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
5. Callum Wilkie
Wilkie delivered yet another stellar season in 2024, adding St Kilda's best & fairest to his growing list of accolades after an All-Australian campaign in 2023.
The 191cm defender defies his size to regularly shut down key forwards much taller than him.
Thriving under Ross Lyon's defensive system, Wilkie ranked fifth in the league for marks per game and remained a reliable force in the backline, excelling as a lockdown defender, interceptor and ball user out of the back 50.
He's the crucial pillar of St Kilda's defensive unit and will remain so for the foreseeable future.
