The AFL needs a defensive player of the year award

Midfielders – the kind who rack up huge disposal numbers – get plenty of recognition.

They often fill the interchange benches in the All-Australian team, and are even squeezed onto the half forward line at times.

They tend to win the Brownlow Medal every year, which has now developed a reputation for being the midfielders’ award. Just look at the last ten winners and find one true forward, defender or ruckman. There aren’t any.

The forwards have it pretty good too. Arguably the game’s second most prestigious individual honour is the Coleman Medal – the player with the highest goal total at the end of the home-and-away season.

Throw in goal of the year, and a plethora of other ‘player of the year’ type awards that always seem to go to the mids, and it seems the games greatest defenders in our game are a bit hard done by.

It’s time the AFL introduces a ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ award.

Sure, the backman have six spots to fill each year in the All-Australian team, but the best of the best deserve more than that.

They deserve an individual honour. Not just Danny Frawley’s ‘Golden Fist’ award.

The NBA has an identical award – it goes to the player who provides the biggest defensive presence on the court – whether it be through steals, blocks, or relentless lockdown defence. The award name is usually shortened to ‘DPOY.’

The same award in the AFL could reward the player who applies the most pressure, kills off the most of their opponent’s attacks, and is able to best nullify opposition threats.

A DPOY award in the AFL could fall into the hands of players in a number of different roles – a key backman who is able to negate the best tall forwards, perhaps a brilliant interceptor who reads the ball better than most.

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Even a tagger, or tackling machine, that plays all over the ground, allowing his teammates to win the ball while stopping opposition weapons. The kind of player that sacrifices their own offensive game to stop another player.

Then, at the end of the season, while the Brownlow medal likely hangs around the neck of a midfielder, and the game’s best goal kicker enjoys the Coleman, the game’s best defensive player will get deserved recognition.

Here’s how it could work.

A 3-2-1 voting system in every game would probably end up with some scraping the bottom of the barrel. A 3-2-1 voting system in every round might work better, similar to the ‘Golden Fist,’ but selected by a panel of judges.

Or, though it’s a slightly flawed system, it could work like the Rising Star award. A player is nominated each round for a brilliant defensive performance, and a winner is chosen from all nominations.

Otherwise, it could simply work as it does in the NBA. A panel of experts chooses the best defensive player at the end of the year. Perhaps a handful of players are nominated and the judges choose from them.

There a number of ways the award could work.

And to get the ball rolling, here are six worthy candidates for the fantasy award in 2018.

Alex Rance
A victim of his own enormously high standards, Alex Rance hasn’t been as much of a buzz around the AFL as he has in previous years. Yet there is still no denying he is the games best defender. Leads the league in intercepts in 2018 with 10.05 per game, and has an unmatchable ability to know when to zone off his direct opponent to affect another contest.

Rance also ranks third overall in 2018 for one percenters per game with 9.32.

Phil Davis
The Adelaide Crow turned GWS Giant has always been a reliable key defensive post, but has enjoyed the best season of his career in 2018. Sits equal second behind Rance for intercepts per game with 9.41, and ranks fourth for one percenters. Davis has been able to control the Giants backline and has played an integral role in many of his team’s wins.

Harris Andrews
Before a sharp elbow to the head from Jeremy Cameron sidelined him for a month, Andrews was probably leading the way for the All-Australian full back position. With a strong finish to the season, he could still find himself with an AA Guernsey.

Harris Andrews of the Lions. (AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)

At just 21 years of age, Andrews has already shown immense leadership qualities in the Lions’ young backline, and has demonstrated an elite ability to defend the games best forwards. He was a force to reckoned with in Round 12 against Essendon, clunking 12 marks and collecting 24 disposals in one of the great defensive performances of the season.

Ben Stratton
The unheralded, mulleted maestro has always been one of the most reliable defenders in the AFL. Playing a vital role in Hawthorn’s three-peat, Stratton has taken his game to new heights in season 2018.

He can play opponents of almost any size, and is a general across one the best defences in the competition. Stratton finally started to get some recognition after his monstrous performance against the Bombers in Round 20.

Here’s a question to ponder in regards to this proposed award. Should players like Ben Jacobs and Devon Smith be eligible or considered?

Ben Jacobs
The young Kangaroo has established himself as the game’s best tagger in 2018. His biggest scalp was arguably Tom Mitchell in round five, who he held to just 19 disposals, well below his average his average of 36.

While players like Jacobs are technically midfielders, their role is almost purely defensive. They run with the oppositions best midfielder to stop them from having an impact. So why shouldn’t Jacobs be considered for a DPOY of the award? He probably hasn’t played enough footy this year, but given a full year he’d certainly come into consideration.

Devon Smith
Maybe I’m going a bit far with this one, but he deserves a mention at the least. Smith, the recruit of the year, is undeniably a midfielder. He even hits the scoreboard regularly.

But, he is a tackling machine, latching onto his opponents as if his life depends on it. He plays with a defensive mindset, and in 2018 has averaged over eight tackles per game. If players like Devon Smith were considered in an award like this, perhaps it opens it up too much. But it is certainly food for thought.

At the end of the day, the AFL probably has bigger fish to fry at the moment. But one day it would be exciting to see a Defensive Player of the Year award introduced.

The game’s best defenders, and maybe even defensive midfielders, deserve it.