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 third edition (30-21) of our top 50 AFL players of 2025...
READ: PART 1 (50-41)
READ: PART 2 (40-31)
29th - Christian Petracca
2024 rank: 7
Petracca was unable to find his game-winning impact to steady the Demons' ship in 2025, and while individually he performed to his standards, the inability to lead a healthy Melbourne side back into finals contention is hard to overlook if he wished to maintain his top 10 ranking.
However, it's evident Petracca didn't go down without trying, involved in over 30 per cent of all Melbourne scores and averaging 25.5 disposals per game, just shy of a career-best campaign.
In a new state and surrounded by a dominant engine room, Petracca will likely be featuring in September action again with Gold Coast in 2026, a time of year the soon-to-be 30-year-old has proven he thrives in.
