They say the AFL is a midfielder’s game nowadays and so your club’s strength in the position is obviously something to watch going into 2021.
We have listed out your club’s starting on-ball and wing unit, as well as those who will rotate through and make up the depth outside the best 22. Injuries have not been factored into this exercise either.
Some teams like the Bulldogs, Eagles and Cats have incredibly strong starting units, so much so that some big name players will have to be on the outside looking in.
Others are still in a state of flux, making their best groups tougher to decipher. Of course, given it’s February, a whole lot could change by Round 1.
We have based the starting units on 2020 centre bounce attendance numbers, but have made our own calls when it comes to players who have moved clubs.
For instance, the likes of Zac Williams (Carlton), Adam Treloar (Western Bulldogs) and Jackson Hately (Adelaide) we project as starting midfielders and so adjustments have been made.
We have also named a ‘wildcard’ player who may not be a starting midfielder or a regular rotation, but could be used in spurts for maximum impact.
The final two players mentioned in the starting midfield unit are the wingmen.
Here are our starting midfield units for all 18 clubs:
Starting midfield group: Reilly O’Brien (ruck), Matt Crouch, Rory Sloane, Rory Laird, Ben Keays, Brodie Smith,
Depth/rotation: Chayce Jones, David Mackay, Jackson Hately, Lachlan Sholl, Mitchell Hinge, Paul Seedsman
Ruck depth: Billy Frampton, Kieran Strachan, Riley Thilthorpe
Wildcard: Wayne Milera
Starting midfield group: Oscar McInerney (ruck), Lachie Neale, Jarryd Lyons, Dayne Zorko, Jarrod Berry, Hugh McCluggage
Depth/rotation: Mitch Robinson, Zac Bailey, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Cam Rayner, Rhys Mathieson, Deven Robertson
Ruck depth: Archie Smith, Henry Smith, Tom Fullarton
Wildcard: Nakia Cockatoo
Starting midfield group: Tom De Koning (ruck), Patrick Cripps, Zac Williams, Ed Curnow, Sam Walsh, Will Setterfield
Depth/rotation: Marc Murphy, Jack Martin, Jack Newnes, David Cuningham, Paddy Dow, Lochie O’Brien, Matthew Kennedy, Michael Gibbons, Matt Cottrell, Liam Stocker, Brodie Kemp
Ruck depth: Marc Pittonet, Levi Casboult
Wildcard: Tom Williamson
Starting midfield group: Brodie Grundy (ruck), Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams, Jamie Elliott, Steele Sidebottom, Josh Daicos
Depth/rotation: Chris Mayne, Brayden Sier, Levi Greenwood, Tyler Brown, Callum Brown
Ruck depth: Mason Cox, Darcy Cameron, Max Lynch
Wildcard: Jordan De Goey
Starting midfield group: Sam Draper (ruck), Dylan Shiel, Zach Merrett, Andrew McGrath, Darcy Parish, Devon Smith
Depth/rotation: Kyle Langford, Dyson Heppell, Jye Caldwell, Will Snelling, David Zaharakis, Dylan Clarke, Archie Perkins, Brayden Ham, Tom Cutler
Ruck depth: Andrew Phillips, Peter Wright, Nick Bryan
Wildcard: Jake Stringer
Starting midfield group: Sean Darcy (ruck), Nathan Fyfe, Caleb Serong, David Mundy, Adam Cerra, Andrew Brayshaw
Depth/rotation: Darcy Tucker, Connor Blakely, Stephen Hill, Blake Acres, James Aish, Brett Bewley, Travis Colyer, Mitch Crowden
Ruck depth: Rory Lobb, Lloyd Meek
Wildcard: Michael Walters
Starting midfield group: Rhys Stanley (ruck), Joel Selwood, Patrick Dangerfield, Cameron Guthrie, Mitch Duncan, Sam Menegola
Depth/rotation: Shaun Higgins, Isaac Smith, Brandan Parfitt, Luke Dahlhaus, Charlie Constable, Quinton Narkle, Sam Simpson, Tom Atkins, Zach Guthrie
Ruck depth: Darcy Fort, Mark Blicavs, Esava Ratugolea, Paul Tsapatolis, Shannon Neale
Wildcard: Jordan Clark
Starting midfield group: Jarrod Witts (ruck), Matt Rowell, Hugh Greenwood, Touk Miller, Brandon Ellis, Lachie Weller
Depth/rotation: David Swallow, Noah Anderson, Rory Atkins, Darcy Macpherson, Brayden Fiorini, Ben Ainsworth, Sean Lemmens, Sam Flanders, Nick Holman, Will Brodie, Alex Davies
Ruck depth: Zac Smith, Matt Conroy
Wildcard: Izak Rankine, Elijah Hollands
Starting midfield group: Braydon Preuss (ruck), Stephen Coniglio, Jacob Hopper, Tim Taranto, Josh Kelly, Lachie Whitfield
Depth/rotation: Harry Perryman, Matt De Boer, Callan Ward, Tom Green, Adam Kennedy, Xavier O’Halloran, Nicholas Shipley, Thomas Hutchesson
Ruck depth: Shane Mumford, Lachie Keeffe, Matthew Flynn
Wildcard: Toby Greene
Starting midfield group: Jon Ceglar (ruck), Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O’Meara, James Worpel, Liam Shiels, Tom Phillips
Depth/rotation: Chad Wingard, James Cousins, Finn Maginness, Jarman Impey, Connor Downie
Ruck depth: Ben McEvoy, Ned Reeves, Keegan Brooksby
Wildcard: Will Day
Starting midfield group: Max Gawn (ruck), Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney, Christian Petracca, Angus Brayshaw, Ed Langdon
Depth/rotation: Tom Sparrow, James Harmes, Adam Tomlinson, Nathan Jones, Oskar Baker, Aaron Vandenberg, Jake Melksham
Ruck depth: Luke Jackson, Austin Bradtke
Wildcard: Christian Salem
Starting midfield unit: Todd Goldstein (ruck), Jy Simpkin, Ben Cunnington, Jed Anderson, Trent Dumont, Jared Polec
Depth/rotation: Luke Davies-Uniacke, Luke McDonald, Jaidyn Stephenson, Aaron Hall, Jack Ziebell, Tarryn Thomas, Dom Tyson, Will Phillips, Will Walker
Ruck depth: Tristan Xerri, Tom Campbell
Wildcard: Cam Zurhaar
Starting midfield unit: Scott Lycett (ruck), Travis Boak, Ollie Wines, Tom Rockliff, Connor Rozee, Zak Butters
Depth/rotation: Sam Powell-Pepper, Xavier Duursma, Dan Houston, Karl Amon, Kane Farrell, Steven Motlop, Willem Drew
Ruck depth: Peter Ladhams, Sam Hayes
Wildcard: Robbie Gray
Starting midfield group: Toby Nankervis (ruck), Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin, Dion Prestia, Kamdyn McIntosh, Marlion Pickett
Depth/rotation: Shane Edwards, Shai Bolton, Jack Ross, Kane Lambert, Jack Graham, Josh Caddy, Patrick Naish, Thomson Dow, Riley Collier-Dawkins
Ruck depth: Mabior Chol, Callum Coleman-Jones, Ivan Soldo
Wildcard: Jayden Short
Starting midfield group: Rowan Marshall (ruck), Jack Steele, Zak Jones, Brad Crouch, Brad Hill, Jack Billings
Depth/rotation: Seb Ross, Dan Hannebery, Jade Gresham, Jack Higgins, Jack Sinclair, Luke Dunstan, Jack Bytel, Ryan Byrnes
Ruck depth: Paddy Ryder, Shaun McKernan
Wildcard: Hunter Clark
Starting midfield group: Tom Hickey (ruck), Luke Parker, Josh Kennedy, George Hewett, Oliver Florent, James Rowbottom
Depth/rotation: Isaac Heeney, Dylan Stephens, Ryan Clarke, Justin McInerney, Harry Cunningham
Ruck depth: Callum Sinclair, Sam Naismith
Wildcard: Nick Blakey
Starting midfield group: Nic Naitanui (ruck), Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo, Tim Kelly, Dom Sheed, Andrew Gaff
Depth/rotation: Jack Redden, Mark Hutchings, Brayden Ainsworth, Jarrod Brander, Xavier O’Neill
Ruck depth: Nathan Vardy, Bailey Williams, Callum Jamieson, Oscar Allen
Wildcard: Liam Duggan
Starting midfield group: Tim English (ruck), Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Adam Treloar, Bailey Smith, Lachie Hunter
Depth/rotation: Tom Liberatore, Josh Dunkley, Patrick Lipinski, Toby McLean, Ed Richards, Lin Jong, Will Hayes, Roarke Smith
Ruck depth: Stefan Martin, Jordon Sweet
Wildcard: Rhylee West, Laitham Vandermeer