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
2. Collingwood
Core personnel: Darcy Moore, Brayden Maynard, Isaac Quaynor, Nathan Murphy*, Jeremy Howe, Oleg Markov, John Noble
In the air, on the ground, flying backward or sending the footy forward, Collingwood is served by a near-complete unit of players who know their roles to a tee.
With skipper Darcy Moore leading the line, the Pies are routinely in good shape, and with the likes of Murphy, Maynard, Quaynor and high-flyer Jeremy Howe around him, opposition sides are better served moving the ball inside 50 by hand rather than just bombing it long.
When it does eventually hit the deck, the Woods have deadly options, with each of Noble and Markov adept at riffing with teammates, as well as moving it forward at pace.
