Key defenders are the backbone of any successful AFL team, providing the critical resistance needed to thwart opposition attacks and set up offensive transition.
As we turn away from the 2024 season, the competition boasts an impressive array of tall backs who excel at intercepting, contested marking and one-on-one contests.
This list highlights the top 10 key defenders in the AFL, celebrating those who have consistently demonstrated elite capabilities, as well as some stars on the rise poised to leave their mark.
Let's dive into who made the cut and who narrowly missed out as we rank the game's best tall defenders, beginning with the following players who just missed out:
Snubs
7. Sam Collins
One of the All-Australian snubs few are talking about.
The Suns' best & fairest winner ranked second in the competition for intercept possessions, third for intercept marks, third for spoils and lost under 15% of his one-on-one contests, yet barely even featured in All-Australian discussions.
The 30-year-old has been a consistently rock-solid key defender since his Gold Coast tenure began in 2019.
Hopefully a winning season and future finals berth will see Collins finally receive the plaudits he deserves.
