From leaping spoils to saving goals, the defensive roles aren't as flashy as further up the field.
The backline is the last group to receive recognition, but that doesn't mean its significance is diminished. More often than not, it's the stoppers, the restrictors and the defenders who win flags, and this list accurately reflects that.
Clubs that stormed into premiership contention were off the back of defensive improvement, while others doubled down on their standing in the competition.
At Zero Hanger, we've undertaken the challenge of ranking every club's backline from 1-18 for 2025.
4Geelong
The evergreen Cats' side was elite on both sides of the ball, as demonstrated by the players' versatility.
Chris Scott threw around many talents in defence, but was supported by the core of Tom Stewart, Sam De Koning, Zach Guthrie and Tom Stewart.
Lawson Humphries continued to impress with his development, as did Connor O'Sullivan.
Geelong was one of the best intercepting teams, and more often than not converted that into scores, especially from the back half.
Mark Blicavs helped bump those numbers, while selfless role players Mark O'Connor and Oisin Mullin limited some of the opposition's best forwards.
Jack Bowes and Jack Martin were seen in Scott's backline group from time to time, equipping them with the skillset and knowledge to be deployed in the position.
