Who are the top 10 midfielders in the league?

[Sweet Jesus]

Robbo literally gets paid to have an opinion on football. He’s the chief football writer for the Herald Sun and is a prominent figure within the industry. You don’t get to his position by not knowing anything about the game.

There are lots of past and present players who know a lot more about football than you and I that value his opinion. But sure thing, anonymous BigFooty nuffy. Your opinion holds more weight than his and you’re definitely in a position to dismiss his opinion

It's outrageous that people would have the temerity to dispute Robbo's divine judgement. He's a prominent figure within the industry! What more do you need?

 

[Sweet Jesus]

In 2018 Jack Redden got 100+ clearances, 100+ tackles and 25 touches game and no one outside WC really cared. He was our 3rd or 4th best mid and we won the flag, doesn't make him top 20.

Second in the B&F in a premiership year.

 

[AFDogs]

In order

1. Fyfe
2. Dangerfield
3. Cripps
4. Martin
5. Bontempelli
6. Neale
7. Kelly
8. Mitchell
9. Oliver
10. Yeo

11. Coniglio
12. Treloar
13. Macrae
14. Pendles
15. JPK

Something like that. Shuey/Prestia/Dunkley/Tim Kelly to round out the rest. Probably.

 

[The_Eagles]

Martin (champion status)
Fyfe (champion status)
Dangerfield (champion status)
Cripps
Bontempelli
Pendlebury (champion status)
Coniglio
T. Kelly
J. Kelly
Yeo

other midfield champions: Ablett, Selwood, Kennedy, Burgoyne

 

[Carringbush2010]

In order

1. Fyfe
2. Dangerfield
3. Cripps
4. Martin
5. Bontempelli
6. Neale
7. Kelly
8. Mitchell
9. Oliver
10. Yeo

11. Coniglio
12. Treloar
13. Macrae
14. Pendles
15. JPK

Something like that. Shuey/Prestia/Dunkley/Tim Kelly to round out the rest. Probably.

Fair list but you have Treloar above Kelly and Pendles, how is that? Many would argue myself included that Kelly is at least better than Treloar.

 

[PhatBoy]

Amazingly as a Pies supporter, I think you might be under-rating Pendles a bit. Bont may be better by the end of his career, but on output so far Pendles has a more decorated career

FWIW Pendles is perhaps the # 1 player of all time for consistency

craig Bradley and Robert Harvey are the two that come to mind for that title

 

[Carringbush2010]

I can't fit that many quality mids into this bracket, but I'll argue - that right now - these 4 ARE top of the tree and it is too hard to split them.

Fyfe
Danger
Dusty
Bont

The rest and maybe we should look at a top 20 instead. In no particular order:

Kelly
Cogs
Cotch
Yeo
Redden (way way under rated)
Schuey
Gaff
Sides
Pendles (on current form maybe between the top group and this one - splitting hairs but)
Treloar
Prestia
J Kelly
Taranto
Gaj
Selwood
Neale
Whitfield

There's probably more that I can't think of off the top my head (Sloane, Crouch bros). Talk about diluted talent pool right!

Good luck trying to separate that 2nd group, all exceptional players. Bookmark that.

 

[Carringbush2010]

craig Bradley and Robert Harvey are the two that come to mind for that title

Oh yes! Can't forget these two! Magical players, super influential.

All three of them equally consistent over long long periods of time.

Good call.

 

[Forward Press]

I can't fit that many quality mids into this bracket, but I'll argue - that right now - these 4 ARE top of the tree and it is too hard to split them.

Fyfe
Danger
Dusty
Bont

The rest and maybe we should look at a top 20 instead. In no particular order:

Kelly
Cogs
Cotch
Yeo
Redden (way way under rated)
Schuey
Gaff
Sides
Pendles (on current form maybe between the top group and this one - splitting hairs but)
Treloar
Prestia
J Kelly
Taranto
Gaj
Selwood
Neale
Whitfield

Good luck trying to separate that 2nd group, all exceptional players. Bookmark that.

Good list. I personally would also throw Cripps in there (must have been an accidental omission I suspect).

 

[Carringbush2010]

Good list. I personally would also throw Cripps in there (must have been an accidental omission I suspect).

Good point out of my fail! How TF did I leave him out?! You suspect absolutely correctly!

This bloke is pushing up toward that 4 bracket I have, possibly surpassing Pendles (that's a heady recommendation if you don't mind).

 

[PhatBoy]

Oh yes! Can't forget these two! Magical players, super influential.

All three of them equally consistent over long long periods of time.

Good call.

that wasn’t to rubbish the claims of Pendlebury to that title either. He is just a superb player and an opponent I’ve genuinely always loved watching

 

[Carringbush2010]

that wasn’t to rubbish the claims of Pendlebury to that title either. He is just a superb player and an opponent I’ve genuinely always loved watching

I never suspected you were but you rightly point out Harves and Bradley with consistency of exceptionalism over more than a decade of career pushing toward 2 decades.

In the conversation of the best mids of their time. Probably in the conversation of GOAT, not goat but in the conversation.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find ANY footy fan that does not enjoy watching Pendles go around, the way he creates time and space for someone who lacks genuine leg speed.

 

[juss]

But you're talking about one season, he's been pretty consistently good in years previous - especially in the tigs dark times, then carried through in 17 and 18.

Not saying he's a match for a Bont or Fyfe or Danger or Martin but it's fair argument to have him in the 10 over the course of his career.

Potentially he should be in the conversation, feel on this thread at least he's a little under rated.

Not top 10, not in that conversation imo. Cotchin's best work and value is without the ball now. Tackles like a madman, throws his body at everything and everyone, sets the tone and is as hard as they come and a great captain. He's a good player, but a better leader. As a midfielder alone he's probably somewhere between the 20 and 35 range.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Not top 10, not in that conversation imo. Cotchin's best work and value is without the ball now. Tackles like a madman, throws his body at everything and everyone, sets the tone and is as hard as they come and a great captain. He's a good player, but a better leader. As a midfielder alone he's probably somewhere between the 20 and 35 range.

Big call! I'd rate him higher than 35 - definitely in the top 20 for mine. Probably because of the attributes he has that you've pointed out, as good as if not better than a Mcrae or Treloar. Big call on my part I know but I reckon that's a fair call.

 

[juss]

Big call! I'd rate him higher than 35 - definitely in the top 20 for mine. Probably because of the attributes he has that you've pointed out, as good as if not better than a Mcrae or Treloar. Big call on my part I know but I reckon that's a fair call.

Once you get the past the top few, most players have a wider range, so it gets really hard to pinpoint between opinions the further down the list you go.

You probably have him a bit high for mine, but honestly I haven't written it on paper so if I did the names he might be higher than my guess. The point is again the further down the list you get, the greater the fluctuation year to year, month to month, game to game. He's been pretty intense this preseason with his effort at the contest so I'm looking forward to watching him this year!

 

[Kenny Dee]

Fyfe
Bont
Martin
Cripps
T.Kelly
Danger
Neale
Yeo
Coniglio
J.Kelly

 

[AvantGardener]

1. Martin
2. Dangerfield
3. Fyfe
4. Neale
5. Cripps
6. Bont
7. Pendlebury
8. J Kelly
9. Yeo
10. T Mitchell

 

[GroggSquad]

The top 10 right now in order:

1. Fyfe
2. Dangerfield
3. Cripps
4. Martin
5. J. Kelly
6. Bont
7. Mitchell
8. Neale
9. Oliver
10. Macrae

 

[Scotland]

Second in the B&F in a premiership year.

He's a good soldier, but B&F results in good teams have become a bit overstated and he did benefit from Shuey missing 5 games and Gaff punching Brayshaw.

B&Fs tend to reward consistent role players more than other awards. But yeah, all hail Jack.

 

[Ambrosia]

Don’t think Martin fits the midfield description anymore.

1. Bont
2. Fyfe
3. Dangerfield
4. Cripps
5. Coniglio
6. Neale
7. J.Kelly
8. Pendlebury
9. Yeo
10. T.Kelly

 

[My Tilly]

This thread is very interesting in regards to Dustin Martin's status in the game today.
Early on in the thread, many people had him ranked somewhere between 3-5 or thereabouts. It's really been the last 3 seasons he has cemented his spot as the number one in the game.
Talk about him being the best as early as 2014-2015 is more hyperbole than anything else.

He's currently building a brilliant resume as he heads towards 30 years of age.

 

[Dazb86]

This thread is very interesting in regards to Dustin Martin's status in the game today.
Early on in the thread, many people had him ranked somewhere between 3-5 or thereabouts. It's really been the last 3 seasons he has cemented his spot as the number one in the game.
Talk about him being the best as early as 2014-2015 is more hyperbole than anything else.

He's currently building a brilliant resume as he heads towards 30 years of age.

Really highlights how badly Melbourne ****ed up not drafting him

 

[nacnud]

Really highlights how badly Melbourne f’ed up not drafting him

Considering how poor we were at developing players he would have likely turned out shit at Melbourne. That being said, it’s all hindsight.

 

[La Dispute]

For mine:

1. Cripps
2. Fyfe
3. Martin
4. Mitchell
5. Dangerfield
6. Pendlebury
7. J. Kelly
8. Neale
9. Bontempelli
10. Coniglio
11. Oliver
12. Boak
13. Cunnington
14. Taranto
15. Dunkley
16. Yeo
17. T. Kelly
18. McCluggage
19. B. Crouch
20. Gaff

 

[Forward Press]

Really highlights how badly Melbourne f’ed up not drafting him

Apparently didn't even bother interviewing him, which is arguably an error.

However, not many would have put Martin at number 1 that year. Scully and Trengove were consensus top two everywhere, I think even if Richmond held picks 1 and 2 they wouldn't take him.

The stuff up is due to Melbourne's horrendous development of talent at the time, if they took Martin they probably would have ruined him too.