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.
We have accumulated who we believe are the league's best of the best, but before it is unveiled, here is a list of players who just missed the cut:
Unlucky to miss:
Patrick Cripps
Josh Daicos
Nick Vlastuin
Darcy Cameron
Gryan Miers
Touk Miller
George Hewett
Shai Bolton
Josh Worrell
Josh Battle
Here is the first edition (50-41) of our top 50 AFL players right now...
343rd - Izak Rankine
2024 rank: 23
Izak Rankine's versatility around the ground played a key role in Adelaide's minor premiership, averaging a career-high 20.5 disposals and 4.4 clearances per game to go along with 31 goals.
His season was marred by controversy and ended disappointingly; however, his absence arguably cost Adelaide at least one of their September victories.
Rankine also didn't punish on the scoreboard as often as seasons gone by, but was involved at a similar rate to his last two years at the West Lakes-based outfit, contributing to 26.1% of all Crows scores in 2025.
If Rankine can put the mess of 2025 behind him, the talent is there to become a top 30 AFL player again in 2026.
You have to wonder how these lists are compiled. What do they look for? Clearly it is the flashy players. Collingwood played in the Preliminary Final despite only having 2 players in the top 50. Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne had, apparently, more of the best players in the competition but couldn’t even make the finals. Go figure.