Glorifying the AFL's ball-winners and goalkickers is commonplace across the footballing landscape, but as the age-old adage goes: 'defence wins premierships'.
The club that holds the silverware aloft at the end of a season typically boasts a backline consisting of immovable key defenders, eagle-eyed interceptors and attack-minded flankers.
Last year's grand finalists, for example, each possessed stingy, impregnable defensive units, comprising stars such as Darcy Moore, Harris Andrews, Brayden Maynard, Brandon Starcevich, Isaac Quaynor and Keidean Coleman, among others.
So, taking into account last year's performance, current personnel and injuries, where does each club's defence rank as we prepare to embark on the 2024 season?
We've ranked every AFL club's backline from worst to first. Here are the top six rearguards in the competition.
*Denotes a currently injured player
6. Adelaide Crows
Core personnel: Nick Murray*, Jordon Butts, Mitchell Hinge, Brodie Smith, Max Michalanney, Josh Worrell, Daniel Curtin, Mark Keane, Elliott Himmelberg, Wayne Milera
Key defender Murray, who suffered an ACL rupture last season, will be absent for the early portion of Adelaide's season in a significant loss.
However, the Crows possess depth in defence, with the likes of Keane, Himmelberg and Borlase presenting as ample replacements.
As a whole, the upside of this youthful defensive brigade – particularly the mid-sized Michalanney, promising draftee Curtin and versatile utility Worrell – is enough to have them highly placed entering the new season.
