After the completion of the AFL 2025 season, there's no doubt fans saw players across the league have an improved year compared to what they have had in the past. Some players were expected to improve, while some came out of nowhere, but all were among the AFL's top improvers.
In this piece, we go through our most improved players of 2025. From 34-year-olds to second-year players, along with some of the top players our game has to offer, the league saw a range of players take big steps.
We have named 12 players who deserve to be recognised for their outstanding improvement in 2025.
2Ed Richards
Ed Richards transformed himself into an elite midfielder in 2025 with the Western Bulldogs. After being a solid contributor to the team, Richards saw a bigger role in his midfield time this year.
Richards became one of the more elite ball users in the AFL and increased his averages in disposals, goals and clearances. With this rise in performance, he was able to get 11 Brownlow votes, which was nearly double his tally from the year prior.
The midfielder was able to win the Western Bulldogs' best and fairest after finishing fifth in the award the year before too.
Along with Thilthorpe, Richards was ranked as one of the better players throughout the year in the AFL, which led to him earning his first All-Australian nod.
