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It's always easy in footy circles, especially during preseason, to label a team as 'formidable' or 'bound to struggle'. But a lot of surprising truths can emerge when every club is meticulously dissected and ranked against each other.
Here are position-by-position rankings for all 18 AFL clubs, covering the backline, forward line, and midfield. Teams were ranked taking into account an array of factors, such as top-end talent, the balance of talls and smalls, mix between offensive firepower and defensive prowess, and the overall depth of the unit.
To determine a team's ranking for each position, every side was scored out of 10 for 'starting six' star power, and out of five for both overall balance and overall depth, to then be given a total score out of 20.
When discerning between two teams for a higher ranking, greater emphasis was placed on the significance of key position players, a nod to their pivotal role in shaping a lineup.
Included for each position is a brief outlook on the best and worst groups, as well as one intriguing team worth keeping a close eye on.
At the end, an overall ranking is shown, which is worked out based on the average ranking every team is given at each position. If multiple teams share the same average ranking, the one with the higher-ranked midfield was placed in the higher position.
Note, these are simply list rankings going into the 2025 season, not predictions or long-term projections.
Back line
Midfield
Forward line
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It's always easy in footy circles, especially during preseason, to label a team as 'formidable' or 'bound to struggle'. But a lot of surprising truths can emerge when every club is meticulously dissected and ranked against each other.
Here are position-by-position rankings for all 18 AFL clubs, covering the backline, forward line, and midfield. Teams were ranked taking into account an array of factors, such as top-end talent, the balance of talls and smalls, mix between offensive firepower and defensive prowess, and the overall depth of the unit.
To determine a team's ranking for each position, every side was scored out of 10 for 'starting six' star power, and out of five for both overall balance and overall depth, to then be given a total score out of 20.
When discerning between two teams for a higher ranking, greater emphasis was placed on the significance of key position players, a nod to their pivotal role in shaping a lineup.
Included for each position is a brief outlook on the best and worst groups, as well as one intriguing team worth keeping a close eye on.
At the end, an overall ranking is shown, which is worked out based on the average ranking every team is given at each position. If multiple teams share the same average ranking, the one with the higher-ranked midfield was placed in the higher position.
Note, these are simply list rankings going into the 2025 season, not predictions or long-term projections.
Back line
| 1 | BRISBANE | 10 | CARLTON |
| 2 | GWS | 11 | ST KILDA |
| 3 | HAWTHORN | 12 | NORTH MELBOURNE |
| 4 | FREMANTLE | 13 | ESSENDON |
| 5 | SYDNEY | 14 | PORT ADELAIDE |
| 6 | GOLD COAST | 15 | WESTERN BULLDOGS |
| 7 | GEELONG | 16 | ADELAIDE |
| 8 | MELBOURNE | 17 | RICHMOND |
| 9 | COLLINGWOOD | 18 | WEST COAST |
Midfield
| 1 | SYDNEY | 10 | GOLD COAST |
| 2 | PORT ADELAIDE | 11 | GEELONG |
| 3 | FREMANTLE | 12 | NORTH MELBOURNE |
| 4 | BRISBANE | 13 | HAWTHORN |
| 5 | WESTERN BULLDOGS | 14 | ST KILDA |
| 6 | CARLTON | 15 | ESSENDON |
| 7 | GWS | 16 | ADELAIDE |
| 8 | MELBOURNE | 17 | WEST COAST |
| 9 | COLLINGWOOD | 18 | RICHMOND |
| 1 | GWS | 10 | PORT ADELAIDE |
| 2 | GEELONG | 11 | HAWTHORN |
| 3 | BRISBANE | 12 | NORTH MELBOURNE |
| 4 | FREMANTLE | 13 | ST KILDA |
| 5 | CARLTON | 14 | WEST COAST |
| 6 | WESTERN BULLDOGS | 15 | MELBOURNE |
| 7 | COLLINGWOOD | 16 | GOLD COAST |
| 8 | SYDNEY | 17 | ESSENDON |
| 9 | ADELAIDE | 18 | RICHMOND |
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