GARY Ablett is still the best player in the competition.

The Gold Coast skipper's influence on games is the most profound I have seen from a midfielder.

A combination of elite speed, strength and exquisite skills separates him from the rest and sees him headline my top 50.

Hawthorn's Lance Franklin is still the most lethal forward in the game.

He is unstoppable when things click. His bag of party tricks is without peer.

Often when he is beaten it is usually by himself, not by his opponents.

My selection of new Tigers skipper Trent Cotchin at No. 3 might surprise a few people but he is a jet.

The Jack Dyer Medallist is only going to get better and looms as Ablett's heir apparent as the champion's twilight years kick in.

Brownlow Medallist Jobe Watson is fourth and super Swans premiership star Josh Kennedy rounds out my top five.

I have focused on picking a top-50 player list where the players have runs on the board.

Therefore the one-season wonders have slipped down my list.

Dean Cox is still the best ruckman in the game and deserves to be ranked as high as sixth.

Scott Thompson has been rewarded for his brilliant form and outstanding consistency in leading the Crows' midfield.

Much has been made of Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane's start to their careers but Thompson is still Adelaide's money man when it comes to winning the ball at the coalface.

Dockers skipper Matthew Pavlich rounds out my top 10.

His brilliant 2012 season was testament to his longevity of elite performance.

Fremantle's hopes of climbing the ladder in 2013 hinge on its veteran. If injury strikes Pavlich, the club's finals aspirations also could crash.

Adelaide key forward Taylor Walker sits comfortably at No. 12 on my list. A big 2013 and he will skyrocket into my top 10 by the end of the season.

Sadly for the Power, it doesn't have a player in my top 50.

New captain Travis Boak's pre-season form suggests he is heading there quickly but he still has some work to do.

WARREN TREDREA'S TOP 50

1. Gary Ablett (GCS) SuperCoach value: $740,500

2. Lance Franklin (Haw) $618,000

3. Trent Cotchin (Rich) $622,100

4. Jobe Watson (Ess) $647,200

5. Josh Kennedy (Syd) $643,000

6. Dean Cox (WCE) $600,700

7. Scott Pendlebury (Coll) $667,300

8. Scott Thompson (Adel) $591,000

9. Joel Selwood (Geel) $629,500

10. Matthew Pavlich (Frem) $593,900

11. Chris Judd (Carl) $558,300

12. Taylor Walker (Adel) $536,000

13. Darren Glass (WCE) $353,400

14. Patrick Dangerfield (Adel) $636,000

15. Marc Murphy (Carl) $602,900

16. Ryan OKeefe (Syd) $555,400

17. Sam Jacobs (Adel) $546,300

18. Sam Mitchell (Haw) $592,600

19. Dayne Beams (Coll) $657,600

20. Adam Goodes (Syd) $479,900

21. Dane Swan (Coll) $675,300

22. Stephen Milne (SK) $371,400

23. Travis Cloke (Coll) $436,300

24. Lenny Hayes (SK) $547,400

25. Tom Hawkins (Geel) $508,800

26. Ted Richards (Syd) $417,300

27. Andrew Swallow (NM) $585,100

28. Lewis Jetta (Syd) $437,300

29. Steve Johnson (Geel) $516,700

30. Eddie Betts (Carlt) $427,800

31. Corey Enright (Geel) $502,400

32. Rory Sloane (Adel) $567,700

33. Harry Taylor (Geel) $465,000

34. Kieren Jack (Syd) $601,400

35. Brett Deledio (Rich) $624,100

36. Matthew Boyd (WB) $605,800

37. Drew Petrie (NM) $506,100

38. Daniel Wells (NM) $529,700

39. Cyril Rioli (Haw) $527,300

40. Ryan Griffen (WB) $567,400

41. Shane Mumford (Syd) $486,900

42. Nathan Fyfe (Frem) $498,800

43. Jack Riewoldt (Rich) $485,900

44. Jimmy Bartel (Geel) $527,400

45. Nick Riewoldt (SK) $513,100

46. Ivan Maric (Rich) $606,900

47. Luke McPharlin (Frem) $426,300

48. Josh Gibson (Haw) $420,700

49. Joel Patfull (Bris) $340,700

50. Brad Sewell (Haw) $542,700

Originally published as Gazza still the best of them all