The midfield is arguably the most important position group in footy as they're tasked with being present at most contests and all stoppages while serving as the link between their defence and offence.
Without a strong ensemble of on-ballers, teams are destined to fall apart as middling play in this area results in catastrophic consequences to the outcome of a contest on a given day.
Not all midfields are alike as some prioritise a physical ball-winning style, while others emphasise a run-and-gun outside game and then there are sides that prefer a healthy balance of the two.
DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY OF THE 2022 AFL SEASON GUIDE
Each club has its own formula for constructing the ideal midfield but not all team's engine room can perform at the highest level.
With this in mind, let's have a look at the league's best midfield groups heading into 2022, starting from sixth down to first.
Every AFL club's midfield ranked: Part I
Every AFL club's midfield ranked: Part II
Despite fielding the reigning Brownlow medallist in Ollie Wines, Port Adelaide lacks depth in the centre.
The aforementioned Wines isn't prone to playing second fiddle to Power stalwart Travis Boak, who himself is a beast in congestion, while the emergence of winger Karl Amon rounds out the club's top tier midfielders.
Ports trio of highly touted youngsters Xavier Duursma, Zak Butters and Connor Rozee all spend portions of games playing through the middle but haven't been able to successfully cement a spot in the guts. They all possess high footy IQs and silky ball skills but are disadvantaged when competing with the bigger bodies most other clubs play in the centre.
The Powers midfield is then completed by ruckman Scott Lycett and defensive-minded onballer Willem Drew, while others, like their dashing half-back Dan Houston and tough nut Sam Powell-Pepper, get runs when needed.
Lycett is very average in the hit out game and struggles to position the ball effectively for his teammates, hence Port Adelaide ranking ninth in total clearances per game. Drew is an excellent tagger but lacks an element of polish that his contemporaries display with ease.
However, the amalgamation of Port Adelaide’s entire midfield group results in an imposing style of play where they tackle hard to win back possession if they fail to outright win the contest, which is evident by them ranking fourth in tackles per game.
Once in control of the ball, the Power’s aggressive nature translates into a barrage of forward entries which sees them ranked fourth for shots on goal per game and fifth for inside 50’s per game.
For Port to take the proverbial ‘next step’ their less established onballers must rely less on their natural talents and figure out how to mimic the aggressive nature of their current leaders in Wines and Boak.
DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY OF THE 2022 AFL SEASON GUIDE
3. Brisbane
The Brisbane Lions midfield is made up of accumulators who have a propensity to swiftly and assertively advance the ball forward.
Nothing communicates this more than the Queensland side being ranked first for inside 50’s per game, second in shots at goal per game and total clearances per game. Their onballers do two things very well;
- Get the footy
- Constantly get the footy forward
The likes of Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale, skipper Dayne Zorko, ball magnet Jarryd Lyons and winger Hugh McCluggage are an excellent assortment of A-graders who pose mismatch nightmares for the opposition.
Brisbane’s lower echelon of midfielders consist of Mitch Robinson, who stands as a tempo setter given the sheer ferocity he exerts in any given contest. Whereas youngsters like Zac Bailey, Jarrod Berry and Cam Rayner (when healthy) can all mimic the impacts of the team's more established mids.
The Lions are really a no-nonsense team, they rank 18th for uncontested possessions and fourth for contested possessions per game.
Yet, they are quite lacklustre in the ruck as the efforts of the ‘Big O’ Oscar McInerney are only good enough to have them ranked 12th for hit-outs per game. It’s not a glaring weakness in comparison to their overall midfield spread but it will prove costly when the competition tightens up come finals.
