Welcome to Zero Hanger's top 50 player rankings for 2025 - a list based primarily on a player's 2025 production in addition to their career pedigree and future projections.
The bar is as high as ever to impact as an AFL footballer consistently, let alone to a star level. All-Australian discussions are in constant debate as several guns often find themselves snubbed from proper recognition.
Here is the final edition (10-1) of our top 50 AFL players of 2025...
READ: PART 1 (50-41)
READ: PART 2 (40-31)
READ: PART 3 (30-21)
READ: PART 4 (20-11)
4th - Matthew Rowell
2024 rank: 36
Matthew Rowell deservedly rises into the top five after claiming the 2025 Brownlow Medal, becoming the first Sun to win the award since the legendary Gary Ablett Jnr.
Rowell elevated his game on Gold Coast's biggest stage in its 15-season history thus far, recording 34 disposals in their thrilling elimination final win over Fremantle in front of nearly 60,000 spectators. It's the biggest crowd Rowell has ever played in front of, and he did not let the moment pass him by.
It epitomised what was a dominant season for the young midfield bull, averaging 26.3 disposals, 8.2 clearances and 7.3 score involvements per game.
Defensively, Rowell might be one of the better midfielders in the competition, as he averaged a ridiculous 8.6 tackles and 12.9 defensive pressure acts per game - both ranking second in the league.
