AFL 2024: The five star midfielders taking control of the AFL season

There are five star midfielders taking control of this 2024 AFL season, and good luck trying to tag them. JOSH BARNES looks at the eye-popping numbers.

For a brief few weeks this AFL season, it appeared the taggers were winning.

Run-with players are well and truly back in vogue but over the past month, some of the best players in the game have proven they are virtually unstoppable.

As one of the hottest Brownlow Medal races in recent memory begins to take shape, five players have lifted their games to new heights in recent weeks as some of our brightest stars take control of crucial games.

MARCUS BONTEMPELLI

Marcus Bontempelli is at the top of his game. Picture: Michael Klein

‘The Bont’ had his ‘flu game’ against Fremantle in round 14 and then he overcame a stiff back on Saturday to dominate North Melbourne.

He was so good that he was clear best on ground despite kicking 0.3, leaving an all-time performance on the table.

Alastair Clarkson chose to put Will Phillips on Adam Treloar as a tag and let Bontempelli run loose and it backfired in a big way. And it was no surprise at all to see the Bulldogs captain fire – his past two months has been ranked the 22nd best eight-week stretch, based on player ratings points.

In that time, the left-footer averaged 28 disposals (ranked ninth among midfielders), 15.4 contested possessions (second), 7.4 clearances (fourth), 1.5 goals (seconds) and 9.3 score involvements (first).

He’s probably worth tagging.

LACHIE NEALE

Few players are kicking it like Lachie Neale. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

The two-time Brownlow medallist has quietly been picking up steam as his Lions march back towards the top eight.

Among midfielders, in the past seven weeks Neale has ranked third for disposals, seventh for clearances and fifth for score involvements.

But it’s not just Neale stat-padding, his disposal has taken a leap, and according to Champion Data’s kick rating, he has been deadly by foot.

Only Gold Coast’s Jack Lukosius and Sydney’s Justin McInerney have a better kick rating than Neale since round 10 and he is in the positive for kick rating for the first time in four years.

PATRICK CRIPPS

Patrick Cripps is on fire. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

The Carlton captain has roared towards Brownlow favouritism in a powerful stretch over the past five games.

Cripps has arguably been best on ground in four of the last five matches. He had 31 disposals and a goal against Gold Coast in round 12, 22 disposals and two goals a week later against Port Adelaide.

After a quieter week in a win over Essendon, he has exploded in the last two weeks, tallying up a total of 81 disposals, 28 clearances, 35 contested possessions and 14 inside-50s. Cripps has already polled more than 20 Brownlow votes in a season four times in his career and might already be there with two months to go.

NICK DAICOS

Nick Daicos was on fire late against the Suns. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

There were some smiles across the league when Suns coach Damien Hardwick declared after his win over Collingwood that opposition coaches need to tag Nick Daicos and Jordan De Goey.

The pair ran rampant late to drag the Pies to the edge of another comeback win, before Gold Coast managed to pull away.

It was vintage Daicos, in so much as a 21-year-old can have vintage form.

He went through a dominant stretch from round 8 to 12, before he was tagged out of a game against Melbourne.

But Daicos has bounced back since, grabbing 29 disposals, two goals and 18 contested possessions to pull his side back and over North Melbourne.

He had another 32 disposals and two goals against the Suns – 10 of those disposals, four score involvements and a potential goal of the year came in the final term, in which he didn’t come to the bench once.

Yeah, you probably need to try and tag him.

ERROL GULDEN

Errol Gulden in full flight.

Isaac Heeney was deservedly the toast of Sydney’s powerful start to the year but Gulden might have sneakily gone past him.

He was part of the comeback on Saturday afternoon against Fremantle, racking up nine disposals and 204 metres gained in the final term.

Before that, Gulden had likely polled Brownlow votes in four games in a row.

In that stretch, he averaged a ridiculous 34.5 disposals, 7.8 inside-50s and 744 metres gained on that beautiful left foot.