Who is your club’s most structurally important player?
They may not be the most skilled, the most athletically gifted or the most influential (of course some are those things), but they sure are vital to the way their team sets up.
When this player is missing, things seem to fall down in their absence.
See your club below:
Taylor Walker
Adelaide veteran Taylor Walker is still the Crows’ most important player structurally.
Since returning to the side from suspension, Walker has been brilliant, kicking 17 goals from six games at an average of 2.8 – easily the most of any Crow.
Adelaide lacks genuine key forward depth. Elliott Himmelberg, Darcy Fogarty and Riley Thilthorpe have failed to take that step in becoming a consistent forward, leaving so much responsibly on ‘Tex’.
The club’ all-time leading goalkicker must stay fit for the Crows to remain competitive. If it’s not him, the lack of experience is clear.
Along with Walker, emerging defender Tom Doedee is another crucial piece in their structure.
Acting as Adelaide’s interim captain alongside Ben Keays in Rory Sloane’s absence, Doedee’s ability to defend whilst assisting with his intercept marking is elite.
2020 best and fairest winner Reilly O’Brien has had a big drop in form this season, finding himself playing in the SANFL as emerging ruck Kieran Strachan looks to consolidate the ruck position in the seniors.
Adelaide’s ruck issues are a genuine structural headache for coach Matthew Nicks.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
Joe Daniher
Brisbane forward Joe Daniher probably holds the key to the Lions’ ability to contend for a flag in 2022.
While without Daniher they’re better than most teams, he acts as a point of difference and focal point for the Lions to line-up as one of the competition’s best attacking sides.
Although Dan McStay and Eric Hipwood are also quality options, there’s no doubt that they’re better served when Daniher is drawing attention away from them, allowing them to operate with relative freedom.
Harris Andrews and Oscar McInerney are also structurally important for Chris Fagan, but the Lions have quality depth down back in Darcy Gardiner, Jack Payne and Marcus Adams, while the addition of Darcy Fort has taken a load off the ruck position.
Lachlan Geleit
Jacob Weitering
Where would Carlton be without Jacob Weitering?
They certainly wouldn’t be 7-2.
Weitering has been the rock in defence for the Blues this year as both the key defensive pillar and the man organising everyone positionally.
The Blues haven’t been without him too often in the last few years thankfully, but without him their depth would certainly be exposed, even with everyone healthy.
Liam Jones’ departure exacerbated this, but injuries to Mitch McGovern, Oscar McDonald and Luke Parks leave the Blues’ cupboard bare. If Weitering goes down, the club doesn’t have many options left to turn to.
Losing Harry McKay for six weeks has exposed their forward line, but at least they have Charlie Curnow.
The same with Marc Pittonet in the ruck and Tom De Koning. The Blues simply can’t replace Weitering structurally and from a leadership standpoint.
Nic Negrepontis
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Jordan Roughead
Collingwood have desperately missed Jordan Roughead in 2022 as a raft of key forwards have had big games against Craig McRae’s Magpies.
While Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe are quality defenders in their own right, they both play better with a lockdown type matching up on the most dangerous tall, allowing them to peel off their opponents and intercept.
With a lack of key position depth, Roughead is absolutely that man for Collingwood and his return should help Moore and Howe recapture their best footy.
Brody Mihocek and Brodie Grundy are other candidates here, but Collingwood has slightly more depth in both the ruck and forward departments compared to key defence, putting further reliance on Roughead’s shoulders.
Lachlan Geleit
Jordan Ridley
You won’t find too many more important structural players at Essendon than Jordan Ridley, who remains the rock of their defence.
The 23-year-old burst onto the scene back in 2020 and has hardly missed a beat since, cementing himself in the Bombers’ best 22 and winning the club’s best and fairest when he was just 21 years of age.
Considering the mass disruption that the footy world felt two years ago, Ridley’s ability to cement himself into the side and then be crowned the side’s best player during that season was a testament to his character.
If he were to go down through injury, it’s hard to see who would replace him, such is the unique skillset of being able to intercept as well as possessing tidy foot skills.
Ridley remains one of, if not Essendon’s most valuable player.
Laurence Rosen
Matt Taberner
Fremantle is undefeated in games Matt Taberner has played this year. Whether it’s off his own boot (kicking seven in the Essendon game) or simply as the focal point inside 50, the key forward is pivotal to the Dockers’ structure.
The Dockers’ key forward depth has been a question mark over the side for a while now, with Rory Lobb and the undersized Josh Treacy the only other marking options right now.
Jye Amiss was taken with a top draft selection in 2021 and will hopefully grow into a viable key forward, but is obviously a few years away.
Fremantle is spoiled for choice in key defensive depth and has ruck versatility, which makes Taberner their most important structural piece.
Nic Negrepontis
Tom Stewart
It was one of the factors behind the Cats’ disastrous performance in last year’s Preliminary Final, and an absent Tom Stewart would once again be a worst-case scenario for Chris Scott.
The 2021 best and fairest winner is clearly in Geelong’s top handful of players, but when he went down with a foot injury last season the Cats defence crumbled.
His ability to play on both tall and small options, as well as his nous for reading the play as the spare man, allows Scott to deploy Stewart wherever he’s needed in the back half.
Mark Blicavs has spent more time in the ruck this season, while Sam De Koning is still developing. If Stewart went down, it’d be a big blow to the Cats’ plans for a faster game style and big changes would be needed again.
Seb Mottram
Sam Collins
The Suns would be in big trouble without Sam Collins down back. The 27-year-old does a fine job holding the backline together in the absence of a big name and has been as impressive as ever again this season.
Rory Thompson, who only just returned from a long-term knee injury, and Charlie Ballard, who punches above his weight as an intercepting defender, would be the only lockdown tall options, Collins aside.
Since Thompson has come back into the side, it’s clear how to see how two genuine key defenders help the Suns’ structure. In Thompson’s two games, the Suns have recorded wins over Sydney and Fremantle, with his presence helping Collins hold Lance Franklin and Rory Lobb to one goal each.
The 2020 best and fairest has also won 20 free kicks this year while conceding just seven. Collins is an underrated key backman in the competition but certainly one of the first names on Stuart Dew’s whiteboard every week.
Seb Mottram
Nick Haynes and Sam Taylor
He may not be the archetypal player to build a defence around, but Nick Haynes’ importance to the Giants is immense.
As an intercept marking player, you could be forgiven for thinking that he plays an unaccountable role.
But Haynes plays off his man while lending a hand to the side’s key backs in Sam Taylor, Lachie Keeffe, and Phil Davis when he is fit.
The defence has been set around the expertise of Haynes, as evidenced by his 2020 All-Australian berth and best and fairest, plus his rebound 50 numbers and overall consistency.
However, the torch is somewhat being passed to Taylor, who has emerged as the club’s best intercept defender in recent times, but Haynes certainly set the foundation.
Taylor leads the way in 2022, with Haynes’ form waning, and he is the player the Giants will build their back six around for years to come.
Up forward, Toby Greene remains a very important structural piece, but his presence is always further enhanced when Jesse Hogan and Harry Himmelberg are up and running.
Andrew Slevison
James Sicily
The obvious answer is James Sicily, because the Hawthorn back half set-up depends on whether he plays as the intercept defender or as was the case on Saturday, had sole responsibility for minding Tom Lynch, which he did well in spite of the Tiger spearhead’s four goal return.
But at the other end, Mitch Lewis is also really important to Hawthorn’s structure. With him as the no.1 key forward, the Hawks can start to mix and match the likes of Jacob Koschitzke and Jack Gunston and get them to play to their strengths.
For the time being, Koschitzke is the second ruckman, but when Lewis is out there, playing ‘Kosi’ in the ruck doesn’t then hobble the entire Hawk forward line. Hawthorn didn’t win on the weekend, but 14.10 was its highest losing score in seven years.
Ash Browne
Steven May
Is there a more impressive defender in the competition than Steven May?
The 30-year-old has asserted himself as one of the key pillars of any side in the AFL.
Every team in the league knows that to beat the Demons, you have to go through May as he essentially acts as a goalkeeper as the last man in defence.
The Dees have been blessed with a charmed injury run in their dominant period over the last couple of years, with May barely missing a game.
In terms of pure structure players, there isn’t anyone at Melbourne as crucial to the side as he is, ensuring the entire defensive unit remains in sync.
If he can stay fit, it’s hard to see how Simon Goodwin’s side doesn’t make it back-to-back premiership wins.
Laurence Rosen
Ben McKay
North Melbourne has been battered by injury, but the truly irreplaceable player on their list is Ben McKay.
Without him against the Blues, poor 188cm Aiden Bonar was forced to line up on Harry McKay – which is not ideal.
The only other key defenders on the Roos’ list right now are Josh Walker and Aidan Corr, neither of which prefer to take the opposition’s gorilla.
North Melbourne’s backline has been exposed this year by their lack of midfield pressure and their general struggles around the ground, but McKay has held up well and proven he is a key defender of the future.
Nic Negrepontis
Charlie Dixon
Port Adelaide has sorely missed Charlie Dixon this season.
The Power key forward is yet to play at AFL level due to an ankle injury, but is edging closer to a senior return after appearing in the SANFL earlier this month.
Though Mitch Georgiades and Todd Marshall have done serviceable jobs in his absence, they lack the aggression and physical presence that Dixon brings.
An All-Australian in 2020 and three-time leading goal kicker, Dixon is crucial to Port Adelaide’s structure.
The 31-year-old was key in the Power’s run to consecutive preliminary appearances in 2020 and 2021, kicking 82 goals in 42 games.
Alex Zaia
Dylan Grimes
There wouldn’t be many Richmond supporters who disagree that Dylan Grimes is the club’s most important structural player.
He sets up the backline with his leadership skills, using instruction, direction and organisation to shift the team’s defensive pieces at will.
Grimes leads by example with his fearless attack on the ball both at ground level and in the air, which are the hallmarks of his game.
The co-captain developed as an understudy to Alex Rance before taking over in 2018 and has since been the most integral member of a team defence that has contributed to so much success in recent years.
While Dustin Martin, Dion Prestia and fellow skipper Toby Nankervis could be classed as Richmond’s most important players overall, there is little doubt Grimes holds the keys to the structural substance.
Andrew Slevison
Dougal Howard
St Kilda’s defence is built around Dougal Howard.
Howard, who stands at 199cm, is the general down back for the Saints, often tasked with taking on the opposition’s number one key forward.
Structurally, Howard is crucial to St Kilda’s finals hopes. Without him, the Saints would look undersized in defence.
Having Howard there allows Callum Wilkie (191cm) and Josh Battle (193cm) to play as second and third defenders.
The 26-year-old finished third in St Kilda’s best and fairest in his first season and was named co-vice-captain for a second straight year.
Ruck pair Paddy Ryder and Rowan Marshall are also crucial pieces to St Kilda’s structure.
When fit, Ryder and Marshall are one of the best ruck combinations in the game, who can rotate forward and provide a marking target alongside Max King and Tim Membrey.
Alex Zaia
Tom McCartin
Tom McCartin is Sydney’s most important key position player.
Brother Paddy and veteran Dane Rampe are quality defenders, but Tom’s ability to lock down the opposition's best key forward is excellent for someone only 22.
The Geelong Falcons product has an elite contested marking ability and is yet to concede more than three goals from his direct opponent this season.
Tom Hickey and Lance Franklin are other candidates here.
Hickey’s absence this year through injury has left a genuine hole in their ability to dominate from the midfield, while Franklin continues to pile on goals, sitting ninth in the Coleman Medal tally with 21 majors from eight games.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
Jeremy McGovern
They key to West Coast’s sustained success has been the strength of their spine. Defender Jeremy McGovern has starred for the Eagles during that period.
McGovern, a four-time All-Australian and premiership player in 2018, is structurally crucial to the Eagles and is the glue that holds their defence together.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson said the 30-year-old was in “career-best form” to start 2022 before missing two games due to COVID protocols.
Nic Naitanui’s absence has been sorely felt by the Eagles.
Without Naitanui, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury, inexperienced trio Bailey Williams, Hugh Dixon and Callum Jamieson have had to share the ruck duties.
With Naitanui, McGovern and veteran forward Josh Kennedy all over the age of 30, it’s going to be a challenge for the Eagles to find long-term replacements for the champion trio.
Alex Zaia
Aaron Naughton
With Josh Bruce still on the long-term injury list, Aaron Naughton is the Western Bulldogs forward line.
Buku Khamis has shown signs as a secondary key forward target, but Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is still a few years away from being AFL ready and Josh Schache isn’t it inside 50.
Naughton has kicked 22 goals so far this season, with the next Dog Cody Weightman at 12 – who is also injured.
You could make a strong case for Alex Keath up the other end too. Both he and Naughton are equally vital for the Dogs.
Nic Negrepontis