{"id":485486,"date":"2026-02-17T09:49:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T09:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/485486\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T09:49:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T09:49:12","slug":"kane-cornes-top-50-afl-players-veteran-champions-patrick-cripps-christian-petracca-and-tom-stewart-deleted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/485486\/","title":{"rendered":"Kane Cornes\u2019 top-50 AFL players: Veteran champions Patrick Cripps, Christian Petracca and Tom Stewart deleted"},"content":{"rendered":"

There has been a massive changing guard of in Kane Cornes\u2019 top-50 AFL players<\/a> with three much-loved champions suddenly finding themselves completely off the list.<\/p>\n

The highly anticipated rankings always sparks debate<\/a>, and this year the removal of dual Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps, Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca, and five-time All-Australian Tom Stewart is certain to set tongues wagging.<\/p>\n

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Kane Cornes crowns Sam Darcy as AFL\u2019s No.1 player.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

In the case of Petracca and Cripps, it is a wild fall with both stars entrenched in Cornes\u2019 top 10 last year.<\/p>\n

After winning his second Brownlow in 2024 with a record amount of votes, Cripps appeared in 2025\u2019s edition at No.6.<\/p>\n

And Petracca, who finished runner-up in Melbourne\u2019s B&F last year before his move to Gold Coast, came in at No.5.<\/p>\n

\"ChristianChristian Petracca needs a big year at his new club if he wants to get back into the top 50. Credit: Getty<\/p>\n

Geelong\u2019s decorated defender, Stewart, was also ranked highly in 2025, locked in at No.14.<\/p>\n

But now that trio have been erased as Cornes rewrites the order and ushers in the new faces.<\/p>\n

The omission of Cripps, Carlton\u2019s champion captain, certainly tormented the Port Adelaide great.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought long and hard about that one,\u201d Cornes admitted to 7NEWS.com.au.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really tried hard to find a way to get him in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cornes said Cripps was \u201cprobably unlucky\u201d but part of the problem was that he was a \u201cone-paced\u201d midfielder.<\/p>\n

He said after years of his body being used as a battering ram at Carlton, Cripps had lost some of his \u201cexplosiveness\u201d out of the middle of the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he doesn\u2019t hurt you by foot like he used to,\u201d Cornes said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBall use\u201d is also the problem for Petracca …. a big problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a fair fall from grace (from top five to outside the top 50) but the lack of damage by foot really hurts him,\u201d Cornes told 7NEWS.com.au.<\/p>\n

With Petracca now at Gold Coast after his Melbourne exit, Cornes concedes the 30-year-old could easily find his way back into his top 50 next year.<\/p>\n

But he\u2019s not being bluffed by Petracca\u2019s runner-up finish in Melbourne\u2019s B&F last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe also played in a pretty ordinary team last year and that\u2019s hurt him as well,\u201d Cornes said.<\/p>\n

As for Stewart, Cornes said the 32-year-old was simply below his best in 2025 as he battled injury and struggled with forward taggers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s getting older and he\u2019s struggled slightly with teams coming after him,\u201d Cornes said<\/p>\n

\u201cSo he just hasn\u2019t been quite as effective due to opposition tactics, due to injury and just getting a bit older.\u201d<\/p>\n

GWS forward Jesse Hogan is another player who was ranked highly last year (11th overall) and is now nowhere on the list.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just didn\u2019t play enough last year, and when he did he didn\u2019t look that comfortable out there,\u201d Cornes said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s plenty of young forwards as well that are just moving ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

North Melbourne fans will undoubtedly note that young gun Harry Sheezel has also disappeared from the list (he was No.28 last year).<\/p>\n

\"HarryHarry Sheezel gets a lot of the footy but he needs to be more damaging, says Kane Cornes. Credit: Daniel Pockett<\/p>\n

Cornes sparked an AFL storm last year when he coined the term \u2018Sheezey Ball\u2019 on Channel 7\u2019s hit show The Agenda Setters<\/a> in reference to Sheezel winning easy possessions and \u201cstat-padding\u201d without being influential on a game.<\/p>\n

Cornes said he has nothing against Sheezel and insisted he \u201cliked him as a player\u201d.<\/p>\n

But the AFL expert points to score involvements and says Sheezel is marked down because he doesn\u2019t hurt opposition where it counts.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gets a lot of a lot of disposals but he needs to be more damaging with the ball,\u201d Cornes said.<\/p>\n

Others who have fallen outside the top 50 from last year include Hawthorn pair James Sicily and Will Day, Sydney\u2019s Tom Papley, and Carlton\u2019s Jacob Weitering.<\/p>\n

Kane\u2019s top-50 AFL players ahead of the 2026 season<\/p>\n

50. Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs)<\/p>\n

49. Sam Walsh (Carlton)<\/p>\n

48. Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs)<\/p>\n

47. Dayne Zorko (Brisbane Lions)<\/p>\n

46. Mitch Georgiades (Port Adelaide)<\/p>\n

45. Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)<\/p>\n

44. Josh Treacy (Fremantle)<\/p>\n

43. Zac Bailey (Brisbane Lions)<\/p>\n

42. Bailey Smith (Geelong)<\/p>\n

41. Jordan Clark (Fremantle)<\/p>\n

40. Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs)<\/p>\n

39. Jason Horne-Francis (Port Adelaide)<\/p>\n

38. Jaspa Fletcher (Brisbane Lions)<\/p>\n

37. Toby Greene (GWS Giants)<\/p>\n

36. Charlie Curnow (Sydney)<\/p>\n

35. Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)<\/p>\n

34. Josh Dunkley (Brisbane Lions)<\/p>\n

33. Tom Green (GWS Giants)<\/p>\n

32. Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)<\/p>\n

31. Dylan Moore (Hawthorn)<\/p>\n

30. Lachie Neale (Brisbane Lions)<\/p>\n

29. Nick Blakey (Sydney)<\/p>\n

28. Zach Merrett (Essendon)<\/p>\n

27. Jack Gunston (Hawthorn)<\/p>\n

26. Hayden Young (Fremantle)<\/p>\n

25. Jai Newcombe (Hawthorn)<\/p>\n

24. Nick Larkey (North Melbourne)<\/p>\n

23. Chad Warner (Sydney)<\/p>\n

22. Finn Callaghan (GWS Giants)<\/p>\n

21. Izak Rankine (Adelaide)<\/p>\n

20. Max Holmes (Geelong)<\/p>\n

19. Jordan Dawson (Adelaide)<\/p>\n

18. Sam Taylor (GWS Giants)<\/p>\n

17. Caleb Serong (Fremantle)<\/p>\n

16. Riley Thilthorpe (Adelaide)<\/p>\n

15. Errol Gulden (Sydney)<\/p>\n

14. Max Gawn (Melbourne)<\/p>\n

13. Ed Richards (Western Bulldogs)<\/p>\n

12. Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne)<\/p>\n

11. Matt Rowell (Gold Coast Suns)<\/p>\n

What Kane says about his top-10 guns<\/p>\n

10. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (St Kilda)<\/p>\n

Wanganeen-Milera rounds out the top 10 after a historic 2025 campaign where he claimed his maiden best and fairest and All-Australian honours at just 22 years of age. The move from half-back to the midfield was genius and his Round 20 match-winning heroics was legendary.<\/p>\n

9. Harris Andrews (Brisbane Lions)<\/p>\n

The three-time All-Australian takes the No.9 spot as the game\u2019s premier key defender. Could have easily won the Norm Smith and his finals series was as good as it gets.<\/p>\n

8. Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane Lions)<\/p>\n

The new Brisbane captain was a statistical powerhouse last year, ranking in the league\u2019s top five for score involvements, inside-50s, and total clearances and finally earning his first All-Australian blazer. He\u2019s a beautifully balanced and versatile midfielder.<\/p>\n

7. Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)<\/p>\n

The All-Australian captain is fresh off a monster 80-plus goal season and is still the AFL\u2019s best and most damaging key forward.<\/p>\n

6. Isaac Heeney (Sydney)<\/p>\n

Heeney is the league\u2019s most dangerous dual-threat, winning a second best and fairest and a third All-Australian blazer in 2025. Heeney is one of the league\u2019s most clutch performers.<\/p>\n

5. Noah Anderson (Gold Coast Suns)<\/p>\n

Anderson breaks into the top five after a career-defining season where he claimed the AFL Coaches Award and captained the Gold Coast Suns to their first finals series. He is a beautiful hybrid midfielder who is as comfortable winning the ball on the inside as he is cutting up the opposition in open space.<\/p>\n

4. Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)<\/p>\n

Butters averaged career-high numbers in 2025 and solidified himself as a top-five player. He is a fearless, high-impact players who has elite skill and ball-winning ability. The free-agent is set to sign the AFL\u2019s biggest contract.<\/p>\n

3. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)<\/p>\n

Bontempelli maintains his top-three standing through unparalleled versatility, coming off a 2025 season where he earned a record seventh All-Australian blazer and ranked second in the league for goal assists. The Bont combines elite clearance work and more damage per possession that no other player can match.<\/p>\n

2. Nick Daicos (Collingwood)<\/p>\n

Daicos cements elite offensive production is showing no signs of letting up, averaging over 30 touches per game for the third consecutive season. Daicos combines high-volume ball-winning with elite scoreboard impact and metres-gained, even though he receives more opposition attention than any other player.<\/p>\n

1. Sam Darcy (Western Bulldogs)<\/p>\n

Darcy\u2019s rare combination of 208cm height, elite mobility, refined foot skills and insane competitiveness makes him the league\u2019s most dominant prospect since Wayne Carey. Ranked No.1 in the league for contested marks per game last season, and if his body stays sound 80-plus goals is not out of the question.<\/p>\n

Click here to see Kane\u2019s 2025 top-50 players<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Two clubs brutally snubbed, Collingwood stars left out in the cold<\/p>\n

5 min read<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Nick Daicos ousted as new No.1 steals AFL crown<\/p>\n

4 min read<\/p>\n

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