A QUICK game's a good game, and we've ripped the band-aid off and unveiled the top 10 players of the top 30 countdown.
Richmond champion Monique Conti has topped the charts after an incredible season seven, with the rankings based on last season's form.
Two 2022 Lions, two Crows and two Cats make the top 10, while one uniquely dangerous forward has broken through the midfield monopoly.
Read on to find out the bonus 31-33 ranking, and check back next week to have your say on who the best players in the AFLW competition are.
All statistical averages and goalkicking tallies used are inclusive of rounds 1-10, not finals.
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10. Emily Bates (Hawthorn, formerly Brisbane)
The former Lion queen backed up her AFLW best and fairest win in season six by topping Brisbane's count in season seven.
Her disposal average of 17.8 at 66.3 per cent efficiency was a little lower than some other top midfielders, also averaging 6.8 tackles and 4.3 clearances from her 10 home and away matches.
Bates' sheer running power makes her a difficult player to shut down for all four quarters, and she's a clean and smart user of the footy.
9. Alyce Parker (Greater Western Sydney)
The ever-dependable Parker was once again the main driver in the Giants' midfield, taking out yet another best and fairest for the club.
Powerful, tenacious and with arguably the best fend-off in the game, Parker finished equal-sixth in the AFLW best and fairest, having been the clear standout in all 10 Giants games.
Parker averaged 23.3 disposals at 66.5 per cent efficiency, 12.8 contested possessions, 5.6 clearances and kicked three goals.
8. Amy McDonald (Geelong)
McDonald has turned her unorthodox kicking action to her advantage, tidying up her disposal significantly in season seven to take her game to the next level.
The Cats best and fairest and All Australian reads a contest beautifully, identifying gaps and using her agility and speed to break through.
She averaged 25.0 disposals at 64.8 per cent efficiency, 15.4 contested possessions, 7.4 tackles, 7.1 clearances and 3.9 score involvements. She kicked one goal.
7. Kate Hore (Melbourne)
Hore is consistently raised as the player opposition sides find most difficult to match up on.
Few defenders can keep up with her both in the air and at ground level, and the new Melbourne skipper can also float back to provide a steadying hand when required.
The All-Australian won Melbourne's best and fairest, averaging 14.0 disposals at 63.6 per cent efficiency, 3.0 marks, 5.2 score involvements and kicked 16.11 from her 10 home-and-away games.
6. Georgie Prespakis (Geelong)
The younger Prespakis thrived in her second season, proving to be a near-unstoppable force around the contest.
Described as a "nightmare" match-up by an opposition coach due to her mix of endurance, speed and pure ball-winning ability, All-Australian Prespakis played eight of 10 games due to suspension, finishing equal-sixth in the AFLW best and fairest and equal-second in the AFLCA vote.
She averaged 22.8 disposals at an astonishing 75.3 per cent efficiency (better than nearly all half-backs, let alone midfielders), 7.8 tackles and 6.0 clearances, kicking two goals.
5. Ally Anderson (Brisbane)
Anderson had a superbly consistent season, winning the AFLW best and fairest but finishing second in Brisbane's own count.
She fell just short of an All-Australian berth amid a tough midfield and finished 11th in the AFLCA votes, but her speed, agility and endurance were all key in the Lions' charge to yet another Grand Final.
Anderson averaged 22.6 disposals at 54.4 per cent efficiency, 5.1 tackles, 5.2 clearances and 3.6 score involvements, kicking two goals.
4. Anne Hatchard (Adelaide)
'Hatchy' just keeps on keeping on. The Adelaide ball-winner is indefatigable each and every year, and season seven was no exception.
A difficult opponent due to her height and endurance, Hatchard averaged 24.2 disposals at 55.8 per cent efficiency, 14.0 contested possessions, 5.3 tackles and 4.6 clearances.
The All-Australian won Adelaide's best and fairest and kicked four goals in the home and away season.
3. Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide)
Hatchard's partner in crime, Marinoff is a superb clearance player with a booming kick, having added considerable strings to her bow from the early days of tackle queen.
Marinoff finished second in Adelaide's best and fairest behind Hatchard and caught the eye of the umpires, recording a third-place finish in the AFLW best and fairest.
She averaged 26.5 disposals at 54.3 per cent efficiency, 14.0 contested possessions, 9.3 tackles and 5.1 clearances. She kicked two goals.
2. Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
No top 30 count is complete without Jasmine Garner, with this author infamously slotting her in at 29 back in 2020 just before she blossomed into a superstar.
The tall midfielder is arguably the best field mark in the competition, and can take a game by the scruff of its neck and turn it on its head.
Garner won North Melbourne's best and fairest, was named All-Australian captain and won the AFLCA votes, but once again, umpires votes mysteriously eluded her, not making the top 10 of the AFLW best and fairest.
She averaged 22.7 disposals at 70.0 per cent efficiency, 5.2 clearances, 4.1 tackles and kicked 6.2 from her home-and-away season.
1. Monique Conti (Richmond)
Conti was simply outstanding in season seven, and her consistency across the 10 home-and-away rounds puts her just ahead of Garner in first.
The silky Tigers midfielder averaged 21.7 disposals at 62.7 per cent efficiency, 12.4 contested possessions, 6.2 tackles and 3.9 clearances.
She added goalkicking to her repertoire in season seven, booting 8.7 in the home-and-away season, comfortably the most of the midfielders in the top 10.
Conti was runners up in the AFLW best and fairest and the AFLCA votes, and won both Richmond's count and the AFLPA MVP.
And the unlucky three…
When deciding the top 30, I started with a squad of around 45 names. I managed to cut down 12 names fairly easily, but the final three stumped me. In 33rd, Adelaide defender Sarah Allan, who started her season seven fairly slowly by her high standards, costing her in the end. In 32nd, the evergreen Paxy Paxman, who was just a step behind some of the other distributers to make the 30. And in 31st, the one I ruminated on for a week, Chloe Molloy.
If pressed, you could comfortably make a 30 purely of midfielders and a couple of forwards, like the AFLW best and fairest or in the men's competition, the Brownlow Medal. But that's not a true representation of the competition, so I make a concerted effort to include defenders and rucks.
Molloy was just squeezed out. She can be a genuine match-winner, but in five of her 10 home-and-away games, was either scoreless or kicked just one behind.
Your turn
I've lost track of just how many top 30s I've done – I think this is my fifth? But what's been a constant feature is how it's prompted others to share their own opinions as to the comp's best players. It's impossible to get a "right" 30, as it's all based on opinion.
This year, for the first time in Top 30 history, fans will have a chance to create their own list of top players. Check back early next week to find out how you can have your say.
THE COUNT SO FAR…
30 Alice Edmonds
29 Mimi Hill
28 Breann Moody
27 Breanna Koenen
26 Emma Swanson
25 Chelsea Randall
24 Chloe Scheer
23 Chelsea Biddell
22 Eilish Sheerin
21 Emma Kearney
20 Greta Bodey
19 Charlie Rowbottom
18 Ellie Blackburn
17 Tayla Harris
16 Liv Purcell
15 Jesse Wardlaw
14 Kiara Bowers
13 Tyla Hanks
12 Nat Grider
11 Maddy Prespakis
10 Emily Bates
9 Alyce Parker
8 Amy McDonald
7 Kate Hore
6 Georgie Prespakis
5 Ally Anderson
4 Anne Hatchard
3 Ebony Marinoff
2 Jasmine Garner
1 Monique Conti
SARAH BLACK'S TOP 30 Players 30-21
SARAH BLACK'S TOP 30 Players 20-11
