What is currently the best duo in the AFL?

Chatting on this week's episode of The Hitout, the team dissected what the best pairing in the competition currently is.

With Melbourne's once-formidable defensive duo of Steven May and Jake Lever split up once more, their claim as one of the best one-two punch pairings in the AFL has faded in recent times.

Geelong has found arguably the best midfield combination in Max Holmes and Bailey Smith, while the latter's old club's the Western Bulldogs have mixed and matched a number of different options in their own engine room as Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards and Tom Liberatore continue to dominate.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 10: Max Holmes (left) and Bailey Smith of the Cats celebrate during the 2025 AFL Round 05 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Geelong Cats at Adelaide Oval on April 10, 2025 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 10: Max Holmes (left) and Bailey Smith of the Cats celebrate during the 2025 AFL Round 05 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Geelong Cats at Adelaide Oval on April 10, 2025 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Collingwood brothers Nick and Josh Daicos have been strong this year as a link-up duo all over the field,  while the Ashcroft brothers in Brisbane have done similar.

Nick Daicos has found an ideal partner in Ned Long, whose combative nature is able to free-up Daicos on the outside of the contest.

Adelaide's dynamic pairing of Izak Rankine and Jordan Dawson across the front-half of the field has been significant in their rise this year.

"We've seen Max Holmes and Bailey Smith form what is probably a top five one-two punch in the comp this year," analyst Mitch Keating said on The Hitout's discussion of the best duos in the AFL.

"But is it actually the best? Is there a twin-tall forwards combo that works really well? Is it that midfield-forward rotation between two players that the Crows might have? Is it just two defenders who are so reliable down back, like the Giants have?

"Or is it just a brother combination. We see the Daicos and Ashcroft brothers link up so much in and out of midfield. They work really well together, both sets of brothers.

"Another one the Pies have is Nick Daicos and Ned Long, who is kind of like Nick Daicos' security guard. He's this big force in midfield who will get the ball and get it to Nick. He creates that space for their best player."

With Lever and May have passed on the torch as the best defensive duo, GWS pair Sam Taylor and Jack Buckley or Brisbane's Harris Andrews and Jack Payne both have a standing to hold the top spot.

Speaking on The Hitout, Aidan Cellini said the Lions' two key defenders had been "unstoppable" prior to Payne's recent season-ending knee injury.

"Harris Andrews and Jack Payne are in a similar vein to Taylor and Buckley at the Giants," Cellini said.

"Those two were pretty unstoppable prior to Payne's injury."

You can watch the entire episode The Hitout via the player below or on Zero Hanger's YouTube channel.

Who is the best duo in the AFL? + 2025 Ladder Predictors! | The Hitout AFL Podcast