Who finished where? Check out the complete 2015 AFL Players' Top 50
1. Gary Ablett
Gold Coast
Midfielder
Last year's ranking: 1 (no change)
Official AFL Player Rating: 1
Debut: 2002
Games: 268
NAB AFL Fantasy value: $675,000
Aren't we all surprised at this result? No, we're not.
Ablett is still the most complete midfielder in the game.
That the Suns went south after his late-season shoulder injury in 2014 underlined his importance to the young team. Ablett was firing pre-injury and appeared on track to collect his third Brownlow Medal (he finished equal-second with 22 votes, despite missing seven matches and noting Nat Fyfe's ineligibility).
He had 10 games with 30-plus disposals and led the AFL for average contested possessions and clearances. His 38-touch, three-goal effort in the Suns' win over the Brisbane Lions at Metricon Stadium in round three was a warning of what was to come.
Ablett has been the best in the business for a while now. Here's a quick snapshot of why:
• He's incredibly strong, evasive and rarely loses his feet.
• He has clean hands, is hardly ever rushed and almost always uses the ball to his team's advantage.
• He is always in control of a situation, having an influence on – if not controlling – the outcome of every contest he's involved in.
• He can go forward and kick goals – who can't see him becoming a permanent small forward in the latter part of his career?
• He prepares himself meticulously, with his pre- and post-game routines and attention to detail with diet and rehabilitation the talk and envy of other players.
Need any more evidence of the 30-year-old's status? A staggering 75 per cent of the players who voted in this year's top 50 survey had Ablett as their No. 1.
There you go.
Who finished where? Check out the complete 2015 AFL Players' Top 50
