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.
RELATED: EVERY AFL TEAM'S BACKLINE RANKED 1-18
5. Fremantle
Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong have been as reliable as the day is long for years now, and found themselves with a well-rounded supporting cast this year.
A healthy Hayden Young possesses one of the league's most lethal left pegs, while the acquisition of Shai Bolton added another dimension of unpredictability to Justin Longmuir's engine room. Matthew Johnson continued to develop, while Luke Jackson's sublime follow-up work post-ruck contest marks him as an extra midfielder, and provides another point of difference.
This mix meant the Dockers finished sixth for total clearances, and seventh for first possession to clearance rate. Longmuir would like to see growth in that second metric, particularly given that the tandem of Sean Darcy and the aforementioned Jackson saw his side finish third in the league for hitouts to advantage, and second for hitout to advantage percentage.
