Forwards win memberships and defenders win Premierships, the old adage goes.
The men at the back are not only integral in keeping opposition scores down, they also provide the first line of attack.
In the AFL era, 1990 until the present day, plenty of players have called the defensive fifty home. Many of this aforementioned group have also retired champions of the game, or at least look set to.
With the off-season slowly creeping to a close, we here at Zero Hanger have attempted to create a list of every club's best three defenders that never played together.
However, there are four rules to this exercise.
1. Three players must be selected from each club.
2. Even if they have played for multiple clubs, no player can be selected on the list of two teams.
3. All players must have played at least a portion of their careers from 1990 onwards.
4. As mentioned, no player can have played an in-season match with any of their colleagues.
For example, should Glenn Archer be selected for North Melbourne, then all of his backline buddies between 1992 and 2007 become ineligible.
With that in mind, here is our best stab.
Let us know how we have gone and which clubs you feel have fared best.
Western Bulldogs
Matthew Croft โ 1991-2004 (186 games)
Should you wish to best surmise Matthew Croft's AFL career; the title of quiet achiever would certainly be befitting.
After initially being drafted by the Bulldogs in 1989, Croft was forced to bide his time in the under 19s. However, following strong form at the level, the Mildura Imperials product jumped three grades in one season to make his debut in 1991.
Renowned for his ability to be calm with the ball, Croft made the most of his few opportunities up forward, including 17 goals in 1997.
Due to his capacity to perform consistently and without histrionics, Croft's name was close to the first selected by his four coaches across the 90s and early 2000s.
Dale Morris โ 2005-2019 (253 games)
Gutsy, consistent, beloved, and impossible to ignore, Dale Morris was never going to miss this list.
After being selected as a Rookie in 2004, Morris wasted minimal time cementing his place in the Bulldog's backline, with his pace and skill by foot seen as his greatest attributes.
Following his brilliant debut season in 2005, he was elevated to the senior list.
Apart from his Premiership medallion in 2016, the former Werribee Tiger's crowning honour in the game came in 2008 when he was named as the All-Australian back pocket.
Morris' aforementioned attributes were all on show when he blindsided Buddy to set up Tom Boyd for the Premiership sealer. As brilliant as this memory will be for Bulldogs fans, it is always worth remembering that Morris pulled it off with breaks in his back.
Alex Keath โ 2020-Present (18 games)
Now this selection may stand out like the proverbial dog's cojones, but due to Dale Morris' career stretching across nearly three decades, a rich field of potential candidates was not available.
Despite only playing 18 games as a Bulldog since crossing from the Crows, Keath strung together some strong performances in defense last year and was awarded with a 6th place finish in the club's B&F count.
Although a newcomer to the Kennel, Keath will again be instrumental for the Luke Beveridge's men if they wish to return to the finals this year.
