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KICK Rating · All-time · midfielders

All-time midfielders — kick rating leaderboard

The top midfielders right now, ranked by rolling 40-game KICK-M. Mids are the position overall KICK already rewards well, so the calibrated KICK-M number tracks close to a midfielder's raw KICK. Raw formula + overall KICK shown for transparency. 337 midfielders in the pool, top 100 shown. Ranked by career-average KICK (position-scaled). Players with 100+ games. For the peak-form view see the main Peak-form leaderboard.

See how positional KICK works.

Peak 40 is not "greatest career"

This list ranks midfielders by their best 40-game rolling window of KICK-M — the strongest ~1.75-season stretch they ever put together at this position. It's a peak-form metric, not a career-value metric. A player with one elite All-Australian stretch can rank alongside Brownlow-tier names here even if the rest of their career was modest. Longevity, premierships and sustained output aren't weighted — only the peak stretch is.

A composite "greatest career" metric (blending peak + career average + longevity + positional context) is planned for V1.9. Until it ships: for the cross-position peak-form view see the overall Peak-form leaderboard; for era-fair rankings within a decade see the decade leaderboards.

A caveat on pre-2000 midfielders

AFL Tables only started tracking rebound-50s, contested marks, one-percenters and the full hit-out split progressively through the 1990s — those fields didn't exist in earlier-era data, so pre-2000 midfielders score zero on them whether they did the action or not. The headline KICK formula (designed for modern 17-field box scores) underweights them as a result. Era rebaseline was investigated and held — both approaches tested produced worse top-20 lists. Read older-era midfielders on the decade leaderboards where relative era ranking is accurate.

# Player Team GP Peak KICK-M Raw Peak yrs KICK-M career KICK
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1 Marcus Bontempelli 2014-2026 Western Bulldogs 275 100 79 2022-24 100 73
2 Jordan Dawson 2017-2026 Adelaide 171 93 76 2024-26 76 63
3 Isaac Heeney 2015-2026 Sydney 236 87 73 2024-26 68 61
4 Dane Swan 2003-15 Collingwood 249 86 72 2011-13 91 71
5 Zak Butters 2019-2026 Port Adelaide 154 85 72 2024-26 65 59
6 Ryan OKeefe 2000-14 Sydney 280 85 72 2012-13 58 55
7 Ed Richards 2018-2026 Western Bulldogs 163 85 72 2025-26 50 48
8 Lachie Neale 2012-2026 Brisbane Lions 304 84 71 2018-20 87 70
9 Dayne Beams 2009-19 Collingwood 176 83 71 2012-14 78 67
10 Shane Tuck 2004-13 Richmond 162 81 69 2010-12 70 63
11 Matt Priddis 2006-17 West Coast 235 81 69 2014-16 88 71
12 Jarryd Lyons 2012-24 Brisbane Lions 169 80 69 2020-22 74 64
13 Zach Merrett 2014-2026 Essendon 263 78 68 2022-24 82 68
14 Brad Crouch 2013-24 St Kilda 160 77 68 2017-19 74 65
15 Tom Liberatore 2011-2026 Western Bulldogs 257 77 68 2022-24 73 64
16 Andrew Brayshaw 2018-2026 Fremantle 187 76 67 2021-23 68 61
17 Tim Taranto 2017-2026 Richmond 187 76 67 2022-24 74 65
18 Scott West 1993-2008 Western Bulldogs 323 76 67 2003-04 66 54
19 Brett Ratten 1990-2003 Carlton 254 76 67 1999-2001 60 46
20 Adam Treloar 2012-2026 Western Bulldogs 260 76 67 2015-17 76 66
21 Clayton Oliver 2016-2026 Greater Western Sydney 223 75 67 2021-23 93 71
22 Patrick Cripps 2014-2026 Carlton 245 75 66 2017-19 89 70
23 George Hewett 2016-2026 Carlton 206 75 66 2024-25 56 53
24 Hugh McCluggage 2017-2026 Brisbane Lions 218 74 66 2024-25 64 59
25 Scott Thompson 2001-17 Adelaide 300 74 66 2010-12 70 63
26 Jack Steele 2015-2026 Melbourne 218 73 65 2021-23 77 66
27 Nigel Lappin 1994-2008 Brisbane Lions 278 73 65 2003-04 58 50
28 Josh Dunkley 2016-2026 Brisbane Lions 212 72 65 2022-23 75 65
29 Christian Petracca 2016-2026 Gold Coast 227 72 64 2021-22 72 63
30 Connor Rozee 2019-2026 Port Adelaide 152 71 64 2022-24 59 55
31 Lenny Hayes 1999-2014 St Kilda 295 71 64 2009-10 66 60
32 Matthew Kennedy 2016-2026 Western Bulldogs 150 71 64 2024-26 55 52
33 Dayne Zorko 2012-2026 Brisbane Lions 305 71 64 2015-17 73 63
34 Jack Sinclair 2015-2026 St Kilda 220 71 63 2023-25 58 54
35 Nathan Buckley 1993-2007 Collingwood 278 70 63 1999-2001 81 59
36 Luke Ball 2003-14 Collingwood 212 70 63 2004-06 66 61
37 James Hird 1992-2007 Essendon 246 70 63 2003-05 65 53
38 Sam Mitchell 2002-17 West Coast 323 70 63 2010-12 77 66
39 Darcy Parish 2016-2026 Essendon 178 69 62 2021-23 63 59
40 Sam Walsh 2019-2026 Carlton 150 69 62 2021-22 72 63
41 Touk Miller 2015-2026 Gold Coast 230 68 62 2021-23 69 62
42 Fraser Brown 1989-2000 Carlton 177 68 62 1998-2000 48 36
43 Tom Mitchell 2013-25 Collingwood 203 68 62 2017-18 86 70
44 Simon Black 1998-2013 Brisbane Lions 318 68 62 2003-04 71 62
45 Jobe Watson 2004-17 Essendon 213 68 62 2011-13 71 63
46 Jack Redden 2009-22 West Coast 262 67 61 2011-12 65 59
47 Aaron Hall 2012-23 North Melbourne 152 67 61 2015-17 55 52
48 Angus Brayshaw 2015-23 Melbourne 163 67 61 2018-19 56 52
49 Bryce Gibbs 2007-20 Adelaide 266 67 61 2016-18 69 62
50 Ben Cunnington 2010-23 North Melbourne 233 67 61 2017-19 63 58
51 Matt Crouch 2014-25 Adelaide 154 67 61 2017-19 71 63
52 Lachie Whitfield 2013-2026 Greater Western Sydney 266 67 61 2018-19 62 57
53 Jimmy Bartel 2002-16 Geelong 296 67 61 2007-08 75 65
54 Chris Judd 2002-15 Carlton 276 66 60 2010-11 75 66
55 Tom Rockliff 2009-21 Port Adelaide 203 66 60 2014-17 81 68
56 Joel Selwood 2007-22 Geelong 351 66 60 2010-12 84 68
57 Sam Docherty 2013-25 Carlton 176 66 60 2016-20 66 57
58 Todd Viney 1987-99 Melbourne 233 65 60 1997-99 45 34
59 Gerard Healy 1979-90 Sydney 211 65 60 1987-90 50 37
60 Daniel Jackson 2004-14 Richmond 151 65 60 2009-11 49 49
61 Corey Enright 2001-16 Geelong 327 65 60 2008-10 53 51
62 Brent Moloney 2003-14 Brisbane Lions 153 65 59 2009-11 54 53
63 Cameron Guthrie 2011-24 Geelong 232 65 59 2021-22 50 50
64 Jack Viney 2013-25 Melbourne 233 65 59 2015-17 67 61
65 Ollie Wines 2013-2026 Port Adelaide 282 64 59 2021-22 71 62
66 Andrew Swallow 2006-17 North Melbourne 216 64 59 2011-13 70 63
67 Leigh Montagna 2002-17 St Kilda 280 64 59 2009-10 69 62
68 Peter Bell 1995-2008 Fremantle 283 64 59 2003-04 66 55
69 Matthew Boyd 2003-17 Western Bulldogs 284 64 59 2011-12 71 63
70 Brent Stanton 2004-17 Essendon 248 64 59 2011-13 65 60
71 Adam Simpson 1995-2009 North Melbourne 306 63 59 2002-04 60 53
72 Daniel Cross 2002-15 Melbourne 238 63 58 2009-11 67 60
73 Josh Daicos 2017-2026 Collingwood 169 63 58 2024-26 52 51
74 Joel Bowden 1996-2009 Richmond 265 63 58 2003-04 61 55
75 Nick Stevens 1998-2009 Carlton 231 62 58 2005-08 60 54
76 Nick Blakey 2019-2026 Sydney 167 62 58 2024-26 47 44
77 Elliot Yeo 2012-2026 West Coast 221 62 58 2018-19 64 57
78 Josh Kelly 2014-25 Greater Western Sydney 221 62 58 2017-19 72 63
79 Tyson Edwards 1995-2010 Adelaide 320 62 58 2007-08 50 48
80 Jack Steven 2009-20 Geelong 191 62 58 2014-16 67 61
81 Luke Shuey 2010-23 West Coast 242 62 57 2015-17 75 65
82 Rory Sloane 2010-23 Adelaide 247 62 57 2016-17 76 65
83 Luke Parker 2011-2026 North Melbourne 321 62 57 2015-16 74 65
84 Brendon Goddard 2003-18 Essendon 324 62 57 2009-11 66 59
85 Daniel Rich 2009-23 Brisbane Lions 270 62 57 2010-13 57 53
86 Daniel Kerr 2001-13 West Coast 217 61 57 2006-09 57 55
87 Rory Laird 2013-2026 Adelaide 282 61 57 2021-23 70 60
88 Nick Dal Santo 2002-16 North Melbourne 321 61 57 2010-12 66 60
89 Bailey Dale 2015-2026 Western Bulldogs 190 61 57 2024-25 50 48
90 Brad Sewell 2004-14 Hawthorn 189 61 57 2007-09 59 56
91 Joel Corey 2000-13 Geelong 272 60 57 2007-09 64 59
92 Jack Macrae 2013-2026 St Kilda 270 60 57 2017-19 80 67
93 Dylan Shiel 2012-25 Essendon 224 60 56 2016-17 64 59
94 Brent Harvey 1996-2016 North Melbourne 429 60 56 2012-14 59 54
95 Paul Chapman 2000-15 Essendon 270 60 56 2009-10 64 59
96 Adam Cerra 2018-2026 Carlton 157 60 56 2021-23 54 52
97 David Mundy 2005-22 Fremantle 372 60 56 2014-15 60 57
98 Scott Pendlebury 2006-2026 Collingwood 425 59 56 2011-13 78 66
99 Liam Picken 2009-17 Western Bulldogs 196 59 56 2015-16 48 48
100 Kane Cornes 2001-15 Port Adelaide 297 59 56 2006-08 58 56

Why a separate midfielders leaderboard?

KICK Rating's overall leaderboard is award-aligned — Brownlow votes, All-Australian squads, and AFLCA Champion Player selections all heavily favour midfielders, and KICK tracks them. That's the right number when you want "who does everyone agree is the best player going around?".

But if you're looking for the best midfielders, that mid-heavy bias is the wrong lens. Positional KICK applies role-aware weight multipliers (intercept marks ×5 for defenders, marks-inside-50 ×2.5 for forwards, hit-outs ×1.4 for rucks) plus a per-position percentile rescale on top of the base formula, so "elite at this position" reads similarly across all four buckets. Every multiplier and anchor is on the positional methodology page — the point isn't "no guesswork", it's transparent guesswork.

Read the validation story →