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
2Nick Daicos
Albeit a year which ended in disappointment for Nick Daicos, both in an individual and team sense, the 22-year-old is unsurprisingly on track to become one of the game's greatest ever.
2025 was Daicos' third consecutive year averaging 30 disposals per game, making him the fifth player since 2012 to accomplish such a feat, joining Darcy Parish (2021-2023), Clayton Oliver (2021-2023), Matt Crouch (2017-2019), Gary Ablett Jnr (2009-2014) and Dane Swan (2009-2013).
Daicos' scoreboard impact continues to accelerate too, averaging a career-high 7.8 score involvements per game and involved in almost a third of all Collingwood scores (32.4%).
Considering his poise in big moments, Daicos remains one of the more enthralling players in the league to watch and is undoubtedly within reach of a first Brownlow Medal in the near future.
