Clubs that look to build a strong case for the premiership will identify their ability to mount pressure on the opposition as a key barometer in their flag credentials.
Being able to lock the ball in your forward third and reset an onslaught aids a club's attack as much as it does their defence, building a constant threat on the scoreboard.
While the primary duty of the forward line is set to get the best result in front of goal, one of the more advantageous avenues to do so comes from implementing continuous and insufferable pressure in your own attacking end.
The term 'pressure forward' has become a required component for every side, with these archetypes utilised for their ability to defend in the forward 50 as much as their keen eye for goal.
With the ability to place constant forward pressure increasingly becoming a greater necessity, we look at the clubs leading the competition for tackles inside forward 50.
4. Brisbane
Tackles Inside 50: 187
Club leader: Jarryd Lyons (29)
The Lions come in fourth for the season for recording tackles inside 50, with six players amassing 24 or more tackles in attack to rank within the top 30 of the AFL in 2021.
Led by midfielder Jarryd Lyons (29 tackles inside 50), Brisbane's forward pressure was a key component in their top-four finish this year thanks to their continuous onslaught on oppositions defenders.
Lyons ranked third overall in the competition for total tackles and 10th for tackles inside 50 this season as he claimed his first nod into the All-Australian squad.
Star small forward Charlie Cameron (25), spearhead Daniel McStay (25), captain Dayne Zorko (25), livewire Lincoln McCarthy (24) and emerging jet Zac Bailey (24) rank among the best in the league for tackles inside 50.
The Lions also ranked fourth in the league for total tackles, proving their elite pressure persists across all thirds of the field.
