AFL coaching great Mick Malthouse has listed the five players in the AFL he thinks are most influential, as reported in the Herald Sun.

The triple premiership coach, who holds the record for most VFL/AFL games in the big chair has emphasised the importance of ruckman and key forwards, leaving out star midfielders like Dustin Martin, Tom Mitchell and Jack Macrae.

In no order, these were Mick's picks for the AFL's five most influential players:

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1. Ben Brown

Mick says Ben Brown "delivers the icing on the cake" for North Melbourne and that just his presence make the Kangaroos walk taller on the footy field, easing the load on the 35-year old Jarrad Waite.

HOBART, AUSTRALIA - MAY 06: Ben Brown of the Kangaroos celebrates a goal during the 2017 AFL round 07 match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Adelaide Crows at Blundstone Arena on May 06, 2017 in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
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