Brendon Goddard ranks every AFL midfield from 1-18, with GWS Giants and West Coast ahead of Collingwood
Collingwood’s star-powered midfield has been lauded as the AFL’s best, but that’s not where the Magpies come in on Brendon Goddard’s rankings. The former Saint and Bomber ranks every AFL midfield group from best to worst.
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The engine room is the heartbeat of any good team and there is no AFL midfield better than Greater Western Sydney’s.
How many teams could reach an AFL Grand Final without their inspiration captain and with a player as classy as Stephen Coniglio sidelined?
SCROLL DOWN FOR BRENDON GODDARD’S CLUB-BY-CLUB RANKING OF EVERY MIDFIELD
As lethal as West Coast will be with Tim Kelly and as dominant as Collingwood is around the ball, the Giants boast the best midfield mix in the AFL, according to Brendon Goddard.
RANKINGS: CHAMPION DATA RANKS EVERY CLUB’S LIST
Although the Dockers have Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe headlining their on-ballers, Goddard has doubts about Fremantle’s midfield under new coach Justin Longmuir.
Goddard says: The Giants’ depth of A-Grade talent is simply outrageous and they were ranked No. 1 for clearances last season despite not having a dominant ruckman. The return of co-captain Ward from an ACL injury only further bolsters the midfield stocks, while Kelly could well take another step forward into the very top echelon of midfielders in the competition with a full pre-season under his belt.
MORE GODDARD POSITION RANKINGS
Midfields 1-18: Why Pies are no longer No.1
Defences 1-18: Can anyone rival the Tigers?
Forware lines 1-18: Blues are a bottom-seven attack
Rucks 1-18: Does Grundy or Gawn take big man crown?
Goddard says: The addition of Kelly from Geelong during the trade period gives the Eagles four genuine top-line stars. Kelly ranked as the 11th best clearance player in the competition last season, Gaff is arguably the best wingman in the game, Yeo is a legitimate run-with player and Shuey is the Eagles’ reigning best-and-fairest. Then there is Redden and Sheed, who are not a bad second-string at all. If everyone is fit and healthy, who starts in the centre bounce in Round 1?
Goddard says: An impressive array of A-Grade talent which will only be improved if Beams can get himself right and play a full season. The ever-consistent performers of Pendlebury, Treloar, Adams and Sidebottom are nicely complemented by the likes of Phillips on the outside, who is a top-five wingman in the competition. Having the best ruckman in the competition in Brodie Grundy giving the Magpies’ midfielders first use also helps.
Goddard says: The reigning premiership midfield and a group that is consistent, reliable and flexible. Reigning best-and-fairest Prestia is coming off a breakout year while Martin continued his dominance in the finals series. Pickett showed in the Grand Final what sort of player he could be in 2020 with a full pre-season under his belt, while the Tigers would dearly love captain Cotchin to have a better run at it after an injury-interrupted 2019 season.
Goddard says: Hard to knock a midfield group that ranked second in the competition for clearances last season. The Lions have a good mix of inside ball winners through Neale, Lyons, Berry and now Adelaide recruit Ellis-Yolmen. Zorko has leg speed, Robinson is not slow on one wing and McCluggage provides some serious class on the other wing. Might lack the out-and-out stars of some other teams but have certainly got the balance right.
Goddard says: Would have been higher in the rankings had they not lost All-Australian Tim Kelly to West Coast during the trade period. The lack of a consistent dominant ruckman at the Cats also hurts the midfield group. While Selwood is ageing, Dangerfield and Duncan are still in their prime and they have a number of solid support acts in Menegola, Guthrie and Parfitt. There is a question mark over what St Kilda recruit Steven can produce, but at his best he could be something special for the Cats and add a great dynamic.
Goddard says: Based on Champion Data ranking points, Macrae, Dunkley and Bontempelli were three of the top eight midfielders in the AFL in 2019. The trio are all stars. However, it should be noted the Bulldogs still ranked 12th for total clearances, some of which could be put down to playing a developing young ruckman in Tim English. The return of Tom Liberatore from injury should help those numbers, while Bailey Smith is an exciting young talent.
Goddard says: Yes, the Demons had a season from hell in 2019. However, the midfield wasn’t to blame too much as Melbourne ranked eighth for clearances and fifth for inside-50s. A full pre-season for Viney will help and Brayshaw is more than capable of returning to his 2018 form which saw him finish third in the Brownlow Medal. Langdon from Fremantle and Tomlinson from Greater Western Sydney will slot in nicely on either wing and add some much-needed outside run after being picked up during the trade period. I would also like to see Christian Petracca run through the midfield a bit more to add to the rotation. The Demons need to challenge him to take his fitness to the next level so he can.
Goddard says: The Bombers are still lacking one inside ball winner – something that was not addressed during the trade period – but they have most other stations covered. Heppell is an ever-consistent performer and Merrett has serious all-round class. The return of 2018 best-and-fairest Devon Smith will certainly help, Parish’s development has been pleasing and McGrath and Zahararkis provide the run on the outside. Zaharakis just needs to continue to work on his stoppage craft.
Goddard says: The Hawks onball brigade should be much-improved in 2020 with the return of Brownlow medallist Mitchell from a broken leg which saw him miss the entire season. Worpel’s development across the 2019 season was incredible, leading to a deserving best-and-fairest win. Tom Scully would be hoping to get a full pre-season in and build on his form of last season, while Ricky Henderson is coming off a career-best season at the ripe old age of 31. There is talent there, but I think the Hawks are just lacking one or two top-end inside players.
Goddard says: Could be considered a tad stiff to be ranked 11th, given the Power were third for total clearances and first for inside-50s last season. But they are lacking depth and top-end talent. Boak is coming off an outstanding year and I’m excited to see how Duursma continues to develop. Connor Rozee might also find himself playing more midfield time next year, as well as Dan Houston. A pre-season and injury-free run for Wines would be a major boost after a difficult 2019.
Goddard says: The Kangaroos have a good core, with an ever-reliable top-three in Cunnington, Higgins and Ziebell. There is also plenty of upside with the improvement left in Anderson, Simpkin and Dumont and the potential return of one of the best taggers in the game in Jacobs, who has not played since Round 16, 2018. Based on the improvement in the second half of last season, North Melbourne could well exceed this ranking.
Goddard says: The Saints have a capable midfield, but it’s one that simply doesn’t have the A-Grade talent of other sides. In saying that, I wouldn’t be surprised if Billings or Gresham moved themselves up into that bracket next year. St Kilda will be hoping for much more out Hannebery after a disappointing, injury-interrupted year. Steele and Ross are ever consistent with their form and I like the recruitment of Hill from Fremantle, who adds some much-needed outside speed.
Goddard says: Cripps is the cream and a star of the competition. Walsh is a soon-to-be A-Grader on the back of winning the Rising Star award last season. But it drops away a bit after that. Murphy and Curnow are coming off great seasons and have been super reliable for many years but enter next season the other side of 30. Can they produce the same sort of campaigns again next year? Newnes comes in from St Kilda and should be a regular but is only rated average in every key statistical area. It is a waiting game over the development of Setterfield and Dow. It’s their time to step up and shine. The Blues have made no secret of the fact they think they lack another A-Grade midfielder over the past two years.
Goddard says: There is a real sameness about the Crows’ midfield. It lacks flexibility, with most of the players in there all like-for-like. Sloane is a competitor but doesn’t possess dynamic speed. Gibbs was dropped four times last season and is much the same player as Matt Crouch. There is simply not the depth of talent and not the leg-speed of other teams. Adelaide has to find someone to step up. Defenders Wayne Milera and Brodie Smith had rotations in the midfield at stages last season to try and find speed and penetration of ball use. Could one of them make a permanent midfield move?
Goddard says: Kieran Jack is gone. Kennedy is ageing and will turn 32 in June. Who is going to step up and replace them? Is Heeney going to be the inside all-round elite midfielder we all hoped he would be? Parker will continue doing what he’s done for six or seven years. The Swans’ outside class is pretty good in young Florent and I expect Callum Mills and Will Hayward to join him and play more midfield minutes next season. There are clearly spots up for grabs.
Goddard says: Reigning Brownlow medallist Fyfe is the standout along with Walters who is also a star of the competition. But after that the Dockers are still relying on Mundy too much and it drops right away after that. Brayshaw was taken at pick 2 in the 2017 draft and needs to step up and have a breakout year in 2020.
Goddard says: Swallow remains the standout and there a couple of ever-reliable competitors in Miles and Miller. The additions of Ellis (Richmond) and Greenwood (Adelaide) will certainly make the Suns’ midfield better year-on-year, while the development of Bowes is also exciting. But there is still just a clear void of A-Grade talent. Could highly-rated youngster Izak Rankine return from injury and be added to the midfield mix in 2020 to help fill that void?
Originally published as Brendon Goddard ranks every AFL midfield from 1-18, with GWS Giants and West Coast ahead of Collingwood