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.
10. Carlton
Midfielders: Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh, Jagga Smith, George Hewett, Adam Cerra, Oliver Hollands, Blake Acres, Ben Ainsworth, Cooper Lord, Matt Carroll, Campbell Chesser.
The emerging three-headed monster of Cripps, Walsh and Smith are already a force to be reckoned with in any game, and they could easily be much higher up on this ranking.
Rising Star Smith looks set to continue his rapid rise as a player of the future as he attended centre bounces much more regularly in the last 10 games of the season compared to the first half.
This may be the doing of new coach Josh Fraser, as the Blues core looked as dangerous as any side, especially following their Wildcard win over the Dees.
Hewett, Cerra and Ainsworth also all enjoyed time throughout the middle at centre bounces, and there is so much upside for this side to come.
Walsh and Smith look all but set to lead the side into the next generation, and the pending addition of Cody Walker is exciting for Blues fans.
