Forwards win memberships and defenders win Premierships, the old adage goes.

The men at the back are not only integral in keeping opposition scores down, they also provide the first line of attack.

In the AFL era, 1990 until the present day, plenty of players have called the defensive fifty home. Many of this aforementioned group have also retired champions of the game, or at least look set to.

With the off-season slowly creeping to a close, we here at Zero Hanger have attempted to create a list of every club's best three defenders that never played together.

However, there are four rules to this exercise.

1. Three players must be selected from each club.
2. Even if they have played for multiple clubs, no player can be selected on the list of two teams.
3. All players must have played at least a portion of their careers from 1990 onwards.
4. As mentioned, no player can have played an in-season match with any of their colleagues.

For example, should Glenn Archer be selected for North Melbourne, then all of his backline buddies between 1992 and 2007 become ineligible.

With that in mind, here is our best stab.

Let us know how we have gone and which clubs you feel have fared best.

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Carlton

Stephen Silvagni – 1985-2001 (312 games)

When your name is attached to the title of ‘Full Back of the Century', you can be sure that your magnet is going to be on the coach's whiteboard.

In addition to the previously mentioned honour, ‘Sos' also has a pair of B&Fs, flags, five All-Australian selections and Hall of Fame status to his name.

It would be a sin if Silvagni missed out on selection.

Sam Cranage – 2002 (10 games)

Due to the longevity of the other names on this list, the selection of Sam Cranage was by default.

With just the 2002 season between Silvagni's departure and Kade Simpson's arrival, it was necessary to select a name that donned the Navy Blue solely in this brief period.

Cranage, the steak knives in the deal that saw Aaron Hamill become a Saint, managed just 10 games at Carlton for a 2–8-win/loss record.

Some may argue that Cranage spent time elsewhere on the field, but as he was selected across half-back on occasion, and the rest of the field proving threadbare, he gets our nod.

Kade Simpson – 2003-2020 (342 games)

Despite recording ‘donuts' in his first three games as a Blue, Kade Simpson ended his career having played the third most games in Carlton's storied history.

As reliable as he was beloved, Simpson's work ethic and team first attitude inspired some fairly woeful Carlton outfits across his 18-year career in defense, including in 2013 when he was named the John Nicholls medalist.

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