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The Real AFL MVP - 2025 Edition

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Updated 2025 rankings after the big guns have taken to the field this weekend.

Big games from both Anderson and Dawson in massive wins for their clubs put a little bit of a gap between them at the top of the rankings, ahead of Daicos who tried valiantly despite a couple of injury niggles throughout the game. Smith got enough of the ball but butchered it too much, particularly early on, so he loses ground. But still not a lot between the top 4.

Of the next rung, big games from Richards and Bont in a disappointing loss for their club, Green and Serong solid though not outstanding in massive wins, and a big game from Callaghan. Holmes quieter and Cameron ineffective, with McGluggage quieter having been given the opposition attention.

I did leave out both Andrew Brayshaw and Matt Rowell in my Opening Post, so will add them to the list, as they are both in the frame for All-Australian consideration.

So here are the rankings in the Fadgelow after round 18:

1. Noah Anderson
2. Jordan Dawson
3. Nick Daicos
4. Bailey Smith
5. Ed Richards
6. Caleb Serong
7. Hugh McGluggage
8. Max Holmes
9. Andrew Brayshaw
10. Jeremy Cameron
11. Matt Rowell
12. Tom Green
13. Finn Callaghan
14. Marcus Bontempelli

Note - the focus is on players who will be playing Finals and can therefore put together a Fadgelow winning season. I have therefore excluded players like Butters, Xerri, Rozee and Wanganeen-Millera, who would all also be at the bottom end of the list above, but won't be influencing finals, so will be well outside my final top 5 at season's end (so no point having them in consideration).
 
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Current Rankings:
1. Noah Anderson
2. Nick Daicos
3. Jordan Dawson
4. Bailey Smith
5. Jeremy Cameron

Matt Rowell and Finn Callaghan coming with a rush - have both been strong performers in big games.

Riley Thilthorpe, Caleb Serong and Zac Butters rounding out the top 10, though the latter won't have a finals series to elevate his ranking.

Who is going to finish the season the strongest, and importantly influence the finals series?
 

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With the home and away games done and dusted, and so as not to be influenced by the pending results of the various individual awards, here are the rankings of the competition's Most Valuable Players leading into the Finals series:

1. Jordan Dawson (Adelaide) - This is the classic case of a player you cannot appreciate by looking at a stats sheet. So many times during the season, we saw him step up in big moments in close games to either keep his team in the contest, separate games, or ice the game. The best player in the top team is my #1 ranked player in the Fadgelow leading into the finals series.

2. Nick Daicos (Collingwood) - Yet another top notch season from the (new) little master. There is no more planned for and targeted player in the competition, and despite that, he is the favourite for the Brownlow Medal. Many say the Pies wouldn't be playing finals without this bloke, and he is that good, they're probably right.

3. Bailey Smith (Geelong) - An amazing return from an ACL for Bazlenko, and a big reason for Geelong's top 2 finish. I'm pretty sure he wins the Coaches Award (depending on what Anderson does tonight), and will go very close in the Brownlow.

4. Noah Anderson (Gold Coast) - Was my leader through to the previous couple of weeks, but his performance against Port in a game that would have locked away a top 4 spot saw him downgraded 3 spots - this list is THAT close. Massive year from this bloke and will be thereabouts in every major award on offer.

5. Jeremy Cameron (Geelong) - Has kicked more goals than any other key forward in a number of years, and with Smith and Holmes, a big reason as to why Geelong look likely to contend for another premiership.

I reckon there's a gap to the rest, but any of the following can push their way into the top 5 with big finals series:
Matt Rowell
Max Holmes
Caleb Serong
Hugh McGluggage
Tom Green
Finn Callaghan
Riley Thilthorpe
 
What a great first weekend of finals, where the reputations of most of those in the running for the Fadgelow were enhanced.

A bit of shuffling of the rankings, with the updated Leaderboard as follows:
1. Nick Daicos (up from 2)
2. Noah Anderson (up from 4)
3. Jordan Dawson (down from 1)
4. Bailey Smith (down from 3)
5. Jeremy Cameron (remains at 5)
6. Matt Rowell (remains at 6)
7. Max Holmes (remains at 7)
8. Caleb Serong (remains at 8)
9. Tom Green (up from 10)
10. Finn Callaghan (up from 11)
11. Hugh McGluggage (down from 9)
12. Riley Thilthorpe (remains at 12)

Safe to say my final top 5 will likely come from the current top 7, unless McGluggage or Thilthorpe play an amazing next two or even three games and will their teams back into premiership contention.
 
Fadge said:
What a great first weekend of finals, where the reputations of most of those in the running for the Fadgelow were enhanced.

A bit of shuffling of the rankings, with the updated Leaderboard as follows:
1. Nick Daicos (up from 2)
2. Noah Anderson (up from 4)
3. Jordan Dawson (down from 1)
4. Bailey Smith (down from 3)
5. Jeremy Cameron (remains at 5)
6. Matt Rowell (remains at 6)
7. Max Holmes (remains at 7)
8. Caleb Serong (remains at 8)
9. Tom Green (up from 10)
10. Finn Callaghan (up from 11)
11. Hugh McGluggage (down from 9)
12. Riley Thilthorpe (remains at 12)

Safe to say my final top 5 will likely come from the current top 7, unless McGluggage or Thilthorpe play an amazing next two or even three games and will their teams back into premiership contention.
Click to expand...
Nick Gulcos wasn't even the best player on his team yet somehow takes the lead 😂
 
Fadge said:
What a great first weekend of finals, where the reputations of most of those in the running for the Fadgelow were enhanced.

A bit of shuffling of the rankings, with the updated Leaderboard as follows:
1. Nick Daicos (up from 2)
2. Noah Anderson (up from 4)
3. Jordan Dawson (down from 1)
4. Bailey Smith (down from 3)
5. Jeremy Cameron (remains at 5)
6. Matt Rowell (remains at 6)
7. Max Holmes (remains at 7)
8. Caleb Serong (remains at 8)
9. Tom Green (up from 10)
10. Finn Callaghan (up from 11)
11. Hugh McGluggage (down from 9)
12. Riley Thilthorpe (remains at 12)

Safe to say my final top 5 will likely come from the current top 7, unless McGluggage or Thilthorpe play an amazing next two or even three games and will their teams back into premiership contention.
Click to expand...
Holmes has had a better season than Smith but because of the AA snub is going to be capped with how high he could go in your ratings.
 
WalshistheGOAT said:
Nick Gulcos wasn't even the best player on his team yet somehow takes the lead 😂
Click to expand...
Daicos wasn't competing with Darcy Moore for the Fadgelow... Moore is not in the mix.

But Moore did make up ground on Daicos. If there were another 15 games, and Moore outperformed Daicos in all of them, he'd probably catch him.
 
Not much movement this week with many of the contenders having the week off.

Let's see how the next couple of weeks go... Could we see three Cats finish in the Top 5?

1. Nick Daicos (remains at 1)
2. Noah Anderson (remains at 2) - Par Semi-Final. Can be picked off by one or two of the Cats.
3. Jordan Dawson (remains at 3) - Sub-Par Semi-Final. Vulnerable to be overtaken by those still playing.
4. Bailey Smith (remains at 4)
5. Jeremy Cameron (remains at 5)
6. Matt Rowell (remains at 6) - Sub-Par Semi-Final.
7. Max Holmes (remains at 7)
8. Caleb Serong (remains at 8)
9. Hugh McGluggage (up from 11) - Great Semi-Final.
10. Tom Green (down from 9)
11. Finn Callaghan (down from 10)
12. Riley Thilthorpe (remains at 12)
 

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Fadge said:
Not much movement this week with many of the contenders having the week off.

Let's see how the next couple of weeks go... Could we see three Cats finish in the Top 5?

1. Nick Daicos (remains at 1)
2. Noah Anderson (remains at 2) - Par Semi-Final. Can be picked off by one or two of the Cats.
3. Jordan Dawson (remains at 3) - Sub-Par Semi-Final. Vulnerable to be overtaken by those still playing.
4. Bailey Smith (remains at 4)
5. Jeremy Cameron (remains at 5)
6. Matt Rowell (remains at 6) - Sub-Par Semi-Final.
7. Max Holmes (remains at 7)
8. Caleb Serong (remains at 8)
9. Hugh McGluggage (up from 11) - Great Semi-Final.
10. Tom Green (down from 9)
11. Finn Callaghan (down from 10)
12. Riley Thilthorpe (remains at 12)
Click to expand...
Anderson was useless. Offensively and defensively he had so many costly lapses and he let the Brisbane mids do as they pleased. He was decent last week. Not a fantastic finale series overall.
 
Mr Meow said:
Anderson was useless. Offensively and defensively he had so many costly lapses and he let the Brisbane mids do as they pleased. He was decent last week. Not a fantastic finale series overall.
Click to expand...
I may have been generous by calling his Semi-Final a Par effort. But Dawson was similarly non influential on Friday night.

All 3 Cats could possibly overtake both players depending on how they perform the next two weeks.
 
Fadge said:
Updated 2025 rankings after the big guns have taken to the field this weekend.

Big games from both Anderson and Dawson in massive wins for their clubs put a little bit of a gap between them at the top of the rankings, ahead of Daicos who tried valiantly despite a couple of injury niggles throughout the game. Smith got enough of the ball but butchered it too much, particularly early on, so he loses ground. But still not a lot between the top 4.

Of the next rung, big games from Richards and Bont in a disappointing loss for their club, Green and Serong solid though not outstanding in massive wins, and a big game from Callaghan. Holmes quieter and Cameron ineffective, with McGluggage quieter having been given the opposition attention.

I did leave out both Andrew Brayshaw and Matt Rowell in my Opening Post, so will add them to the list, as they are both in the frame for All-Australian consideration.

So here are the rankings in the Fadgelow after round 18:

1. Noah Anderson
2. Jordan Dawson
3. Nick Daicos
4. Bailey Smith
5. Ed Richards
6. Caleb Serong
7. Hugh McGluggage
8. Max Holmes
9. Andrew Brayshaw
10. Jeremy Cameron
11. Matt Rowell
12. Tom Green
13. Finn Callaghan
14. Marcus Bontempelli

Note - the focus is on players who will be playing Finals and can therefore put together a Fadgelow winning season. I have therefore excluded players like Butters, Xerri, Rozee and Wanganeen-Millera, who would all also be at the bottom end of the list above, but won't be influencing finals, so will be well outside my final top 5 at season's end (so no point having them in consideration).
Click to expand...
Rowell goes ahead courtesy of a thumping Brownlow win, more coaches votes in finals and a higher finish in the Coaches Association award. Daicos' League MVP recognition by the players for his few years of excellence is commendable, but doesn't offset the above.

Cameron goes ahead with 20 Brownlow votes as a forward (equivalent to 40 as a mid) and 88 goals, as clearly the best forward in the competition. Coaches votes and 3 goals in the cutthroat prelim.

Smith likely goes ahead too. Coaches Association winner, 3rd in the Brownlow and more coaches votes in finals: 6 in the prelim in the biggest final played so far (Daicos 0 PF votes). A strong GF showing would cement it.

Daicos lands 4th and Anderson 5th.
 
Mr Meow said:
Rowell goes ahead courtesy of a thumping Brownlow win, more coaches votes in finals and a higher finish in the Coaches Association award. Daicos' League MVP recognition by the players for his few years of excellence is commendable, but doesn't offset the above.

Cameron goes ahead with 20 Brownlow votes as a forward (equivalent to 40 as a mid) and 88 goals, as clearly the best forward in the competition. Coaches votes and 3 goals in the cutthroat prelim.

Smith likely goes ahead too. Coaches Association winner, 3rd in the Brownlow and more coaches votes in finals: 6 in the prelim in the biggest final played so far (Daicos 0 PF votes). A strong GF showing would cement it.

Daicos lands 4th and Anderson 5th.
Click to expand...
Let me judge my own League MVP, and you can judge yours.

In the same way that I don't downgrade Holmes because the AA Committee failed to deem him AA worthy, I don't upgrade Rowell because the umpires deemed a 17 possession / 8 clanger game 3 vote worthy.
 

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Fadge said:
Let me judge my own League MVP, and you can judge yours.

In the same way that I don't downgrade Holmes because the AA Committee failed to deem him AA worthy, I don't upgrade Rowell because the umpires deemed a 17 possession / 8 clanger game 3 vote worthy.
Click to expand...
4th is still a damn good effort.

With a strong PF + GF showing he may have even taken out 1st. He had a nice game against one of the worst finalists of the century in Adelaide though.
 
I think 2015 is between 2 players: Nat Fyfe and Sam Mitchell.

Fyfe won the Brownlow from just 18 games, including a 10 week hot stretch where he collected 26 votes. He won the players MVP and finished runner up in the Coaches votes.

He had a great qualifying final, collecting 32 disposals, 17 contested and 8 clearances to inspire his side to a narrow home win over Sydney.

He was quieter (but servicable) in the Prelim loss to Hawthorn, where e collected 24 disposals. However, it was quite a herculean effort when you consider it was later learnt he broke his leg in the first quarter and soldiered on!

Sam Mitchell came 3rd in the Brownlow, 8th in the Coaches award (with Clarko's "vote sharing" strategy) and won several of the week by week voting media awards.

His finals series, however, was one of the best we've ever seen, with the following performances:

2015 QF vs West Coast - 35 touches (#1 on ground) and 10 clearances - clear BOG in a loss.
2015 SF vs Adelaide - 33 touches (#1), 4 clearances - one of the best on ground
2015 PF vs Freo - 35 touches (#1), 5 clearances - clear BOG again
2015 GF vs West Coast - 34 touches (#1), 6 clearances, 4 tackles (2 assists) - unlucky runner up in the Norm Smith (with a game that would have won it most years).

Named best finals player at the premiers, would have easily won the Gary Ayers medal (had it been introduced one year earlier) and smashed the record for most disposals in a final series (which still stands).

I think Fyfe had one of the great home and away seasons and Mitchell had one of the great finals series. Can't go wrong with either.
 
IN 2014, it was probably Nat Fyfe (again) or Robbie Gray.

Fyfe won the Players MVP, was 2nd in the Coaches award and came runner up in the Brownlow.

He was 1 vote behind Priddis in the Brownlow but played 4 less games. Similar scenario in the Coaches award, with Gray playing an extra 4 games (and Fyfe leading with 2 rounds to go before injury).

Despite Freo bottling the finals, Fyfe played 2 excellent games:

QF: 29 touches, 16 contested, 7 clearances and a goal
SF: 28 touches, 21 contested!, 7 clearances, 11 tackles and 2 goals.

Gray also had a ripping season, averaging 25 touches and kicking 42 goals.

He won the Coaches award and was robbed in the Brownlow (equal 17th).

He had 3 great finals:

QF: 25 touches, 4 clearances, 1 goal and 4 assists.
SF: 21 posessions, 13 contested, 5 clearances and 4 goals.
PF: 25 touches, 17 contested, 8 clearances and 3 goals.

Overall, I think I'd have:

2014 - Nat Fyfe
2015 - Sam Mitchell
 
2005 I reckon has to be Ben Cousins.

All Australian, best and fairest, Brownlow winner, MVP winner and close second in the Coaches award.

3 reasonable to very good finals, including minor Norm Smith votes (finishing 5th).

29, 22 and 27 touches in the 3 finals, with 3 goals and 3 assists.

Chris Judd was the best player in the finals but Cousins had the better season overall. Barry Hall the main contender who won the Coaches award, was 5th in the Brownlow as a key forward and also had some very good finals (4 goals and 2 assists in the Prelim, 8 goals in 4 finals altogether) but had a very quiet qualifying final (9 touches, no goals) and didn't get any Norm Smith votes.
 
Guardian Hawk said:
I think 2015 is between 2 players: Nat Fyfe and Sam Mitchell.

Fyfe won the Brownlow from just 18 games, including a 10 week hot stretch where he collected 26 votes. He won the players MVP and finished runner up in the Coaches votes.

He had a great qualifying final, collecting 32 disposals, 17 contested and 8 clearances to inspire his side to a narrow home win over Sydney.

He was quieter (but servicable) in the Prelim loss to Hawthorn, where e collected 24 disposals. However, it was quite a herculean effort when you consider it was later learnt he broke his leg in the first quarter and soldiered on!

Sam Mitchell came 3rd in the Brownlow, 8th in the Coaches award (with Clarko's "vote sharing" strategy) and won several of the week by week voting media awards.

His finals series, however, was one of the best we've ever seen, with the following performances:

2015 QF vs West Coast - 35 touches (#1 on ground) and 10 clearances - clear BOG in a loss.
2015 SF vs Adelaide - 33 touches (#1), 4 clearances - one of the best on ground
2015 PF vs Freo - 35 touches (#1), 5 clearances - clear BOG again
2015 GF vs West Coast - 34 touches (#1), 6 clearances, 4 tackles (2 assists) - unlucky runner up in the Norm Smith (with a game that would have won it most years).

Named best finals player at the premiers, would have easily won the Gary Ayers medal (had it been introduced one year earlier) and smashed the record for most disposals in a final series (which still stands).

I think Fyfe had one of the great home and away seasons and Mitchell had one of the great finals series. Can't go wrong with either.
Click to expand...
This is where I am obliged to point out that the reason Fyfe only played 18 games in 2015, and only just won the Brownlow, and only just missed out on the Coaches award, was because Sam Dirty Sniper Mitchell (to give him his full name) deliberately kneed Fyfe in the quad which was what caused Fyfe to miss five rounds.

So to name Mitchell as 2015 MVP over Fyfe is total BS when Fyfe's first ten rounds are unquestionably the most dominant run of games by any player in modern AFL history.
 

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