Field Marshal: Sam Edmund looks at which clubs are making the most of the AFL’s trench warfare era

THE days of end-to-end footy are now as rare as the snow leopard. These days, defence is king. SAM EDMUND looks at which clubs have adjusted and are thriving in the new system.

Nathan Buckley wasn’t rapt with his side on Sunday. Picture: Getty Images

GET the ball in your forward half if you want to live.

It’s like a line out of Terminator, which is appropriate given team defence has taken a machine-like grip on our game.

If soccer is considered the beautiful game, this AFL era will be remembered as trench warfare. No less gripping to some, but if the glass is half empty footy currently has a face only a mother could love.

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The days of end-to-end footy are now as rare as the snow leopard. Instead, the ball is inched forward one brutal contest at a time in a territory tug-of-war that sees the victor pin the ball in its attacking half and scrounge a goal.

When the attractive games do come, like they did in a 37-goal Brisbane Lions-Collingwood shootout on Sunday, they are talked down by the people who shape the game.

“I can’t say it was pleasant viewing from our perspective,” Pies coach Nathan Buckley said.

“It was a high-scoring shootout ... high scores from stoppage, high from turnover. That’s the worst we’ve defended all year.

Nathan Buckley wasn’t happy with his side’s defensive efforts against Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

“We’re not all together happy with the way the game was played, but we did what we needed to do late to win the game on its terms.”

The game now dictates that sides live by the forward half game or die fighting it. You can’t beat them, so you need to join them and those who haven’t — or can’t — are destined for the bottom rungs of the ladder.

The percentage of possession chains remaining in-tact from defensive 50 to inside 50 has been on the decline since 2007 where it’s gone from happening 38 per cent of the time to 20.5 per cent.

The percentage of scores originating in the back half has gone from 17 per cent in 2007 to only 9.7 per cent this year.

The last three premiers — Richmond, Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn — have ranked in the top two for time in forward half.

Essendon’s woes are underpinned by a ranking of 16th for time in forward half and 17th in points scored from the forward half. Yet the Bombers are No. 2 in the AFL for points scored from the defensive half.

“The plan is to lock it in our front half when we get it in there,” Dons coach John Worsfold insisted on 3AW.

“We’re not defending high because we’re not getting it in there (forward 50) enough ... but the times we don’t score it’s coming out and getting right down the other end too easily.”

Which teams are cashing in from having the footy in their forward half?

Richmond ranks No. 1 in time in forward half and points scored from the forward half and Melbourne is second and fifth. West Coast’s status as a contender is clouded by the fact it ranks third for time in forward half, but only 9th for points scored from the forward half.

The Eagles sit No. 1 in points scored from the defensive half, which recent history says is unsustainable.

Geelong is ranked a lowly 14th for time spent in its forward half, but sits fourth in that stat over the past four weeks.

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