WELCOME back to The 25.

AFL.com.au's rolling list of the top players in the AFL is back, where we rank the best of the best every month throughout the year.

The criteria is simple – if every player in the competition was fully fit and lined up against a wall right now, who would you pick first?

THE 25 See all of our previous rankings

This month saw plenty of movement, particularly at the top end of the rankings, with opinions split as to who the No.1 player in the competition is right now. You can have your say on that question with our poll at the bottom of the page.

There are three new faces compared to last month's list, with Hugh McCluggage, Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson all dropping out after a poor run of form.

Read on for the fifth edition of The 25 for 2026, where some familiar names dominate the top rungs of the list.

Grundy snuck into The 25 for the first time last month and has deservedly retained his spot in there for another month. The experienced ruck has re-established himself as one of the league's dominant big men. He leads the competition for hitouts, averaging 34.3 a game, and also ranks first for hitouts to advantage with 11.8. He's right in the mix for All-Australian honours once again, with his consistency and dominance around stoppages proving instrumental in Sydney's rise to comfortably sit in the top two on the ladder.

The Chad is back after slipping out of The 25 last month. The 25-year-old has put together a brilliant patch of footy, highlighted by his 32 disposals, three goals, 15 score involvements and 811m gained in the Swans' romp of Richmond in round 12. Warner has averaged 29 disposals and kicked six goals in the three games before Sydney's bye last week, rediscovering the form that's made him one of the competition's best players in recent years.

Arguably flying under the radar once more is gun Bulldog Richards. The 2025 All-Australian is putting up similar numbers to last year, averaging 25.1 disposals, 4.9 tackles and 5.6 clearances while kicking 11 goals in his 14 games. The left-footer's ability to hurt teams both on the inside and outside makes him one of the game's best midfielders, and he will be crucial if the Dogs are going to make a charge in the back end of the year.

The dashing Swan is enjoying a career-best season as he provides run and carry out of the Sydney defence. His average of 26 disposals is comfortably a career-high (previous best of 21.4 was last year) with the stand rule suiting his style of play. Blakey is fourth for average metres gained this year as he plays an important part if helping the Swans create drive from defence, putting him well on track for a second All-Australian blazer.

A red-hot start to the season had the bar set high for Petracca, and while his output has settled slightly he is still proving himself worthy of a spot in this list. The former Demon is one of only three players averaging 1.5 goals and 25+ disposals this year, keeping company with Isaac Heeney and Jordan Dawson. Damien Hardwick will be demanding a lot from his prize recruit as Gold Coast tries to get its season back on track, and if there's any one player capable of making the Suns hot again, it's Petracca.

The second-year Docker has played a key role in Fremantle pushing into premiership favouritism after a fantastic first half of 2026. Getting a chance in the midfield as well as forward, Reid is averaging 24 disposals this year and has kicked 10 goals (although he has kicked an inaccurate 10.15). He is equal 15th for average score involvements with 7.4, with his clever ball use and smart hands key features of a stunning second season.

There's a lot of 'all for one and one for all' in the Dockers’ progression this year, but the individual development of Shai Bolton can't be underestimated. The former Tiger was recruited to bring x-factor to Freo and he's providing it in spades, but there's also been a consistency to his performances as he's been handed more midfield time. A career-high disposal average hasn't stopped him from hitting the scoreboard, as well as sitting second in the league for goal assists and sixth for score involvements.

Being promoted to co-captain has only had a positive effect on Newcombe as he returns career-best numbers and leads the Hawthorn midfield through an inspirational example. There are few tougher competitors in the league, and no matter how hard he's hit in a contest, he's always there for the next one. And always there for the next game, only missing four since the start of the 2022 season. He's one of the biggest movers on this list and may well continue to climb.

After some less-than-typical outings this year, Andrews has been getting back to his best in a manner that reflects the form of his team, and expect both the skipper and the Lions to lift as the season progresses. A month ago, Andrews averaged 1.5 contested marks and 2.5 intercept marks a game, but over the past month those stats have risen to three and 3.75 respectively. It's hard to maintain a high level of excellence week after week, year after year, but it's even harder to keep a good man down.

In an up-and-down season for Brisbane, Neale has been one constant and looks well placed to win a fifth Lions' best and fairest award. He is above his career average for disposals (30.4) - no mean feat for a 33-year-old two-time Brownlow winner - and leads the league in centre clearances. Speculation over where he'll be playing next year doesn’t seem to be distracting Neale and we can expect him to throw everything into the second half of the season after Brisbane's round 15 bye.

Serong returned from a three-week layoff from a calf injury against Geelong to show why he's still rated among the best in the competition. While his stats didn't jump off the page - he had 22 disposals, four clearances and kicked a goal - Serong's reintroduction to Fremantle's midfield will go a long way towards the club's tilt at premiership glory. With a few more games under his belt, the reigning three-time Doig Medal winner is poised for a big second half of the season.

The Dockers spearhead shows no signs of slowing down in a career-best season. Treacy has kicked multiple goals in all but two games in 2026, taking his season tally to 34 to sit in the top group on the Coleman Medal leaderboard. The powerful key forward is also averaging career highs in disposals (13.6) and marks (7), while also laying 2.4 tackles per game. His combination with Jye Amiss and Pat Voss forms a potent attack that is hard to stop.

Aside from missing Geelong's round 15 loss to Fremantle through illness, Smith's sensational season has continued to roll along. Averaging a career-high 32.3 disposals (No.1 in the league) he's also tackling at a higher rate than ever before, showing it's not just one-way work for the flashy Brownlow fancy. Expect Smith to come out of the Cats' round 16 bye ready to assume the role as one of the most influential players in the run to September.

Holmes has become a model of consistency, failing to dip below 25 disposals through the opening 15 rounds and registering a career-high average of 29.2 touches. He also sits in the upper echelon of the league for rebound 50s, inside 50s and effective disposals, proving he uses the ball well and does it all over the ground. It's this elite level of sustained excellence that sees Holmes rated so highly both in and outside the walls of GMHBA Stadium.

The Wizard's magical run of form has him in pole position to win a maiden All-Australian blazer. Watson has not put a foot wrong so far in season 2026, kicking 36 goals to sit equal third on the Coleman Medal table. He has booted multiple majors in his past nine games, including another three in the win over Gold Coast last week. The 21-year-old also adds a spark in the midfield as well as showing off his trademark skills around the big sticks.

While Melbourne's season has caught many by surprise, Gawn's amazing output is something football followers have become used to. The bearded behemoth is averaging career-high disposals and looks a good chance to earn an amazing ninth All-Australian blazer, a new record. Arguably the most important player tied to their team's fortunes, Gawn's output is unlikely to drop as he tries to keep the Demons in top-four contention.

It's been an unusual year from Cameron so far. The reigning Coleman medalist is sitting second in this year's race, three goals behind Ben King and with an average just shy of three majors per game. His disposals and marks are also above his 2025 numbers, but they've dropped through the last four rounds as he's managed some injury concerns and, not surprisingly, the Cats' wins have fallen as well. All that goes to show just how influential Cameron is to his team's fortunes, something he's well aware of and will be desperate to fix after Geelong's round 16 bye.

Rising out of personal tragedy, Dawson's season is becoming one of legend as the Crows skipper takes not only his football, but also his leadership to new heights. Over the past month, he has averaged 25 disposals and eight tackles a game, but he's also hitting the scoreboard with better than two goals a week through June, and it's no coincidence that Adelaide hasn't lost since winter started. It is clear Dawson's teammates will follow him anywhere, and that may be a few weeks deeper into September than last year.

After missing four games through May, Wanganeen-Milera returned and was straight back to his best, earning coaches votes in rounds 13 and 14 and lifting his output with 32 disposals in both games. There's no doubt 'Nas' is going to be a major factor if the Saints are going to stay in finals contention, and he knows it, so expect the $2 million man to earn his money and climb the player ratings as we go deep into the season.

The Melbourne star has gone from electric forward to damaging midfielder this year to help the Demons to a fantastic first half of the year. Pickett's speed and power have been on show and his ability to elude opponents makes him one of the game's must-watch players. And while he is averaging career-highs for disposals (22.5), tackles (4.7) and clearances (4.7), he is still hitting the scoreboard, having kicked 22 goals in 15 games this year to ensure he is still doing plenty of damage in the front half.

Despite all the talk about his future, the Port Adelaide star is proving it is no distraction as he continues to play brilliantly for his undermanned side. Butters is another player averaging a career-high for disposals with 29.8 despite often getting opposition attention, while his trademark toughness has again been on show in 2026. After only kicking one goal last year, Butters is up to five this season, and it is undoubtedly an area of his game he will want to continue building to ensure he is matching it with the league's most damaging players.

The brilliant Docker has taken his game to another level this year, taking advantage of the changes to the ruck rules. Jackson has been superb in the ruck, as a forward and as a midfielder to lead Fremantle to a 13-1 record. Jackson is averaging career-highs for disposals (19.6), tackles (5.4), clearances (5.1) and goals (1.1), having kicked 15 majors in 14 games this season. His flexibility and dynamism makes him a key to Fremantle's flag push.

The 23-year-old is enjoying another extraordinary season, despite his side's middling record so far. Daicos is averaging career-highs for disposals (35.4), marks (4.9) and goals (1.1) as he looks to help the Magpies up the ladder at the business end of the campaign. His kicking has been off slightly, with his kicking efficiency at a career-low of 53.2 per cent, but he's getting more kicks than ever before and he is hitting the scoreboard more, having already booted 15 goals, well on track to beat his previous season high of 20.

Just like the Swans, Heeney is flying. Now a three-time All-Australian, Heeney is well on track for another blazer after a brilliant first half of the campaign. The midfielder is averaging career-highs for disposals (27.2), clearances (6.2) and tackles (5.3), while he continues to hit the scoreboard regularly. Heeney is already up to 23 goals this year (and a remarkably accurate 23.8 at that), and he is pushing hard for top spot in The 25.

The challengers for top spot continue to come, but the superstar Bulldog just keeps on keeping on. Bontempelli is enjoying yet another outstanding season as he looks to lead the Bulldogs back into finals. He has set a high standard and he continues to deliver, this season so far averaging 27.4 disposals (second highest of his career), 5.9 clearances and 4.5 tackles, while he has kicked 20 goals for the third straight season. His ability to impact all over the ground makes him one of the league's most dangerous players.