Dustin Martin, Luke Hodge and Andrew McLeod stamped their place in football immortality, rising above the rest in their respective finals campaigns, dominating an impossible September campaign looking like a training run.
This season, many of the league's best will have their opportunity to take to the field and put their name in the conversation as one of the great finals performers.
Each player in the 2026 AFL finals series can shape the way the remainder of the season unravels, but there are some who are required to do much more.
With the added element of Wildcard football to this finals campaign, the game has never required more from a star player to deliver premiership success from that position.
Superstars like Nick Daicos, Ed Richards, Max Gawn and Patrick Cripps must lead their teams out of the trenches that is the wildcard, just to give themselves a chance to battle through a gruelling September.
Some teams will go into battle without some of their stars, while others may just be tipped as heavy underdogs.
One legacy-defining performance could completely alter the finals race from anything we thought could happen this year.
So here are the 20 most important players to their respective clubs' chances of shaping the 2026 AFL finals race.
20-16
20. Riley Thilthorpe
It has been a disappointing season for the 2025 All-Australian full-forward, sitting 29th in the Coleman Medal, plummeting from fourth in the season prior.
Thilthorpe must return to his best form, kicking goals, flying for contested marks and crashing packs, should the Crows be given any chance to do damage in September.
19. Will Ashcroft
The back-to-back Norm Smith medallist is a nightmare for his opponents during the season, but when it hits the finals, Ashcroft transforms into one of the very best the league has.
19th seems low for the star Lion, but with the plethora of surrounding talent in the Brisbane midfield, Ashcroft won't need to soldier alone the same way some of the players above him may do.
18. Sam Walsh
Playing for the tenth-placed finisher historically shouldn't put much pressure on a team's second-best midfielder, but when you play for Carlton, there are exceptions.
The Blues' sudden rise up the ladder has given their fans hope for a potential tremendous finals series, and Walsh will be at the forefront of the charge, with each of his 28.7 average disposals crucial to Carlton's success.
17. Brodie Grundy
The 2x All-Australian had a sensational year in 2026, ranking second for both hitouts and disposals amongst all ruckmen.
Now the leader of the Sydney midfield brigade, Grundy must provide a dominant physical presence to set the tone for what the Swans want to achieve in this finals series
16. Jai Newcombe
A proven finals performer, Newcombe has shown up for Hawthorn in September every season they have featured, finishing top five in the Gary Ayres medal in back-to-back seasons.
Hawthorn have a mammoth qualifying final matchup against Fremantle in Perth, and will need Newcombe to replicate his previous season finals dominance again this year.
