Every AFL team's midfield ranked 1-18

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 18. West Coast In Andrew McQualter's first year at the helm, the league's youngest side won one game and was bullied around the ball. Memorably, the usually placid 'Mini' labelled his side's performance in the contest aspect of the game as 'pathetic', and the numbers support such a sentiment. The Eagles registered the fewest contested possessions and total clearances in the competition. They ranked last for scores from stoppage, and were league-worst for first possession win rate. The side's top four ball winners were all general defenders - a big worry, and one that is indicative of their struggles for territorial ascendancy in 2025. Former number one pick, youngster Harley Reid was a rare silver lining, finishing first at the club for clearances and second for contested possessions, despite increased attention from the opposition. 17. Richmond Much has been made of Richmond's commitment to youth, but the bulk of its midfield production was left to the ageing. Dion Prestia (33), Jacob Hopper (28) and Tim Taranto (27) joined ruckman Toby Nankervis (31) in the top four for total clearances for the yellow and black this year. The Tigers struggled to get their hands on the pill, averaging 51.4 fewer disposals than their opponents this year, besting only the Eagles in this and many other metrics, including total clearances. Adem Yze's men were the worst side for first possession to clearance rate, inside 50 differential, and centre clearances, leaving the former Demon under no illusions as to what needs addressing over the summer. 16. Essendon A disastrous year for Brad Scott's men was capped by their skipper and best player, Zach Merrett, seeking an exit. An injury crisis the likes of which is really seen crippled Essendon's ability to compete most weeks, laid bare by the numbers surrounding their midfield's lack of production. Further soft tissue injuries limited ball magnet Darcy Parish to three games, and the remaining mix of Sam Durham, Jye Caldwell and Xavier Duursma showed glimpses, but had their colours lowered more often than not. The Bombers were one of just three sides to average less than 30 points from stoppages on the year, joining the aforementioned Tigers and Eagles. Those same three sides populate the bottom rungs of the total clearance metric. Scott's men registered the competition's fourth-fewest contested possessions and fifth-fewest tackles - particularly damning given the Bombers had the 4th-worst disposal differential in the league. 15. Melbourne In Simon Goodwin's final year in charge of this storied club, the Demons fell away from their identity as a contest and defence team, finishing the year inside the bottom five for total clearances, and equal-second-worst for first possession to clearance rate. The evergreen Max Gawn produced the league's second-best hitout-to-advantage differential, illuminating just how poor his midfield were in converting this to clearance. This once vaunted engine room fell from first for scores from centre bounce in their premiership year of 2021 to seventh in 2025, and fell from third to 10th for scores from stoppage across that period, too. Off-field circuses no doubt contributed to this fall off, and some of the prime movers in the dynamic midfield that secured the drought-breaking flag finally had their departure wishes granted in the recent trade period. Couple that with a heavy draft focus in the last two years, and the midfield complexion figures to look different moving forward, under the tutelage of Steven King. 14. St Kilda It took the injection of the league's best half-back flanker in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera late in the year to revitalise this one-paced line. Youngsters like Hugo Garcia, Darcy Wilson, Hugh Boxshall and Mattaes Phillipou will be expected to carry the load for Ross Lyon moving forward, after a season in which much of the responsibility predictably fell on the ageing shoulders of Jack Macrae, defensive-minded midfielder Marcus Windhager and the now-departed Jack Steele, who averaged the most contested possessions and clearances for the side. Fittingly, the Saints midfield ranks middle of the road in many midfield metrics, indicative of the club on the whole. The Saints sit around the AFL average for total clearances and first possession to clearance rate, but need to exit stoppage with a little more moxie, after registering the fifth-fewest points from stoppage this season, in keeping with the dour tactics that have become synonymous with Ross Lyon's coaching. 13. Port Adelaide A club in the throes of change, Port's midfield had its lack of depth exposed in 2025. With skipper Connor Rozee making the move to halfback, Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis were as combative as they were brilliant, but a soft underbelly anchored the Alberton natives to mid-table mediocrity. Despite the best efforts of these two bulls, the Power ranked in the bottom three for total contested possessions. Strangely, the Power produced a rare discrepancy between their centre bounce clearance numbers and general stoppage clearance numbers, finishing bottom three in the former, and top three in the latter. Despite their general stoppage dominance, Hinkley's men produced the sixth-fewest points from this source, indicating an impotence forward of the ball, and poor quality of supply. The Power were also below league average for first possession to clearance rate. One of incoming coach Josh Carr's first focuses will undoubtedly be rectifying a midfield that has lost the ability to intimidate the way it once did. 12. Adelaide Across town, the engine room was not a strength for the minor premiers either, evidenced by their semi-final loss to the Hawks. The Crows lost clearance by six, and contested possession by 31, resulting in a miserable inside 50 differential for Matthew Nicks' men (-21). Unfortunately for those of a Crows persuasion, these numbers are not the recipe for a finals-winning brand. In a broader sample size, the Crows were below league average for centre clearances. It's a disappointing return, especially given the significant investment that has gone into improving this engine room, through the acquisitions of Isaac Cumming, James Peatling and Alex Neal-Bullen. There is an argument for too many like types occupying prime posts, with Jake Soligo, Sam Berry and the ageing Rory Laird presenting with similar strengths and physical attributes. The array of hybrid weapons the Crows possess was the envy of the league en route to their minor premiership, with superstars Izak Rankine, Josh Rachele, Jordan Dawson and Ben Keays consistently impacting the scoreboard, if not pinch-hitting at centre bounce. The quartet showed an aptitude for goalkicking, but midfield fundamentals and defensive accountability need work. 11. Hawthorn Jai Newcombe has emerged as one the best finals performers in recent history in his last two finals series, donning his cape and leading his club to multiple victories, seemingly single-handedly. However, just how good this brigade can be remains to be seen, given Will Day's continued absences. With any luck, the South Australian can post a clean bill of health in 2026, and contribute to a full campaign under Sam Mitchell. The Hawks finished the year just below league average for total clearances, but ranked sixth for scores from stoppage, and fifth for scores originating from centre bounce. Such a penchant for scores from this source will only become more dangerous if an ability to win clearance more often can be exhibited next year and beyond. 10. Collingwood As it has been since his drafting, Collingwood's season was all about one man - Nick Daicos. The young tyro dragged his side to a preliminary final berth, finishing second in the Brownlow in the process. However, the Pies midfield mix is a microcosm of their most glaring criticism – their age. Veterans and club legends Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Jack Crisp were still frequent centre bounce attendees, with the argument persisting that this has held Craig McRae's side back. There were glimpses of the midfield mix of the future, however. Former Bulldog Patrick Lipinski spent much of the year among the league's best kicks inside 50. Discarded Hawk Ned Long provided excellent foil and contrast to Daicos, with his Gather Round performance in particular, showcasing his wares. Roan Steele had his moments in his debut season, while West Australian Ed Allan continued to show glimpses at the level. Jordan de Goey's body was again a story, and Darcy Cameron cemented himself as one of the league's best, and most versatile ruckmen. Clearance and contest are not hallmarks of McRae's gameplan, with pressure more of a focus. The Pies finished first for tackle differential, averaging five more tackles a game than next best, GWS. 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. 8. Carlton Bang for buck simply must be the focus of the summer at IKON Park. The Blues were the first in the league for first possession, but were woeful in their efforts of converting that into a clearance, finishing fourth last in this metric. Still, Michael Voss' charges finished fifth for total clearances. Captain Patrick Cripps finally showed signs of wear after years of shouldering the league's heaviest burden, while the likes of Sam Walsh, Adam Cerra and Blake Acres showed that they may have already peaked as AFL footballers, too. George Hewett started the year in fine touch, and will look to repeat these heroics in 2026. Excitement continues to surround the debut of Jagga Smith, who missed his debut season through an unfortunate ACL injury. 7. North Melbourne The young Roos have figured out how to turn clearance dominance into scores, in eerie scenes for the rest of the competition. Clarkson's joeys were third for centre clearances, second for stoppage clearances, second for first possession rate, second for scores from centre bounce, and fourth for scores from stoppage. Similarly to the Blues, the Roos would undoubtedly like to see improvement in turning first possession into clearance, after ranking sixth in this metric. Highly touted draftees Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw have developed an exemplary and complementary inside and outside combination, while Tom Powell had himself a career-best year in 2025. Luke Davies-Uniacke, Jy Simpkin and Bailey Scott present different auxiliary strengths. The biggest kink that still requires the master's ironing is midfield defence. The Kangaroos struggle to stop opposing midfields having their way with them, allowing the most points from stoppage in the league, and the second-most from centre bounce. 6. GWS A breakout year from Finn Callaghan propelled the Giants this year, while Tom Green capped his rise from academy prospect to league A-grader with his first best and fairest. The two men rank inside the league's top 20 players, per Wheelo Ratings, and the Giants rank sixth for points scored from centre bounce. Xavier O'Halloran spent the back third of the year exposed to increased centre bounce opportunity, presenting as a point of difference with his pace, tenacity, and craft. One would assume that the Giants have just one or two more genuine flag tilts in them with the current iteration of their list, with age a factor for the still-contributing Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio, although the former will miss a considerable portion of next season after hip resurfacing surgery. That comes as the club welcomes Clayton Oliver into the mix, with the contested ball-winning bull set to add another later to Adam Kingsley's ranks. 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. 4. Geelong In his first year in the hoops, and first year back from a serious knee injury, Bailey Smith worked in devastating tandem with running man, Max Holmes. The positional moves their prowess allowed, including a more stay-home forward role for statesman Patrick Dangerfield, powered the Cats to a second grand final berth in four seasons. Tom Atkins and his workmanlike approach drew acclaim this season, while a suite of lesser lights saw midfield opportunity, too. The Cats finished second for scores from stoppage, and second for centre bounce clearances. Strangely, Chris Scott's men finished just below league average for around the ground stoppage clearances - something they'd desperately like to address, given they lost stoppage clearances by 12, and were outscored in scores from stoppage by 44, in their 47-point grand final loss at the hands of the Brisbane Lions. Still, the Cats midfield was well within the league's top echelon in 2025. 3. Western Bulldogs The Western Bulldogs can hardly blame their midfield for their failure to qualify for finals action in 2025. The Bulldogs engine room finished number one in the league for points from stoppage and centre bounce, total clearances and first possession to clearance rate. Beveridge's men averaged almost three goals per game more from stoppage than their opponents. The Dogs midfield boasts the league's two best players in Marcus Bontempelli and Ed Richards, per Wheelo Player Ratings. Frighteningly, the Bulldogs uncovered serious depth in 2025, out of necessity, with Joel Freijah a shining example of this. Ryley Sanders continues to develop, while Tom Liberatore was as reliable as ever. Tim English remains entrenched in premier ruckman discussions. The Bulldogs midfield wants for nothing, and if not for the club's failure to feature in September, they'd be higher in this estimation. 2. Gold Coast Damien Hardwick's midfield is powerful, and fuelled the previously irrelevant Suns to a maiden finals berth in 2025. It's a group underpinned by the newly minted Brownlow Medallist, and former number one pick, Victorian Matt Rowell. His best mate, Noah Anderson, went to another level this season, with the club's captaincy suiting him down to the ground. Touk Miller provides a steely veteran presence as one of the league's best two-way runners, and is a former AFL Coach's Association Champion Player of the Year recipient in his own right. Jarrod Witts provided clean and classy first use, registering the most hitouts to advantage in the league. This brigade powered the Suns to a fourth-placed finish for total clearance differential, a second-placed finish for first possession to clearance rate, and the third-most points from stoppage in the league. It's a daunting profile, especially given this side has still only experienced two 'Dimma' pre-seasons, and welcomes Norm Smith Medal winner Christian Petracca from Melbourne. 1. Brisbane Lions The Brisbane Lions went back-to-back in 2025, powered by the league's deepest midfield. This Lions side has match winners everywhere, and an unshakeable belief in their well-drilled process, evidenced by devastating bursts across the final two outings of their cup-lifting season. After allowing Collingwood a second quarter avalanche at the MCG on preliminary final weekend, the Lions put the game out of reach with a second half flex that will haunt Craig McRae and co. for a while yet. When they put the foot down for a second successive grand final, pundits everywhere couldn't help but place this side in 'best ever' conversations, such is their ridiculous ability to win from anywhere, and put a game to bed, at any given moment. And it all starts in the middle. There isn't a side in the AFL better at stoppage. The Lions were first for stoppage clearances, and third for converting first possession to a clearance. On average, the Lions were +30 in possessions on their opponents across the year, comfortably best in the league. This side pound you into submission, and look to be having the time of their lives doing so. That is one of many reasons why they've attained 'perennial contender' status under Chris Fagan's stewardship.

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	ADEL	23	18	5	72	139.3
2	GEEL	23	17	6	68	141.5
3	BL	23	16	6	66	114.2
4	COLL	23	16	7	64	122.4
5	GWS	23	16	7	64	115.3
6	FRE	23	16	7	64	109
7	GC	23	15	8	60	124.9
8	HAW	23	15	8	60	120.9

Every AFL team’s midfield ranked 1-18

We’ve unveiled our verdict on the competition’s best, and worst, midfields from the 2025 season.

17. Richmond

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