The midfield is home to the AFL's most recognised names. This line receives the most individual recognition, sweeping the league's suite of awards most years. Those in the engine room shoulder the responsibility of galvanising their side through winning possession and determining field position.
Midfield groups are usually emblematic of a given team - good teams have good midfields, and bad teams do not.
Here's Zero Hanger's ranking of the league's 18 midfield corps for 2025.
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9. Sydney
At one point, Sydney's big three of Errol Gulden, Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner were top of the pops, the league's biggest deal, and opposition coach's biggest headache.
Despite patches of excellence, the trio weren't their match-winning best as often as fans have come to expect, in 2025, yet Isaac Heeney still managed an All-Australian blazer. Injury quelled Gulden's year, while Warner failed to replicate the devastating impact he's had in years gone by.
In recent years, more defensively minded auxiliary pieces have been added to accompany these offensive weapons, in the form of a developing Angus Sheldrick and hard-nosed tagger James Jordon. Justin McInerney continues to blossom, too.
In 2025, the Swans registered the fifth-fewest points from centre bounce, and 1.4 points per game fewer than the league average from general stoppage. They were fifth for first possession to clearance rate, seventh for total clearances, and fifth for stoppage clearances.
There is plenty to like about such a profile. Dean Cox will be hoping his best assets can stay healthy enough to better it in 2026, and ultimately, undo the trauma of two blowout Grand Final losses in recent years.
