Nearing the halfway point of the season, many players across the league have taken their game to the next level and continue to improve into integral players for their club's success.
Unlike many other professional leagues around the world, the AFL has no current award or accolade for a Most Improved Player, which made me want to rank the players who have improved the most this season compared to last year.
I'll be judging improvement based on eye test, an uptick in stats, and growth in their respective roles for the club. Note that this is ranking them based on their level of improvement, not the players' form themselves.
Players like Christian Petracca and Will Hayward will miss the cut since their improvement in play is more measured by playing for a different club.
5Murphy Reid
The reigning Rising Star winner did have all the expectations to elevate his game and make the leap quickly, but All-Australians talk this early is something not many could have predicted. Upping his disposal numbers by almost 10 from last season, Reid is one of the more dynamic players we have seen and can make a play almost every time the footy finds his hands.
