MELBOURNE, VICTORIA - MAY 06: Dustin Martin of the Tigers and Nat Fyfe of the Dockers compete for the ball during the 2018 AFL round seven match between the Richmond Tigers and the Fremantle Dockers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 6, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/AFL Media/Getty Images)
With big-name players making blockbuster moves to rival clubs in the trade period, this is the perfect opportunity to analyse each club's list and find out how many stars each club possesses.
Here is Zero Hanger's list of A-Graders at every club:
Brad Crouch, Matt Crouch, Rory Laird, Rory Sloane
With Adelaide expected to undergo a rebuild of their list, 2020 will be a difficult year for the club, but thankfully they have a strong core of players to build around.
The Crouch brothers were dominant in midfield, racking up a combined 63 disposals per game, resulting in a first and second-place finish in the best-and-fairest for Brad and Matt respectively.
Meanwhile, Rory Laird's rebounding ability off half-back was a shining light in an otherwise dark season for the Crows and his namesake Sloane continued to lead by example through his courage and nose for the football.
Harris Andrews, Charlie Cameron, Lachie Neale, Dayne Zorko
The Lions were resurgent in 2019, marching into second spot and making finals for the first time since 2009. Although players such as Lincoln McCarthy and Mitch Robinson were important to the club's success, it was their group of A-graders who took the club back to September.
The midfield duo of Neale and Zorko were pivotal in the centre of the ground, with Brisbane finishing the season in 2nd for clearances and 3rd for contested possessions. Down back, vice-captain Harris Andrews was brilliant yet again, tallying 224 one-percenters for the season, a career-high, while Charlie Cameron was deadly inside 50, leading the club's goal-kicking with 57 majors.
Patrick Cripps
Carlton couldn't add to their list of A-graders in the off-season but do one of the absolute premium A-graders in Cripps. In just six seasons, Patrick Cripps is already a two-time All-Australia, three-time best-and-fairest winner, an AFLPA MVP, a co-captain and he is expected to add a Brownlow to the list in the near future.
Marc Murphy isn't far removed from being an A-grader and has been Mr Consistent for the Blues, averaging 25 disposals in 2019 and at 32 years of age.
He may have only played one season but Rising Star winner Sam Walsh has already emerged as a superstar of the competition and has all the tools to become an A-grader. The 19-year-old had one of the best debut seasons of the modern era, averaging 25 disposals and notching up six Brownlow votes to go with a fourth-placed best-and-fairest finish.
Jordan De Goey, Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Adam Treloar
Nathan Buckley's men suffered another heartbreaking finals loss in 2019, but given the strength of their list, the Magpies will get another opportunity for redemption next season.
Collingwood have one of the toughest and most experienced midfields in the competition, led by their captain and six-time All-Australian Scott Pendlebury, alongside silky veteran Steele Sidebottom and ball magnet Adam Treloar, who finished the home-and-away season with a league-best average of 32.9 disposals a game.
These men are fed by the league's best ruckman, Brodie Grundy, who polled a club-best 23 Brownlow votes to finish equal-sixth overall. Crisp and De Goey are brilliant at opposite ends of the field, with Crisp averaging a career-best 26 disposals off half-back in 2019 while De Goey was crucial up forward, kicking 34 goals in 17 games.
Zach Merrett
Dylan Shiel was a great pick up for the Bombers last off-season, helping them return to the finals in 2019 on the back of a talented midfield group. In his first season in the red and black, Shiel led the club for clearances with an average of 5.3 per game and finished with 108 tackles for the year, a career-best. But sorry Bomber fans, he isn't an A-grader.
Merrett is just that, taking home his second best-and-fairest award and leading the club in disposals for the fourth-straight year with 28.3 per game.
Nat Fyfe, Michael Walters
Fremantle not only lost their coach in 2019, but they have now also lost one of their A-graders with Brad Hill making the move to St Kilda in the trade period. However, even with Hill's departure, the Dockers still boast the reigning Brownlow Medallist in Nat Fyfe and one of the game's most exciting forwards in Michael Walters.
Fyfe's stellar season, which saw him tally a career-best 29 disposals a game, saw him take home a third All-Australian jacket and best-and-fairest award and finished with a 33-vote Brownlow win despite Freo winning just nine games. "Sonny" Walters had a huge 2019 to cement his A-grade status, averaging 20+ disposals for the first time in his career and leading the club with 40 goals, his best return since 2015.
Gary Ablett Jr, Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Tom Stewart
Although Ablett and Selwood may be regressing with age, they still deserve their A-grade status after helping take the Cats to a minor premiership and a preliminary final in 2019.
At 35 and 31 years of age respectively, the two experienced campaigners are in the twilight of their careers but with Tim Kelly leaving, they will remain an integral part of Geelong's 22.
Dangerfield did as Dangerfield does in 2019, winning his seventh All-Australian and finishing second in the Brownlow with 27 votes. A former mature-age recruit, Tom Stewart has emerged as a premier defender with elite kicking ability, leading the league in kicks, rebound 50s and metres gained in 2019, firmly securing his position as an A-grader.
Jarrod Witts
Although the Suns are a rabble at the moment, one silver lining for them has been the performances of co-captain Jarrod Witts. The 209cm ruckman was a former fringe player at Collingwood before making his move north and hasn't looked back since.
The 27-year-old won his first best-and-fairest this year after breaking the record for most hit-outs in a home-and-away season with 1008, averaging a monstrous 45.8 per game. With Hugh Greenwood and Brandon Ellis arriving on the Gold Coast this off-season, could they follow Witts' footsteps and ascend to A-grade status?
Jeremy Cameron, Stephen Coniglio, Toby Greene, Nick Haynes, Josh Kelly, Tim Taranto, Lachie Whitfield
After they failed to show up at the big dance, GWS' bevy of A-graders will be determined to return to finals for a fifth straight season in 2020, and they certainly have the talent to do so.
When they could all get on the park, the combination of Coniglio, Greene, Kelly, Taranto and Whitfield was unstoppable, with the club comfortably leading the league in clearances and disposals.
Nick Haynes formed one part of a brilliant defensive duo alongside Phil Davis, with the former plucking 181 marks for the season, the 3rd best in the AFL. While Jeremy Cameron continued his excellence in front of goals, kicking 67 and snatching the Coleman Medal from Ben Brown's grasp.
Tom Mitchell, James Sicily
Hawthorn will be licking their lips with Tom Mitchell set to make his long-awaited return from injury and James Worpel emerging as an A-grader.
The "Worpedo" arrived on the scene in a big way this season, winning a best-and-fairest in just his second season after leading the club in disposals and clearances. O'Meara is also emerging as a potential A-grader continued his development as a midfielder, recording a career-best 26 disposals per game and his finished equal 15th in the league for tackles with 123 in 2019.
Although Sicily is most known for his ability to niggle his opponents, it is his reading of the play and use by foot which lifts him to A-grade material. The 24-year-old led the Hawks in kicks and rebound 50s, and also finished top three in the league for intercepts, averaging 8.5 per game.
Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver
After a disastrous 2019 season, resulting in a 17th-placed finish, its no surprise a few Demons would have lost their position as A-graders, including Angus Brayshaw who didn't poll in the Brownlow this year after picking up 21 votes in 2018. Only ruckman Max Gawn and midfielder Clayton Oliver deserved their status as A-graders, and both players shared the club's best-and-fairest at season's end.
Despite failing to recreate his magnificent 2018 season, Gawn still earned an All-Australian jacket, his third, and still continued his dominance in the ruck, finishing third in hit-outs per game. In just his fourth season, Oliver averaged 30 disposals for the second time in his career, the best at the club and ninth in the league, and he also led the Demons in clearances, with 7.1 per game.
Ben Brown, Ben Cunnington, Shaun Higgins, Robbie Tarrant
The Kangaroos have now gone three seasons without finals, but these four men are not at fault and will be important factors if the club are to return to September in 2020. Ben Brown has become one of the league's top goal-kickers, racking up 279 goals in his 131 games, including a career best 64 in 2019, but some thanks have to go to Ben Cunnington and Shaun Higgins, who delivered the ball to him on a platter.
Tough-as-nails Cunnington won his 2nd best-and-fairest after a terrific season on the ball, while Higgins led the club in goal assists and disposals per game, with 15 and 28.4 respectively. Tarrant had an strong year down back, taking over six marks per game and also boasting the 9th-best disposal efficiency in the league at 85.6%.
Travis Boak, Robbie Gray
With both Travis Boak and Robbie Gray currently 31, the Power will be hoping young stars Connor Rozee, Xavier Duursma and Ryan Burton can develop into A-grade talent as the experienced duo's retirement draws closer.
Gray has been Port Adelaide's number one man for the best part of six years and is second in the club's all-time goal-kicking. Although he didn't reach the heights of previous years, Gray was still pivotal in big games and won his fifth Showdown Medal, a record for the award.
Meanwhile, Boak was devastating in 2019, chalking up career-bests in disposals and clearances, resulting in his second best-and-fairest award.
Dylan Grimes, Bachar Houli, Tom Lynch, Dustin Martin, Dion Prestia, Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt
After an untouchable 2019 season, the reigning premiers are deservedly home to the most A-graders in the AFL, with seven. Prestia and Martin were impressive both offensively and defensively, helping Richmond to create the third most inside 50s in the league, as well as give away the fifth least inside 50s.
In defence, Dylan Grimes and Bachar Houli stepped up to fill the gap left by injured A-grader Alex Rance and did so expertly, with the Tigers conceding the 2nd least points per game. Up forward, new recruit Tom Lynch complimented Jack Riewoldt perfectly, with the pair kicking 95 goals combined to help lead the club to its second flag in three years.
Brad Hill, Seb Ross
The Saints brought in a bonafide A-grader in the trade period through the arrival of Brad Hill from Fremantle. The three-time premiership player had a superb 2019, breaking Freo's record for kicks in a season, tallying 392, and finished top 10 in the league for uncontested possessions and metres gained per game.
Hill joins midfielder Seb Ross, who took home his secnd best-and-fairest award after leading the club in disposals and score involvements.
Lance Franklin, Isaac Heeney, Josh P. Kennedy, Jake Lloyd, Luke Parker
Sydney missed the finals for the first time in 10 years, but given the breadth of talent on their list, this poor form is unlikely to continue into 2020.
Veterans Luke Parker and Josh Kennedy excelled on the ball once again in 2019, with both players finishing top three at the club for disposals and top two for tackles.
Jake Lloyd was a weapon off half-back, leading the league in metres gained per game and finishing top two in rebound 50s and kicks per game. Franklin's struggle with injury has brought his status as an A-grader into question, but when he is fit and firing, he is near impossible to stop.
Andrew Gaff, Shannon Hurn, Tim Kelly, Jeremy McGovern, Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo
With the addition of Tim Kelly, West Coast's group of A-graders continues to grow and another premiership could soon be on its way to Perth. Kelly won his first All-Australian jacket and tallied 24 Brownlow votes in 2019 after averaging over 25 disposals a game and kicking 24 goals.
Gaff, Shuey and Yeo filled out the top four at the Eagles for disposals, with Gaff leading the club with 31 per game and the quartet also finished top five in contested possessions and clearances.
Down back, Shannon Hurn and Jeremy McGovern were at their best, with the latter leading the league in intercepts, with 8.57 per game, and the former finishing close behind with 7.71, putting him in the top 10.
Marcus Bontempelli, Josh Dunkley, Jack Macrae
The Bulldogs trio of Bontempelli, Dunkley and Macrae could be the best combination in the league, with the midfielders finishing in the top three of the club's best-and-fairest and polling a combined 59 votes on Brownlow night. Bontempelli scored career-highs in marks and disposals this season, resulting in the b&f win as well as the AFLCA MVP award.
Dunkley finished top 10 in the league for tackles, as well as score involvements per game to go along with 28 disposals and five clearances a game. Macrae suffered from leather poisoning again in 2019, racking up 33 disposals a game, the best record in the league, which is staggering considering he also had the 2nd most effective disposals in the competition.