2. Nat Fyfe
Fremantle
Midfielder
Last year's ranking: 7 (+5)
Official AFL Player Rating: 9
Debut: 2010
Games: 92
NAB AFL Fantasy value: $579,000

Many believe Fyfe has all the tools to become the competition's best player.

In fact, nine per cent of the players who voted in this year's top 50 nominated the exciting shaggy-haired Freo Docker as the game's No. 1 player.

Fyfe is a star: he can mark brilliantly, thrives in contests, is a genuine playmaker who uses the ball creatively, reads the play superbly, knows where the goals are and covers the ground well.

His one weakness is his sometimes-sloppy kicking, an area he continues to work on.

In a warning to the rest of the competition, Fyfe believes he has scope for further improvement.

"I want to be a more explosive player in the midfield," he told AFL.com.au pre-season.

"I've put on a couple of kilos and really progressed from last year."

The 23-year-old was brilliant last season, capping the year with his second straight club best and fairest award, All Australian selection and the AFL Players' Association MVP award.

Although ineligible because of suspension, he polled 25 votes to lead all Freo Dockers in Brownlow Medal equations, one vote shy of winner Matt Priddis.

Fyfe was equal second in the AFL for contested possessions, led the club for loose-ball gets, was second for hard-ball gets and handballs and third for contested marks. He kicked 24 goals, third-best for Freo.

Fyfe had an eventful end to the 2014 season, hurting his shoulder in a warm-up game for the International Rules Series against Ireland. The injury required surgery and he was forced to miss Australia’s Test win in Perth.

He was elevated to Fremantle's leadership group in the off-season and represented the club at the annual captains' day and season launch in Melbourne this week in skipper Matthew Pavlich’s absence. Fyfe strained his hamstring at training mid-February but performed brilliantly against West Coast in the final NAB Challenge match last weekend.