Who is the best midfielder of the 21st century?

[RUNVS]

Midfielders
8 – Gary Ablett Jr. | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
8 – Patrick Dangerfield | 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
8 – Mark Ricciuto

Mark Ricciuto

Age

48

Ht

184cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.1

5star

K

12.8

5star

HB

8.3

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.7

4star

G

0.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

16.2

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.2

3star

| 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
6 - Chris Judd | 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
6 - Joel Selwood | 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
6 - Scott Pendlebury

10

Scott Pendlebury

Age

36

Ht

191cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

26.5

5star

K

13.2

5star

HB

13.3

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

4.9

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

25.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

12.9

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.3

3star

CL

3.6

4star

D

12.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

4.8

4star

M

5.8

5star

T

2.6

4star

| 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019
6 - Ben Cousins | 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006
5 - Dane Swan

Dane Swan

Age

40

Ht

185cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

26.9

5star

K

16.4

5star

HB

10.4

5star

M

5.9

5star

T

3.1

5star

CL

5.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

12.0

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

| 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
5 - Scott West

Scott West

Age

49

Ht

178cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.4

5star

K

12.7

5star

HB

12.6

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

12.0

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

1.0

3star

| 1998, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006
5 - Simon Goodwin

Simon Goodwin

Age

47

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.9

5star

K

12.1

4star

HB

8.8

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.5

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

| 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2009
4 - Dustin Martin | 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
4 - Nigel Lappin | 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
4 - Brent Harvey

Brent Harvey

Age

45

Ht

167cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

13.2

5star

HB

8.2

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.1

4star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

6.0

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.2

2star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.6

3star

| 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008
4 - Christian Petracca

5

Christian Petracca

Age

28

Ht

187cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.4

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

3.0

5star

CL

2.5

4star

D

24.4

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

14.0

5star

M

3.5

3star

T

3.6

4star

CL

3.4

4star

D

19.0

5star

K

7.8

3star

HB

11.2

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.0

4star

| 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Made a companion thread on the best Key Defender of the 21st Century so here is the thread on the best midfielder of the 21st century.

To be selected on the list

• Must have 4 All Australians or more
• Must have had majority of those All Australians within the 21st century. So Someone like Scott West
  Scott West

  Age

  49

  Ht

  178cm

  Wt

  83kg

  Pos.

  Mid

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  25.4

  5star

  K

  12.7

  5star

  HB

  12.6

  5star

  M

  3.3

  3star

  T

  2.6

  4star

  No current season stats available

  D

  12.0

  3star

  K

  6.6

  3star

  HB

  5.4

  4star

  M

  1.4

  2star

  T

  1.0

  3star

  did get an All Australian in the 20th century he got majority of his AA's in the 21st century.

Also didn't include Goodes, Pavlich and the Bont as they are both a bit too hard to define as pure "midfielders" since they both won AA's in other positions too.

So which player is the best midfielder of the 21st century?

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Gavin Urquhart

Gavin Urquhart

Age

35

Ht

181cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.4

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

17.8

5star

K

10.2

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.0

4star

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Ablett Jnr by whatever criteria you go by stands out.

 

[freo1]

No room for x2 Brownlow winner Nat Fyfe? Certainly rather him (at his peak) than the likes of Petracca, Goodwin, Brent Harvey

Brent Harvey

Age

45

Ht

167cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

13.2

5star

HB

8.2

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.1

4star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

6.0

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.2

2star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.6

3star

 

[Wizard]

The 4 AA criteria that you have randomly selected notwithstanding, not having Fyfe in the discussion is pretty stupid.

 

[Rustin Cohle]

1. Ablett
2. Daylight
3. More daylight
4. Judd
5. The rest

 

[RUNVS]

The 4 AA criteria that you have randomly selected notwithstanding, not having Fyfe in the discussion is pretty stupid.

I randomly selected it mostly because if I lowered it to 3 then the list would be much much longer. I decided to just go for a flat criteria rather than trying to decide who I thought who should be on the list, though perhaps I should have said "4 AA's or a Brownlow" or something like that.

 

[Sentinel]

Midfielders
8 – Gary Ablett Jr. | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
8 – Patrick Dangerfield | 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
8 – Mark Ricciuto | 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
6 - Chris Judd | 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
6 - Joel Selwood | 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
6 - Scott Pendlebury | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019
6 - Ben Cousins | 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006
5 - Dane Swan | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
5 - Scott West | 1998, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006
5 - Simon Goodwin | 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2009
4 - Dustin Martin | 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
4 - Nigel Lappin | 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
4 - Brent Harvey | 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008
4 - Christian Petracca | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Made a companion thread on the best Key Defender of the 21st Century so here is the thread on the best midfielder of the 21st century.

To be selected on the list

• Must have 4 All Australians or more
• Must have had majority of those All Australians within the 21st century. So Someone like Scott West did get an All Australian in the 20th century he got majority of his AA's in the 21st century.

Also didn't include Goodes, Pavlich and the Bont as they are both a bit too hard to define as pure "midfielders" since they both won AA's in other positions too.

So which player is the best midfielder of the 21st century?

Why does Petracca make this list but not Bontempelli?

• Bontempelli 5xAA: 2016 (Int), 2019 (C), 2020 (HF), 2021 (HF), 2023 (C)
• Petracca 4xAA: 2020 (Foll), 2021 (HF), 2022 (HF), 2023 (HF)

 

[freo1]

I randomly selected it mostly because if I lowered it to 3 then the list would be much much longer. I decided to just go for a flat criteria rather than trying to decide who I thought who should be on the list, though perhaps I should have said "4 AA's or a Brownlow" or something like that.

Taking brownlows into account wouldve been much wiser

 

[Cmarsh]

Ablett and I dont really think it's that debatable.

 

[RUNVS]

Why does Petracca make the list but not Bontempelli?

• Bontempelli 5xAA: 2016 (Int), 2019 (C), 2020 (HF), 2021 (HF), 2023 (C)
• Petracca 4xAA: 2020 (Foll), 2021 (HF), 2022 (HF), 2023 (HF)

Didn't' include Bontempelli as he, Goodes and Pavlich get their own miscellaneous category of players who are good in a lot of places and can't really pigeon hole them in one position.

 

[freo1]

Didn't' include Bontempelli as he, Goodes and Pavlich get their own miscellaneous category of players who are good in a lot of places and can't really pigeon hole them in one position.

Bont is clearly a mid though - unlike Pavlich who was everywhere, and Goodes to a slightly lesser extent

 

[Sentinel]

Didn't' include Bontempelli as he, Goodes and Pavlich get their own miscellaneous category of players who are good in a lot of places and can't really pigeon hole them in one position.

I'd say he's more of a pure midfielder than Petracca is, despite also being a very strong forward. This is also reflected in the AAs you used as an objective measure for making the list.

 

[RAPPA]

Didn't realise Danger had so many AAs. Wouldn't even have him in the top 5 mids from that list.

 

[TheUnicorn]

GAJ without a doubt

Idk why people trying to argue about who else should make it into the poll like they gonna beat GAJ anyways

 

[Frank Grimes]

I voted GAJ. Though based on early signs I wouldn't be surprised if Nick Diacos challanges for it by the end of his career if he lives up to his potential and promise.

 

[Engimal v3]

GAJ has an claim towards being the greatest ever, forget any other filters.

 

[Frank Grimes]

Anyway for me without doing a whole list (Not just basing off AAs)
1 GAJ
2 Judd
3 Fyfe
=4 Dusty
=4 Dangerfield
6 Pendlebury
7 Cousins
8 Patracca
9 Joel Selwood
10 Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

30

Ht

178cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Anyway for me without doing a whole list (Not just basing off AAs)
1 GAJ
2 Judd
3 Fyfe
=4 Dusty
=4 Dangerfield
6 Pendlebury
7 Cousins
8 Patracca
9 Joel Selwood
10 Lachie Neale

Wow, surprised as a Richmond supporter you wouldn't have Dusty above Fyfe.

Good top 10, but I would have Bontempelli.

 

[Tandy]

People (some media commentators and the public) were saying GAJ was the greatest of all time that year he hurt his shoulder at GC. Then without undoing anything he seemed to regress in people's eyes.

 

[Joao]

Notwithstanding wanting to complain about Fyfe (since he's a chance at being 3rd in line) not being there, I would have assumed everyone was voting for Ablett or Judd anyway.

Surprised how few Judd has, tbh.

 

[Freomaniac]

Forward Press , should Matt Priddis be on the list? LoL

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Obviously it's GAJ.

 

[piesaregreat]

GAJ
Next
The number of AAs a mid can get is also dependent on the quality of teammates who are also mids
Also who is on the AA committee similar to Brownlow

 

[Anynameyouwish]

Adam Goodes