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...
242nd - Jordan Clark
2024 rank: N/A
The first time All-Australian has deservedly found himself inside the top 50 as he became recognised as Fremantle's commander from their defensive half.
Clark led the Dockers in metres gained, averaged 5.2 rebound 50s per game (a career-high) and took 6.4 intercepts per game.
Clark's 4.1 score involvements per game may not seem like anything to go crazy over, but they were the most recorded by a Dockers defender this year and rank in the top 20 for AFL-listed defenders in 2025, highlighting the paramount importance Clark holds in the purple chevron guernsey.
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.