It wasn’t long ago that spots in the midfield were highly sought after but difficult to grasp. These days, with each side desperate to constantly improve its midfield depth, there are plenty of chances to play on the ball. With players being given more opportunities in the middle, we’ve seen a number of youngsters develop incredibly quickly in 2013.

As the quality of midfield depth has improved at each club, it’s also increased throughout the competition. In what was an extremely difficult task, a Players’ Association panel recently identified the competition’s best 14 young midfielders. Of those, fans can vote on the final seven to be selected for the inaugural 22under22 team, which recognises the best 22 players aged 22 and under for the entire AFL season.

The 14 selected illustrate the fact modern midfielders now come in all shapes and sizes, whether they’re playing inside or outside the contest – or both.

As far as pure inside midfielders go, Tom Liberatore, Ollie Wines, Dion Prestia and Tom Mitchell have exceeded all expectations in 2013.

Statistically, Liberatore is the standout – he leads the league in clearances and centre clearances, and ranks third for contested possessions. Sydney’s Mitchell – another father-son recruit – hasn’t missed a match since debuting in Round 10 against the Bombers, averaging 21 touches and a goal per game. Wines’ biggest strength to date has been his durability – he has played every match in his debut season and is averaging 19 possessions per game. Prestia – now in his third season at the Suns – has taken longer to come on, but is now one of Gold Coast’s most important midfielders. The 175cm nugget midfielder is averaging 25 possessions, four clearances and four tackles this year.

Impressive as Prestia has been, it’s been one of his teammates who has stolen the limelight at the Suns. 19year old Jaeger O’Meara has taken the footy world by storm; former-Bomber great Tim Watson even declared O’Meara might finish his career the best midfielder of all time. O’Meara scoffed at the suggestions, which makes him either wise or modest – either way, he’s a beauty. The dashing Sun has played every game this season, averaging 21 disposals and four clearances per match.

Considering the esteem in which O’Meara is held, it’s amazing to think there may be another young midfielder more highly regarded – but Swan Daniel Hannebery certainly comes close. He was one of his side’s best in last year’s Grand Final and has backed it up with a stunning 2013 campaign, which some believe may put him in contention for this year’s Brownlow Medal.

Fremantle’s Nathan Fyfe is another expected to poll well on Brownlow night. The tough midfielder averaged more votes per game than any other player last season, and in 2013 has had his most impressive season to date. The 21 year old Docker is averaging 26 possessions and six clearances per game, and has been one of Fremantle’s best players in its push towards a top-four finish. If his ability to win clearances, rack up possessions and glide across packs to take contested marks doesn’t win the umpire’s attention, his glorious mane of hair certainly will.

189cm Bomber Dyson Heppell is another youngster rocking the ‘surfie’ look to great effect. While his blonde locks are the subject of much conversation, Heppell has always let his footy do the talking. He has barely put a foot wrong since winning the Rising Star award in his first season. This year he has averaged 25 touches a match, even as he’s become a target for opposition taggers.

It’s easy to forget Luke Parker and Mitch Duncan are eligible for a spot in the 22under22 side, as they’ve accomplished so much already in their short careers. Both are premiership players, and will play crucial roles in their team’s fight for another Grand Final win this September.

While Greater Western Sydney mightn’t feature in September for a few years yet, the Giants would be extremely pleased with Adam Treloar’s development. The young midfielder has averaged 24 disposals this season and was instrumental in his side’s first win of the season, notching up 30 disposals in the Round 19 victory against Melbourne.

Kangaroos Jack Ziebell and Ben Cunnington have continued to develop in what has been a tough year for North Melbourne supporters. Their strength and explosiveness around the ball promises to play a major role in the Roos’ midfield for years to come.

Though Jack Redden mightn’t be blessed with quite the same amount of talent as some others on this list, he’s one of the game’s toughest and hardest workers. The 22 year old Lion is ranked third in the league for tackles and has played a major role in Brisbane’s resurgence in the second half of the season.

While narrowing down the competition’s best young midfielders to a squad of 14 was a near impossible task, the challenge of picking a final midfield group of seven to represent the inaugural 22under22 team is even tougher. Each nominee has accomplished plenty already, but is likely to blossom even more in the next few years.

It’s a great time to be a midfielder, but considering the amount of young talent that will be on show in the next few years, it’s a great time to be a footy-lover too.