Inarguably the most important line in football is the midfield, where the game's greatest superstars and game-changing talents position themselves.
The most likely position to win the AFL's esteemed awards, from Brownlows to Norm Smiths and club best and fairests, midfielders clean up as they roam the full field.
So, who were the 10 best midfielders in the 2025 AFL season?
Before we delve into the 10 best midfielders, here is a group of players unlucky not to be rewarded with a spot on the list.
Unlucky to miss:
Max Holmes - 26.9 disposals, 6.6 score involvements, 626.6 metres gained
Isaac Heeney - 23.6 disposals, 6.9 score involvements, 11.7 contested possessions
Andrew Brayshaw - 27.0 disposals, 5.0 clearances, 6.7 score involvements
Zach Merrett - 27.8 disposals, 3.9 clearances, 6.1 score involvements
Hugh McCluggage - 27.1 disposals, 6.0 clearances, 7.2 score involvements
Ed Richards - 26.0 disposals, 5.7 clearances, 8.3 score involvements
Tom Green - 29.7 disposals, 8.5 clearances, 7.0 score involvements
3Matthew Rowell
The Brownlow Medal winner comes in at third in this ranking following a sensational year individually and a historic one for his club.
Rowell elevated his game on Gold Coast's biggest stage in its 15-season history thus far, recording 34 disposals in their thrilling elimination final win over Fremantle in front of nearly 60,000 spectators. It's the biggest crowd Rowell has ever played in front of, and he did not let the moment pass him by.
It epitomised what was a dominant season for the young bull midfielder, averaging 26.3 disposals, 8.2 clearances and 7.3 score involvements per game. Defensively, Rowell might be one of the better midfielders in the competition, as he averaged a ridiculous 8.6 tackles per game and 12.9 defensive pressure acts per game - both ranking second in the league.
