2023 AFL Player Ratings for Round 16

Stats Insider's AFL Player Ratings have been updated as we head into a massive Round 16 of the 2023 AFL season.

Here, we try to answer one of the most highly debated questions, discussed across pubs, footy ovals, and online forums: who is the best player in the AFL?

Scroll down to check out Stats Insider's latest AFL Player Ratings, sorted by position, and their overall standing across the competition.

MORE: 2023 AFL Player Ratings

AFL Player Ratings: Key Defenders

1. Darcy Moore (Collingwood)

2. Harris Andrews (Brisbane)

3. Steven May (Melbourne)

4. Jacob Weitering (Carlton)

5. Callum Wilkie (St Kilda)

For the second week in a row, there has been no change to the personnel or order of the top five key defenders in the AFL. The two players who are closest to cracking this list are Sam Taylor of GWS and Jake Lever from Melbourne.

AFL Player Ratings: General Defenders

1. Nick Daicos (Collingwood)

2. Jack Sinclair (St Kilda)

3. James Sicily (Hawthorn)

4. Jordan Dawson (Adelaide)

5. Tom Stewart (Geelong)

As for general defenders, the top four remained the exact same, while Geelong's Tom Stewart jumped Port Adelaide's Dan Houston to be ranked fifth.

Stewart and Houston are currently ranked 36th and 37th in the competition overall, respectively, with that fifth general defender spot likely to swap a few more times this season.

AFL Player Ratings: Midfielders

1. Clayton Oliver (Melbourne) & Christian Petracca (Melbourne)

2. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)

3. Lachie Neale (Brisbane)

4. Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)

Top place for the midfielders (and the entire league) has gone from a three-way tie to a two-way tie, with Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli slipping just behind the Melbourne duo of Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca.

Zak Butters currently rounds out the top five, with Zach Merrett the closest to catching him, with their two teams, Port Adelaide and Essendon, set to meet this week.

AFL Player Ratings: Rucks

1. Jarrod Witts (Gold Coast)

2. Tim English (Western Bulldogs)

3. Sean Darcy (Fremantle)

4. Max Gawn (Melbourne)

5. Rowan Marshall (St Kilda)

The top five ruckmen in the AFL have not changed this week, with the next closest being Brisbane's Oscar McInerney, who is a notable 33 places behind Rowan Marshall on the overall rankings.

AFL Player Ratings: Key Forwards

1. Taylor Walker (Adelaide)

2. Charlie Curnow (Carlton)

3. Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)

4. Tom Hawkins (Geelong)

5. Jeremy Finlayson (Port Adelaide)

In one of the biggest moves of the week, Adelaide's Taylor Walker has become the number one key forward in the AFL after his five-goal effort against Collingwood on Sunday.

Two Geelong players, Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins, occupy third and fourth place, with the former set to miss at least the next week due to a concussion.

AFL Player Ratings: General Forwards

1. Toby Greene (GWS)

2. Isaac Heeney (Sydney)

3. Jake Stringer (Essendon)

4. Charlie Cameron (Brisbane)

5. Zac Bailey (Brisbane)

As for general forwards, Isaac Heeney jumped Jake Stringer after kicking 5.4 from 22 disposals against West Coast on Saturday.

The other major change for general forwards saw Zac Bailey become the second Brisbane player to crack the top five, overtaking Dustin Martin for fifth spot. 

AFL Player Ratings: Overall

1. Clayton Oliver (Melbourne) & Christian Petracca (Melbourne)

2. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)

3. Lachie Neale (Brisbane) 

4. Nick Daicos (Collingwood)

5. Jack Sinclair (St Kilda)

6. Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)

7. Zach Merrett (Essendon)

8. James Sicily (Hawthorn)

9. Darcy Moore (Collingwood)

How We Rank Every AFL Player

Ranking every player in the AFL is an arduous task, but we tackle this challenge with a systematic and data-driven approach.

By conducting a meticulous examination, we take into account various factors such as match reports, coaches votes, and AFL media votes. This comprehensive approach enables us to identify players who have made notable contributions in each game. Additionally, in order to accurately evaluate every AFL player, we employ a distinct scoring methodology similar to AFL SuperCoach.

Our main goal is to provide the most accurate player ratings in the AFL. We are dedicated to recognising each player's deserving accolades based on their performance on the field, regardless of their fame as superstars or their status as underrated contributors. Through our diligent endeavors, we aim to give every player in the league the recognition they are entitled to.

(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)