him widely viewed as a senior AFL coach in waiting. That he has played in a long list of Collingwood close finishes under Craig McRae adds an intricate level of game scenario understanding and experience few others would have.

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	FRE	13	12	1	48	147.9
2	SYD	13	11	2	44	147.3
3	HAW	13	8	4	34	113.2
4	GEEL	13	8	5	32	120.2
5	WB	13	8	5	32	94.6
6	GC	12	7	5	28	112.2
7	ADEL	12	7	5	28	107.4
8	BL	13	7	6	28	106.2
9	MELB	13	7	6	28	101.6
10	COLL	13	6	6	26	100.1

AFL’s masterminds: Rating players with the highest footy IQ

Which players can you trust most to make sharp decisions under heat?

5Marcus Bontempelli

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

Latest News

LIVE: Collingwood vs Melbourne – Round 13, 2026

Hardnut Magpie leaves Melbourne contest inside five minutes

AFL Tale of the Tape: High-octane Demons out to topple blockbuster-hardened...

Extent of soft tissue injuries for pair of Crows revealed

MRO: Bombers utility under fire for rough conduct

FOLLOW US