Kane Cornes' AFL Top 50 Rankings Undergo Major Overhaul
In a stunning development, Kane Cornes has released his highly anticipated top 50 AFL players list for the upcoming 2026 season, featuring a dramatic changing of the guard that has sent shockwaves through the football community. Three revered champions—dual Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps, Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca, and five-time All-Australian Tom Stewart—have been completely omitted from the rankings, marking a significant shift in Cornes' annual assessment.
High-Profile Omissions Spark Intense Debate
The removal of these elite players is certain to ignite widespread discussion among fans and analysts alike. Cripps, who secured his second Brownlow Medal in 2024 with a record vote tally, was positioned at number six in Cornes' 2025 rankings. Petracca, following his runner-up finish in Melbourne's best and fairest award before his high-profile move to the Gold Coast Suns, held the number five spot. Meanwhile, Geelong's decorated defender Stewart was firmly entrenched at number fourteen last year.
Cornes acknowledged the difficulty of these decisions, particularly regarding Cripps, Carlton's champion captain. "I thought long and hard about that one," Cornes admitted to 7NEWS.com.au. "I really tried hard to find a way to get him in." He described Cripps as "probably unlucky" but pointed to concerns about the midfielder being "one-paced" and having lost some "explosiveness" after years of physical toll at Carlton. "And he doesn't hurt you by foot like he used to," Cornes added.
Performance Concerns Drive the Fall from Grace
For Petracca, Cornes highlighted ball use as a critical issue. "It's a fair fall from grace (from top five to outside the top 50) but the lack of damage by foot really hurts him," Cornes explained. While conceding that Petracca could potentially return to the list next year following his transition to Gold Coast, Cornes noted that the player's runner-up finish in Melbourne's best and fairest occurred in "a pretty ordinary team last year and that's hurt him as well."
Regarding Stewart, Cornes attributed the defender's exclusion to a combination of factors including age, injury struggles, and difficulties with forward taggers in 2025. "He's getting older and he's struggled slightly with teams coming after him," Cornes said. "So he just hasn't been quite as effective due to opposition tactics, due to injury and just getting a bit older."
Additional Notable Exclusions from the List
The reshuffle extends beyond these three stars. GWS forward Jesse Hogan, ranked eleventh overall last year, has also disappeared from the rankings. Cornes cited insufficient playing time and lack of comfort on the field as reasons for Hogan's omission. "There's plenty of young forwards as well that are just moving ahead of him," Cornes noted.
North Melbourne's young gun Harry Sheezel, previously at number twenty-eight, is another notable absence. Cornes, who previously coined the term 'Sheezey Ball' to describe what he perceived as stat-padding without game influence, emphasized that he "liked him as a player" but pointed to score involvements as a key metric. "He gets a lot of a lot of disposals but he needs to be more damaging with the ball," Cornes asserted.
Other players falling outside the top 50 from last year's list include Hawthorn pair James Sicily and Will Day, Sydney's Tom Papley, and Carlton's Jacob Weitering.
Introducing the New Top 50 Contenders
As Cornes rewrites the order, new faces emerge to fill the void. The list begins with Western Bulldogs' Aaron Naughton at number fifty and progresses through notable names such as Sam Walsh, Tom Liberatore, and Dayne Zorko. The rankings feature a mix of established stars and rising talents, reflecting the evolving landscape of the AFL.
Cornes' Elite Top 10 Players for 2026
The top ten showcases the league's premier performers, with detailed insights from Cornes on each selection:
- Sam Darcy (Western Bulldogs): Cornes praises Darcy's rare combination of height, mobility, foot skills, and competitiveness, calling him the league's most dominant prospect since Wayne Carey.
- Nick Daicos (Collingwood): Daicos maintains elite offensive production with high-volume ball-winning and scoreboard impact despite heavy opposition attention.
- Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs): Bontempelli's versatility and damage per possession keep him in the top three, with a record seventh All-Australian blazer in 2025.
- Zak Butters (Port Adelaide): Butters solidified his top-five status with career-high averages, described as a fearless, high-impact player with elite skill.
- Noah Anderson (Gold Coast Suns): Anderson breaks into the top five after a career-defining season, leading Gold Coast to their first finals series.
- Isaac Heeney (Sydney): Heeney is highlighted as the league's most dangerous dual-threat and clutch performer.
- Jeremy Cameron (Geelong): Cameron remains the AFL's best key forward after an 80-plus goal season.
- Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane Lions): The new Brisbane captain was a statistical powerhouse, ranking top five in multiple key categories.
- Harris Andrews (Brisbane Lions): Andrews is recognized as the game's premier key defender with a stellar finals series.
- Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (St Kilda): Wanganeen-Milera rounds out the top ten after a historic 2025 campaign, transitioning successfully from half-back to midfield.
This comprehensive overhaul of Kane Cornes' top 50 AFL players list underscores the dynamic nature of the sport, where past accolades must continually be validated by current performance. The exclusion of established champions in favor of emerging talent sets the stage for a compelling 2026 season, with players now having clear benchmarks to aim for as they seek to prove their worth on football's biggest stage.
