Every AFL club’s midfield ranked: Part III

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.

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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. 

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Geelong

Geelong may appear to be getting over the hill with their assortment of maturing stars but experience can be everything in footy’s big moments. 

The likes of living legends Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield provide the perfect combination of leadership and x-factor qualities. The pair attack the ball with reckless abandonment but also make the smart (and often unselfish) play, which permeates throughout the side as the Cats typically move the ball with conviction, especially when entering forward 50. 

Geelong’s quality of possession is clean and high percentage given that they ranked second for disposals per game, disposal efficiency and third in uncontested possessions. While this style is predictable, it’s extremely effective given that their patience frustrates the opposition and causes them to tire and make mistakes. 

The quality of play the Cats also receive from Cam Guthrie, Sam Menegola and Isaac Smith is a further matchup headache for the opposition. 

Guthrie’s ability to win the footy and distribute outward is very underrated as he often acts as the link player between plays. Combine this with Menegola’s aggressive attacking efforts and the relentless running of Isaac Smith and the diversity in Geelong’s midfield is quite impressive (regardless of age). 

However, the Cats are lacking when it comes to their ruckman and their ability to win a hit-out. Rhys Stanley isn't the answer, neither is Esava Ratugolea and the addition of Jonathon Ceglar adds to an already compounding issue at the Cattery (by the way also not the answer). 

While Geelong currently have a top tier midfield, they will struggle to head into 2023 and beyond if they fail to inject youth and recruit a competent tap ruckman this season.

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Greater Western Sydney

While the Amazon Prime show ‘Making Their Mark’ captured GWS coach Leon Cameron’s intense side, they failed to capture him displaying any competence when orchestrating his midfield rotation. 

The wealth of talent that the Giants are capable of fielding is damn frightening, but they never seem to consistently have their best players simultaneously in the guts. 

Just quickly, here's a list of skilful ball-winners at GWS’ disposal: Josh Kelly, Stephen Coniglio, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Tom Green, Callan Ward, Harry Perryman and Lachie Whitfield.

Despite this bit of negligence, GWS were able to bully the opposition in the middle as they ranked fifth in contested possessions per game, total clearances per game and seventh in tackles per game. 

The relentlessness displayed rivalled the league's best on their day, as the Giants would outwork and suffocate their opposition. They began to surge late in 2021 with their engine room at the forefront of the in-season resurgence. 

However, the Giants are atrocious when it comes to winning the ball out of the centre (ranked 13th), in part due to their ruck roulette not garnering enough consistency and that their onballers are likely out of rhythm with their talls and fellow mids. 

The epitome of this mishandling is that last season Kelly spent copious amounts of time on the wing and half-forward instead of on the ball where he can do the most damage.

Too often have the Giants and Cameron relied on pure talent to rack up wins and this will continue to be the greatest knock on an otherwise stellar midfield group.  

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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; 

1. Get the footy
2. 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. 

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Western Bulldogs

The Western Bulldogs possess the strongest spread of onballers in the competition.

However, they place second due to their deficiencies in the ruck. Tim English is mobile but is routinely afar from stuffing the hit-out portion of the stat sheet, whereas Stef Martin is solid but his play can't exceed that of a tap ruckman.

The Dogs didn't seem to struggle too mightily when it came to winning the stoppages, as they ranked first in total clearances per game despite their midfield's Achilles heel.

Whether it was by sheer force or a carefully orchestrated attack, the Footscray based side had all the answers when it came to playing in the centre. They ranked third in contested possessions per game and fifth in uncontested possessions, which comes as no surprise when your engine room is led by the star-studded combination of Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Tom Liberatore, Josh Dunkley, Bailey Smith and Adam Treloar.

Further justifying the validity of the 2021's second-best side is that they are relentless in their forward pursuits given that the Dogs were ranked third for both inside 50's and shots at goal per game.

The reality is that when the Bulldogs have possession it's almost impossible for the opposition to clamp them up as they have a plethora of ways to dismantle whoever is in their way.

If things continue as they are, the Western Bulldogs will continue to remain atop of the leagues' best midfield, but will need to seek an answer to their ruck woes.

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Melbourne

The reigning premiers had to take top billing.

Melbourne have the best midfield in the competition, boasting a tremendous balance between contested freaks, running machines and elite ruck play.

Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca are the best midfield tandem in football and while you can slow one down you certainly can't stop both of them. 'Clarry's propensity to fight for possession and tackle hard make him dangerous even when he's having a slow day at the office, courtesy of a well-played tag. Conversely, when 'Trac' is on, well, good luck.

As you make your way through the remainder of the Demons midfield they boast electric speed with Ed Langdon on the wing and tremendous ball skills and smarts with Angus Brayshaw opposite him, not to mention the leadership derived from the efforts of Jack Viney.

Melbourne also field the best ruck duo in the comp as Max Gawn continues showing us why he's a top-three player in the position, while the younger Luke Jackson continues his ascension into superstardom. The Dees rank first for hit-outs per game and it's honestly no surprise.

Speaking of stats, the Demons also rank first for contested possessions per game, tackles per game and shots at goal per game, while also being ranked second for inside 50's per game and fourth in total clearances per game.

The numbers back the eye test with Melbourne and it doesn't appear that they'll relinquish their stranglehold atop of the AFL's midfield packs as they look to go back-to-back in 2022.

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