Jack Viney, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca during the 2022 AFL Round 1 match between Melbourne and Western Bulldogs (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media)
We've reached the third and final instalment of our AFL midfield rankings ahead of Round 1, with the top six midfield groups revealed to round out our rankings.
Here we identify the best midfield packs from 6th to 1st heading into the 2023 season following the first two parts of our rankings series.
SEE: PART I AND PART II OF OUR MIDFIELD RANKINGS
The Dogs' midfield took a hit over the off-season but there's still no questioning the pedigree of their midfield ensemble.
Headlined by skipper and four-time Charles Sutton Medal winner Marcus Bontempelli, the Dogs' midfield group is packed with star talent and versatility heading into their 2023 campaign.
Bontempelli is arguably the premier midfielder of the competition and will look to retain a title of that degree this year following a 2022 season that was hindered by injury and positional changes.
With the likes of Josh Dunkley and Lachie Hunter departing the Kennel in the off-season, you can expected Bontempelli, and other, to find themselves picking up more midfield minutes compared to yesteryear.
Among those will be luckless half-forward Toby McLean and father-son Dog Rhylee West, who are both looking to impress in midfield when given the chance to relieve Luke Beveridge's top line of midfielders through rotations.
That line includes ball magnet Jack Macrae, hard nut Tom Liberatore and young gun Bailey Smith, who each bring their own star traits to the centre of the field.
Macrae has continued to be a reliable asset for Beveridge and Bontempelli, working as the latter's partner in crime.
Liberatore was arguably the Dogs' best onballer last season as a constant threat at centre bounces, while Smith could be primed for more inside work after previously being shifted to the wing and even in attack.
The wing spots look to be up for grabs heading into 2023, with new recruit Oskar Baker making a strong case across the pre-season to line up against his former club Melbourne in Round 1.
Former Magpie Adam Treloar will be among those that find themselves playing both inside and outside through midfield, while the likes of West, McLean, Bailey Williams, Anthony Scott and Roarke Smith will also be trialled on the wings.
The Dogs were able to strengthen their support for first-string ruckman Tim English through the trade window, securing key-position talent Rory Lobb from Fremantle.
While English will continue to carry the bulk of the ruck workload and will likely rotate forward with Lobb pinch-hitting.
Richmond enter this year with a significantly different midfield contingent compared to a year ago, with two big-name recruits landing at Punt Road ahead of 2023.
GWS pair Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper requested moves to Richmond and immediately give the Tigers a revival in their premiership contention, with the duo set to lead Damien Hardwick's midfield planning from their first games.
Hopper will be the Tigers' new inside workhorse, getting first possession for his side and moving the Sherrin to outlet options in the form of Taranto and livewire Shai Bolton.
The latter enjoyed a stellar 2022 season in shifting more of his attention from the forward line to the midfield, earning All-Australian honours to be on course for further success as a midfield option.
Bolton looks ready to take the reins from Dustin Martin as Richmond's main attraction in the middle, while inside onballer Dion Prestia may continue to be the quiet achiever in the yellow and black.
Prestia, who managed an eighth-placed finish in the Brownlow last year, is the serviceable ball winner in Richmond's midfield and will only benefit from the arrivals of Taranto and Hopper.
Richmond's midfield goes far deeper than their top line of stars, with Jayden Short and Liam Baker both able to slot into central roles when called upon, while Jack Graham may find a new gear given the fresh competition for midfield spots.
The Tigers will also be able to rely on premiership captain Trent Cotchin, who is flagged for a move into the forward line, as well as emerging names in Jack Ross, Thomson Dow and Tyler Sonsie.
Veteran pair Marlion Pickett and Kamdyn McIntosh will again lead the way on the wings after holding down the fort fantastically in 2022.
Co-captain Toby Nankervis will again be the Tigers' leading ruck option with Ivan Soldo to push for first-string duties, while swingman Noah Balta and tall forward Jack Riewoldt able to pinch-hit in Soldo's absence.
The Blues have built a star-studded midfield group over the years after looking to find greater support for skipper Patrick Cripps.
The selection of former No.1 pick Sam Walsh was among the first steps the Blues took in their pursuit to aid Cripps' workload, with the Geelong Falcons jet quickly emerging as a star that may very well rival his skipper as the club's best ball winner.
Working in tandem, Cripps and Walsh both bring two halves of the perfect onballer, with the pair's respective strength and endurance giving Carlton a tantalising two-headed dragon.
2021's off-season was very profitable for the Blues too, with the arrivals George Hewett and Adam Cerra immediately adding further layers to Carlton's midfield plans.
Hewett was a standout in his first season with Carlton last year, proving to be an elite inside midfielder that offers plenty on the defensive end.
Cerra's first year back in Victoria was hampered by injury, but the ex-Docker has plenty of time on his side to reach his full potential as a top five draft pick.
Matt Kennedy is in a similar boat and looked to gain the most from some extra competition last year, seeing his key midfield metrics take a big leap in 2022.
Blake Acres, another ex-Fremantle midfielder, utilised the recent trade window to seek a move to Princes Park, with Michael Voss able to add some much-needed run on the outside of his engine room.
Acres enjoyed a career-best season in 2022 and will slot onto one wing spot, while the other flank position remains up for grabs. Both Lochie O'Brien and Matt Cottrell did enough last year to prove themselves as formidable options, while first-round draftee Oliver Hollands will be in the mix to pair with Acres.
Carlton do face a selection conundrum when it comes to their ruck system too, with senior big man Marc Pittonet gaining more and more competition from developing tall Tom De Konning ahead of the new season.
De Koning has continued to work on his development as a ruck-forward utility and could look to take on the first-string ruck duties from Pittonet, a move that was required last year given the latter's battle with injury.
The Swans have an enviable midfield group given the pedigree and age profile of their leading names.
Managing to pull their side to a grand final finish last year, Sydney's mix of star players and young guns is sure to see them back on the big stage in no time.
Co-captains Callum Mills and Luke Parker are the experienced heads in the middle of the field, despite the former only just entering the peak of his career.
The duo will continue to lead the charge under John Longmire, but will continue to find exceptional support from their younger ranks.
2022 saw Chad Warner explode onto the scene, with his movement through packs and ability to break lines a welcomed asset for Longmire's system last season.
Early signs of 2023 show Academy graduate Errol Gulden could follow a similar path this season after enjoying a stellar opening two years at AFL level.
Then there's James Rowbottom, another under-23 talent that would likely be seen as a top midfielder at several other clubs. The swift and skilful onballer could reach the heights both Warner and Gulden are seen likely to strike this year as he enters his fifth campaign with the Bloods.
Dylan Stephens has begun to find some strong form at senior level, particularly during Sydney's finals campaign last year. Likely to slot onto a wing, he and Justin McInerney add more excitement and youth to Longmire's midfield depth chart.
The Swans' ruck plans will be one to watch this season, with former Port Adelaide tall Peter Ladhams sure to have his sights on the No.1 spot amid Tom Hickey's absence due to injury.
Hickey has been a revelation for the Swans across the past two seasons since moving from West Coast, but could find minutes harder to come by in 2023 should Ladhams make a strong case to be Longmire's first-string ruck selection.
Already home to one of the most efficient midfield groups in 2022, the Lions' engine room has significantly grown stronger since their preliminary final exit last September.
The coup of Bulldogs best and fairest winner Josh Dunkley could very well be the difference in the Lions reaching the week of the season, with the well-balanced onballer also bringing premiership contention to Springfield.
After working with a group of bonafide stars of the competition at Whitten Oval, Dunkley joins a midfield pack with a similar stature, led by Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale.
The Lions' new co-captain put his best foot forward during Brisbane's strong September series last year to remind the competition of his presence as one of the AFL's best midfielders.
His right-hand man in Hugh McCluggage made the move into the centre square after serving as a wingman in his earliest years, with 2022 proving to be another fruitful season for the former No.3 pick to earn a fourth successive All-Australian squad selection.
With Dunkley sure to take up some centre bounce attendances this year, McCluggage could be switched back onto a wing to aid rotations.
Also in the middle will be top draft star Will Ashcroft, who looks ready to have an immediate impact on Chris Fagan's planning after joining the Lions as the second overall selection.
Lions fans can expect Ashcroft to look more than comfortable in playing at the elite level as a teenager, potentially mimicking the standard on show by Collingwood rookie Nick Daicos last year.
Fagan will also have livewire Zac Bailey as another burgeoning onballer to rely on this year, while former No.1 pick Cam Rayner looks likely to spend more time in the defensive half this season.
That move will come as more midfield time will be thrust toward Jarrod Berry and Deven Robertson, two more Lions that proved their worth during wins over Melbourne and Richmond in last year's finals series.
Brisbane's midfield depth runs deep, with the likes of Jarryd Lyons, Rhys Mathieson and James Tunstill hoping to secure themselves a spot under Fagan, while first-round draftee Jaspa Fletcher may also get a look at AFL level in 2023.
Oscar McInerney will continue to be Brisbane's reliable first-string ruck, with Darcy Fort hoping to build on a promising maiden season as a Lion as his sidekick.
The Demons are home to two of the competition's five best midfielders and have been for the past three years.
Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca form a midfield partnership that is unmatched in the AFL, with the former's past two seasons perhaps unlucky to not warrant a Brownlow Medal, having polled 56 votes in that period.
Petracca has 67 votes to his name since the start of the 2020 season, but with a Norm Smith Medal to his name the Demons bull is sure to have no complaints.
The damaging duo headline a midfield group that has layers and layers of versatile and impactful talent, with hard-nosed onballer Jack Viney the third prong at centre bounces.
Viney has been a constant servant for Simon Goodwin across their dominant spree of recent seasons, often putting his head over the ball to give his teammates first use of the footy.
Working closely with Viney, young midfielder Tom Sparrow is seen as a prospect that could step into a leading role within the Demons' midfield contingent as he continues to cut his teeth at AFL level.
While destructive on the inside, plenty of Melbourne's midfield firepower comes from the wings, with Ed Langdon emerging as one of the premier outside midfielders last season.
He'll gain support from Bulldogs-turned-Demon Lachie Hunter this year, while James Jordon is a valuable third option for the wing spot.
Angus Brayshaw looks likely to continue a role through the backline after a successful positional switch, but the rebounding Demon could find himself up on the wing or in the middle if push comes to shove.
Melbourne will have James Harmes to call on should that be the case, while gun small forward Kysaiah Pickett is in the mix for more action in midfield.
The Demons' string of stars won't stop with just their roving ranks either, with the two greatest ruckmen of the past decade teaming up ahead of the 2023 season.
Max Gawn, having lost Luke Jackson to Fremantle, has found a new ruck partner in Brodie Grundy, with the duo coming together after rivalling one another as the premier rucks of the AFL.
How the combination will work remains to be seen, but the Demons have managed to plug the void should one of their All-Australian talls require a reinforcement.