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.
15-11
15. Bailey Smith
In the 2025 AFL Grand Final, Geelong was taught a lesson in the midfield, getting monstered at centre clearance, stoppage clearance and contested possession, with Smith heavily limited with minimal impact.
Smith and Geelong will hope to learn from their mishaps, allowing Smith to return to his usual game-breaking best.
14. Izak Rankine
After a career-best past five weeks of football averaging 31.6 disposals and 1.8 goals, Rankine is primed for a dominant September campaign for Adelaide.
Rankine missed the Crows' 2025 finals run through suspension, so will be motivated to ignite the Crows, especially with the potentially softer fixture in the semi-final should they face Sydney.
13. Nick Watson
Recently claiming his maiden All-Australian selection, Watson's impact for Hawthorn has been remarkable, finishing sixth in the Coleman Medal with a play style that is built for the biggest stage.
With a flight across the country awaiting the Hawks, there has never been a better time for the small forward to produce one of his signature dominant displays.
12. Kysaiah Pickett
A top six spot slipped from Melbourne's grasp in the final round of the season after sitting above the wildcard since Round 16.
The Demons now face a white-hot Carlton outfit in an elimination wildcard match, with Melbourne needing a Pickett masterclass to help fight off the ambush coming from the Blues.
11. Marcus Bontempelli
It's been five years since Bontempelli's last dominant finals display, but even so, the superstar midfielder looms as one of the major threats to create September havoc from the wildcard.
The Bulldogs haven't made it past an Elimination Final since 2021, but are still just one magical Bontempelli run away from making some real noise.
