The AFL’s top five pressure forwards

Forward-half pressure has become an integral part of football over the past few seasons, with most clubs employing players who can keep the ball inside 50 while also trying to hit the scoreboard.

With a lack of tall timber in their forward half, Richmond have built their game plan around forward pressure so far this season, and it could possibly lead them to a top four finish.

Amazingly, five Tigers rate above average in the competition for forward-half pressure according to Champion Data, with Daniel Rioli and Dan Butler leading the way.

Rioli and Butler both rate in the elite category, while Shai Bolton, Jason Castagna and Jack Riewoldt are all above average.

Despite all rating highly, no Tiger has more forced more turnovers in the forward half than Essendon's Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, who has 65 forced turnovers to his name.

Turnovers forced by general forwards

A pair of Melbourne forwards trail McDonald-Tipungwuti, with Alex Neal-Bullen and Jeff Gartlett rounding out the top three.

Rioli and Castagna close out the top five, and all five players also lead the league in points from turnovers created by general forwards.

McDonald-Tipungwuti has seen Essendon gain 93 points from turnovers, which is incredibly 31 points ahead of his nearest competitor.

Neal-Bullen and Gartlett have gathered 62 and 61 points for the Demons respectively, while Rioli and Castagna both have helped the Tigers to 49 points from turnovers.

Points from forced turnovers by general forwards