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On an evening of somewhat surprising selections – 28-year-old Shaun Mannagh winning the coaches’ best “young player” of 2025, and the captain of the all-Australian team professing surprise since he’d never captained anything – the bench for the official team of the year was notable for two illustrious names.

It was understandable that Marcus Bontempelli was named on the bench for the All-Australian team, given he missed the first five matches of 2025. It is a tribute to the Bont’s talents and drive that he still made the 22.

Less defensible was the selection of Nick Daicos on the bench, in a season in which the Collingwood prodigy was named as the players’ choice as most valuable player. One wonders why the All-Australian selectors weren’t given a heads-up that Daicos would be on the podium for the Leigh Matthews Trophy.

Nick Daicos took home the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFLPA MVP for 2025. Could the Brownlow be next?Credit: AFL Photos

In assessing the top 30 AFL players, I’ve stuck with the tandem of Bontempelli and the younger Daicos, in that order, as the competition’s best pair during 2025.

They narrowly eclipse Sydney’s super match-winner Isaac Heeney (No.3), and Geelong’s nonchalant goal-kicking savant Jeremy Cameron, who retains a longshot shot at becoming the first century goalkicker since Lance Franklin’s apogee at Hawthorn 17 years ago.

These top-30 players have been ranked, again, based on a two-year cycle –........

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