Glorifying theย AFL's ball-winners and goalkickers is commonplace across the footballing landscape, but as the age-old adage goes: 'defence wins premierships'.
The club that holds the silverware aloft at the end of a season typically boasts a backline consisting of immovable key defenders, eagle-eyed interceptors and attack-minded flankers.
Last year's grand finalists, for example, each possessed stingy, impregnable defensive units, comprising stars such asย Darcy Moore,ย Harris Andrews,ย Brayden Maynard,ย Brandon Starcevich,ย Isaac Quaynorย andย Keidean Coleman, among others.
So, taking into account last year's performance, current personnel and injuries, where does each club's defence rank as we prepare to embark on the 2024 season?
We've ranked everyย AFL club's backline from worst to first. Here are the top six rearguards in the competition.
*Denotes a currently injured player
4. Carlton
Core personnel: Jacob Weitering*, Mitch McGovern, Brodie Kemp, Caleb Marchbank, Adam Saad, Sam Docherty, Nic Newman, Zac Williams
Weitering's early absence hurts the Blues, particularly as they prepare to combat Joe Daniher and Tom Lynch across their opening pair of games.
They will, however, be buoyed by the return of a healthy Williams, who hasn't played more than 14 senior games in a season since 2019.
Further, Kemp's emergence as a taller stopper last season paid dividends, and the club's match committee will hope the 22-year-old resumes his ascension in 2024.
Around them, the likes of Saad, Newman and Docherty, when down back, will add plenty, and if Marchbank and McGovern can stay fit or in form, Michael Voss will have plenty of weapons at his disposal.
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