From the most porous to the AFL's equivalent of Fort Knox, ahead of the bounce of the ball on Thursday night, we've ranked the league's best backlines.
We've already seen the back sixes that forwards across the competition dine out on. We've also seen the units that are making strides towards greatness. Now, we present the backlines that are primed to push for premiership success, the Crรจme de la crรจme, if you will.
RELATED: Every AFL club's backline ranked: Part I
SEE ALSO: Every AFL club's backline ranked: Part II
These are the teams with premiership-level defences, units with essentially no holes when healthy. Their key men can stop most opposing threats and their medium-small backs can prevent chaos and hit targets.
Many of these teams also benefit from a deep overall list and plenty of capable midfielders finding a role through the half-back line.
A couple of the sides may appear to suffer from a lack of star power, but the structure and organisation of the gameplan allow their role-players to utilise their strengths to the maximum; see Robbie Fox for Sydney or Jake Kolodjashnij for Geelong.
These are the elite backlines entering the 2023 AFL season, the teams ranked 6-1.
2. 2. Geelong
The reigning premiers are perhaps the most well-oiled machine of the competition entering 2023, and the backline presents no exception to this.
They have a balanced mix of star power, role-players and overall experience led by the competition's best defender, Tom Stewart.
Since joining the Cats as an undrafted rookie, Stewart has put together one of the best careers out of a defender to date. In just six seasons, he has become a four-time All-Australian, best & fairest winner and most recently, a premiership player as the defensive focal point for Geelong.
The other potential superstar in this defensive line is their 22-year-old, 204cm full-back, Sam De Koning, who is coming off his breakout season with all the confidence in the world after tasting early career premiership glory. He could certainly take the baton off Tom Stewart and become the club's best, if not the league's best defender in the coming years.
Their backup options, Jed Bews, Jack Henry and Jake Kolodjashnij, are not household names, but nonetheless, they slot seamlessly into this rock-solid defensive system where they can utilise their strength one on one and initiate Geelong's offense.
On the flanks, Zach Tuohy brings 33 years' worth of wisdom and Irish flare with his decision-making and ball use, while Zach Guthrie brings some youthful dash and ideal family genetics to the table.
Mark Blicavs is yet another option to be thrown down back given his reliability as Chris Scott's beloved utility. While he likely plays a predominant ruck role as he did last season, he can easily change up the backline to match an excessively tall opposition forward line.
Rounding out the back six, Mitch Duncan may be expected to make the most of his experience, ball-use and decision-making in a back-line role, while new recruit Jack Bowes may also be trialled defensively.
