Ultimate player ratings: Who is your club’s top talent and where the depth disappears
To win a premiership, you need the perfect mix of top talent, role players and young guns on the rise. Who fits the bill this year? See where every club is at.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The ultimate footy player ratings have caused a bit of stir.
Ranking every single player in the AFL was a huge undertaking by footy guru Mick McGuane and Herald Sun footy writer Glenn McFarlane.
But when you look at each club in isolation, what do their list ratings say about their prospects for the 2023 season?
We’ve crunched the numbers to look at your club’s list profile. How much top talent is there? Is it enough to compete for a premiership? Or are you destined to be fighting for a finals spot? Or even worse, is bottom four in your club’s future?
Every player from every club is rated in our Ultimate Player Ratings. From that we’ve got four tiers:
Tier one – Rated 8.5 - 10
Tier two – Rated 7.5 - 8
Tier three – Rated 4-7
Tier four - Rated 1-3.5
See your club’s full ratings below and scroll down for the analysis.
ADELAIDE
Tier one: 2
Tier two: 4
Tier three: 31
Tier four: 9
Want to know why the Crows are middle-of-the-road at best, just two topliners doesn‘t cut it. And throw in the fact your third highest ranked player, Taylor Walker, turns 33 next month, that’s not a great scenario. New recruit Izak Rankine needs to drag the next generation up a couple levels in a hurry.
BRISBANE
Tier one: 5
Tier two: 4
Tier three: 28
Tier four: 8
Premiership teams bat deep so this is nice reading for Chris Fagan. There are some seriously good players in the third tier who all have potential to jump up a notch. Try Rayner, Berry, Daniher, Starcevich, Coleman, Hipwood and Ashcroft for starters. Getting them to spike together is the coach‘s challenge this season.
CARLTON
Tier one: 6
Tier two: 4
Tier three: 25
Tier four: 10
A serious top end which generally should translate to September action. The reason it didn‘t last year was the support act just wasn’t good enough across-the-board. Improvements from the likes of Young, De Koning, Acres, McGovern (on his last chance), Martin (time to earn your pay cheque) and a burst of freshness from a new face like Hollands should do the job.
COLLINGWOOD
Tier one: 6
Tier two: 6
Tier three: 21
Tier four: 11
You won‘t find a much better top 12 ranked players in the competition which is why the Pies are well placed to repeat last year’s cracking season. Not many 35-year-old’s are still tier one but Pendlebury continues to snub his nose at tradition. Some handy types in the third tier like Ginnivan, Mihocek, McStay and Hill shows there are plenty of good soldiers at Craig McRae’s disposal.
ESSENDON
Tier one: 1
Tier two: 5
Tier three: 27
Tier four: 10
Turn away now Bombers fans, this is not good reading. Only one elite player and some serious question marks with the tier two ranked also. Can Wright back up one good season? Is Shiel ready to produce a full elite season? Can Redman and Ridley maintain top line defence status? And that big bunch in the third level, that’s not a top eight team model.
FREMANTLE
Tier one: 2
Tier two: 7
Tier three: 24
Tier four: 10
Is there enough elite talent at the top end? Only two generally doesn‘t cut it but the Dockers have an impressive core which might be able to make up for such a deficit. The third tier is jam-packed with talent with the likes of Clark, O’Meara, Brodie, Walters and Young, Bottom line if Dockers are to be a top-four team Serong and Jackson need to be tier one players in the first half of the season.
GEELONG
Tier one: 7
Tier two: 4
Tier three: 20
Tier four: 12
If you want to try the too old line again, go for your life as six of the Cats top tier will be over 30 inside the first month of the season. But you won‘t be hearing that here, instead look at the talent in tier three with the likes of Atkins, Holmes, Henry, Parfitt, Tuohy, Bews and Miers. Will again go around with the best 25 players in the comp which is why they can win again.
GOLD COAST
Tier one: 2
Tier two: 5
Tier three: 34
Tier four: 7
Sorry Stuey but this is not a top-eight model. Two legitimate top of the pops players but tier two is more about hope than guarantees. Rowell, Ballard and King (who hasn‘t played for a year) are being generously graded while Swallow and Witts are both 30.
GWS GIANTS
Tier one: 3
Tier two: 3
Tier three: 28
Tier four: 10
Need the new coach spike to kick in for some of their best players. Kelly, Haynes and Whitfield looked tired and uninterested at times last year, if Adam Kingsley rejuvenates them then the Giants are back in the finals discussion. A quick leap up the rankings by the much-hyped Callaghan would be a handy boost.
HAWTHORN
Tier one: 1
Tier two: 4
Tier three: 30
Tier four: 7
Not a great sign when your second highest ranked player is 32 and the next couple are a goalsneak who was nearly out the door 12 months ago and a discard from Port Adelaide. For Sam Mitchell’s rebuild to get moving quicker Lewis, Day and Jiath need to be tier two types like yesterday.
MELBOURNE
Tier one: 4
Tier two: 8
Tier three: 22
Tier four: 10
Four players ranked nine and above is elite with a capital E. But it‘s the next bunch which is why the Demons can win the flag again. Eight players in tier two across all parts of the ground is why they’re a great team. Grundy rated on form from a couple of years ago is the only question mark.
NORTH MELBOURNE
Tier one: 0
Tier two: 5
Tier three: 32
Tier four: 7
For Clarko‘s big resurrection two things have to happen, Davies-Uniacke should be tier one by the end of the season and Zurhaar, who will play more as a midfield clearance bull a’ la Jake Stringer, up to tier two. The problem is who else can progress quickly is a mystery which is going to take a fair while to solve.
PORT ADELAIDE
Tier one: 2
Tier two: 3
Tier three: 29
Tier four: 9
An intriguing profile given they have one of the better middle-of-the-road groups. Marshall is a stretch to be in tier two but the top of tier three has a lot of talent in it so if Ken Hinkley can get them to shuffle up a step there is a finals unit in there somewhere.
RICHMOND
Tier one: 6
Tier two: 8
Tier three: 18
Tier four: 11
Fourteen players in the two highest groupings is why so many are predicting a Tigers spike this year. A lot will depend on if Cotchin and Riewoldt can hold their status as tier two operators. Balta, Broad, McIntosh, Pickett and Graham are some handy names to be floating in tier three.
ST KILDA
Tier one: 2
Tier two: 4
Tier three: 27
Tier four: 11
Tier three is stacked with too many underperformers which is Rossy Lyon‘s biggest challenge. Rising a handful of them up a level will at least get the Saints heading in the right direction. A lot depends on the two big men, King and Marshall, pushing into the elite category.
SYDNEY
Tier one: 4
Tier two: 6
Tier three: 24
Tier four: 10
Blakey, Florent, Hayward and the two McCartin‘s in tier three shows the great list John Longmire has at his disposal. They can easily step into the next level while McDonald is also expected to blossom. As long as they can recover from the GF nightmare, the Swans are well placed to stay at the pointy end.
WEST COAST
Tier one: 1
Tier two: 8
Tier three: 27
Tier four: 8
Eight in the top two levels with Naitanui and Yeo at the top of tier three is on paper a better side than 17th. Problem is six of them are over 30 and haven‘t played anywhere near their former glory days for some time. Where is the youth, the freshness, the excitement? Can’t see it which is Adam Simpson’s biggest problem.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Tier one: 4
Tier two: 5
Tier three: 25
Tier four: 7
Great top-end talent keeps the Dogs in the contenders discussion. Some tough judgments in the third tier with Darcy, Lobb, Ugle-Hagen, Richards and Vandermeer all capable of jumping up the rankings. How it all works will need some Luke Beveridge magic but he‘s done it before.
More Coverage
Originally published as Ultimate player ratings: Who is your club’s top talent and where the depth disappears
Ablett family reveal details of son’s condition
Jordan and Gary Ablett had been reluctant to discuss many details about their little boy’s heartbreaking condition until now.
Injury-hit Demons stun Crows in Norwood thriller
Struck down by a host of injuries across their team, the Dees have managed to keep their AFLW season alive by pulling off a thrilling victory over the Crows.