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.
1. Port Adelaide
Tackles Inside 50: 209
Club leader: Mitch Georgiades (26)
The Power come in at No.1 for tackles inside 50 for the 2021 season, an attribute that played a substantial role in finishing a week short of the grand final.
With 13 players recording 10 or more tackles in attack throughout the course of this season, Ken Hinkley was able to rely on the constant waves of forward pressure his side were able to emit.
Young forward Mitch Georgiades comes in at No.1 for Port Adelaide and equal 19th in the competition, proving Hinkley's squad is spread with players able to place opposition defenders under the pump.
Tackling machine Willem Drew (23), star forward Charlie Dixon (21) and young gun Connor Rozeee (17) also led the charge for the Power's forward pressure in 2021.
Ranking second in the league for total tackles this season, the Power are another club that will be looking to retain this string in their bow for 2022 as they build on their premiership credentials.
2021 AFL Tackles Inside 50 Rankings:
| Ranking | Team | Total Tackles |
Tackles Inside 50
|
| 1 | Port Adelaide | 1089 | 209 |
| 2 | Geelong | 1090 | 199 |
| 3 | St Kilda | 900 | 192 |
| 4 | Brisbane | 990 | 187 |
| 5 | Carlton | 899 | 170 |
| 6 | Collingwood | 970 | 164 |
| 7 | Western Bulldogs | 905 | 160 |
| 8 | Essendon | 842 | 156 |
| 9 | Richmond | 1083 | 154 |
| 10 | West Coast | 820 | 152 |
| 11 | Greater Western Sydney | 884 | 146 |
| 12 | Melbourne | 749 | 144 |
| 13 | Sydney | 935 | 142 |
| 14 | North Melbourne | 844 | 138 |
| 15 | Fremantle | 825 | 133 |
| 16 | Adelaide | 905 | 133 |
| 17 | Gold Coast | 828 | 131 |
| 18 | Hawthorn | 818 | 131 |
