Every AFL club's squad for the 2027 season is coming together, so how does each team's back, midfield and forward line stack up against their rivals?
We at Zero Hanger will be going through all 18 clubs, analysing and ranking them 1-18 across all three thirds of the ground, starting with the backline.
While the draft, delisted free agent signing period and trial spots remain for clubs to recruit players, the majority of each team's starting 23 are in place.
Focusing on the players at their disposal, their style of football in 2026, and with a look forward to Round 1, 2027, this is how we ranked every club 1-18 for its midfield.
9. Geelong
Midfielders: Bailey Smith, Max Holmes, Tom Atkins, Oisin Mullin, James Worpel, Tanner Bruhn, Mark Blicavs, Patrick Dangerfield, Shaun Mannagh, Oliver Dempsey, Jhye Clark, George Stevens, Hunter Holmes, Harley Barker.
The Cats have two of the best midfielders and ball users in the game in Smith and Holmes as they steered the side to another finals series.
Geelong ranked fourth in average centre clearances (13.5) and in average total clearances (37.5), showing how damaging they were out of the middle.
Help from hard-nosed midfielder Atkins alongside Mullin, Worpel and Mannagh throughout the year showed how Chris Scott loves to change up the side and to good effect, finishing one game out of the top four.
The Cats will be looking to get a top four finish and are expected to be at the pointy end of the year again with the signings of damaging forward Toby Greene, Jordan Ridley and ruckman Rowan Marshall, who will hopefully help give the Cats mids first ball use throughout 2027.
