Arguably the most important line of your AFL Supercoach 2023 team is the midfield.
This where you select the most players for any position and also where you will generate the most points.
Your captain selection will also most likely come from this crop of players the majority of the time.
The Sporting News looks at the prices of the AFL midfielders and analyses the questions you want answered.
Top 20 Premium Midfielder Prices
| Name | Club | 2022 Avg. | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rory Laird | Adelaide | 127.8 | $703,900 |
| Clayton Oliver | Melbourne | 127.1 | $699,800 |
| Lachie Neale | Brisbane | 122.8 | $676,700 |
| Touk Miller | Gold Coast | 120.3 | $662,400 |
| Callum Mills | Sydney | 116.7 | $642,400 |
| Marcus Bontempelli | Western Bulldogs | 116.1 | $639,500 |
| Jack Macrae | Western Bulldogs | 115.2 | $634,400 |
| Christian Petracca | Melbourne | 112.4 | $618,600 |
| Zach Merrett | Essendon | 112.2 | $617.500 |
| Andrew Brayshaw | Fremantle | 111.9 | $615.600 |
| George Hewett | Carlton | 111.4 | $613,300 |
| Patrick Cripps | Carlton | 111.1 | $611,900 |
| Sam Walsh | Carlton | 111.0 | $610,900 |
| Darcy Parish | Essendon | 110.9 | $610,800 |
| Jack Steele | St Kilda | 109.8 | $604,400 |
| Josh Dunkley (FWD) | Brisbane | 108.3 | $596,400 |
| Josh Kelly | GWS | 105.8 | $582,300 |
| Ollie Wines | Port Adelaide | 105.5 | $580,700 |
| Travis Boak | Port Adelaide | 105.4 | $580,200 |
| Tom Liberatore | Western Bulldogs | 104.8 | $576,700 |
Hands up if you ever thought Rory Laird would ever be the top Supercoach midfielder when he was a good defender a couple of years ago?
While $700k is probably a bit too much for the Adelaide gun, he certainly must figure in your thoughts.
There is an awful lot of quality midfielders priced in the $600k-plus range, so it will be a tough choice out of the likes of Clayton Oliver, Lachie Neale, Touk Miller, Callum Mills, Jack Macrae and Marcus Bontempelli.
Some of the cheaper options in the top echelon loom as possible value picks, including Andrew Brayshaw, who you would expect to get better in 2023.
Jack Steele has also fallen in price after averaging 122.5 (2020) and 126 (2021) before a 109.8 in 2022.
Once he recovers from injury, Carlton star Sam Walsh is another who could continue his improvement, while Josh Dunkley might average more with extra midfield time at Brisbane.
Cheaper/Bargain/Mid-Priced Midfielder Options
| Name | Club | 2022 Avg. | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Parker | Sydney | 103.9 | $572,100 |
| Brad Crouch | St Kilda | 103.7 | $571,000 |
| Hugh McCluggage | Brisbane | 103.7 | $570,800 |
| Tom Green | GWS | 97.1 | $534,600 |
| Tom Mitchell | Collingwood | 96.0 | $528,600 |
| Connor Rozee (FWD) | Port Adelaide | 93.3 | $513,800 |
| Tim Taranto (FWD) | Richmond | 91.4 | $503,100 |
| Dustin Martin (FWD) | Richmond | 87.3 | $480,400 |
| Ben Cunnington (FWD) | North Melbourne | 49.5 | $419,000 |
| Jason Horne-Francis (FWD) | Port Adelaide | 63.4 | $348,800 |
| Jacob Hopper | Richmond | 67.0 | $332,000 |
| Dom Sheed | West Coast | 67.0 | $332,000 |
| Nat Fyfe (FWD) | Fremantle | 63.3 | $313,600 |
There is some tasty options at around the $300k mark, including Fremantle Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe, new Richmond signing Jacob Hopper and West Coast on-baller Dom Sheed.
Another new Tiger pick-up Tim Taranto could be another to become a top 20 Supercoach midfielder in 2023 with a new lease of life at Punt Rd.
Continuing with the Richmond theme, Dustin Martin is priced intriguingly, but only if he gets a little more time up in the midfield.
Port Adelaide talent Connor Rozee had a breakout second-half of the season and is a good candidate to one of the top midfielders this season.
You can expect solid scores from seasoned midfielders Luke Parker and Brad Crouch, while Hugh McCluggage is one with an unknown ceiling.
Tom Mitchell is also quite cheap but will he excel in a new environment at Collingwood?
Rookie Midfielder Options
Check out our guide to AFL Supercoach rookies in 2023: AFL Supercoach 2023: Rookies, cash cows and cheapies to keep an eye on