The Tackle 2.0 - AFLW: The Numbers Don’t Lie

The Tackle 2.0

We're back! It's W Day and we're now less than two months away from kick-off for Season 10. We've looked into tackles before, but it's time to revisit the topic in preparation for a historical 10th season of AFLW.

The tackle has long been considered the foundation for any legitimate, Premiership contender. Teams that will go into battle, put on constant opposition pressure, and get down and dirty when required are the ones that can halt the scoreboard, and shift momentum.

It's a critical part of the game for every team, every player, so let's break it down.

The face of our Tackle 2.0 article couldn't be anyone else but star Crows player Ebony Marinoff.

She has totaled more tackles in her career so far than anyone else, amassing 873 in the 93 games she's played. That's an average of 9.4 per game across almost 100 games. Huge!

She doesn't quite own the average per game record however, that goes to Kiara Bowers (Fremantle). Bowers is yet to play 50 games, sitting on 49 at the moment, but she leads the league all-time, averaging 12.4 tackles per game (609 total).

Back to Eb for a minute. The reigning Best and Fairest winner and Adelaide superstar Ebony Marinoff led the way last season, she was everywhere.

She's been a consistent tackler throughout her career to date, but 2024 was her best year yet.

Ebony Marinoff won her maiden AFLW Best & Fairest last season. Photo - AFLW

Marinoff averaged 12.2 tackles per game last season, the next closest was North Melbourne's Mia King (9.3).

She was a force to be reckoned with, chasing down opponents, and keeping them in check week in, week out. It's no surprise that her average tackles per season have been consistently high.

She's known for her work ethic and has modelled her career on mentor and recent Hall of Fame inductee, Erin Phillips.

In her first nine years of AFLW play, Marinoff has averaged less than 7 tackles per game only once, 2021. Her best season was last year with an average of 12.2 per game. Stats courtesy aflwstats.com.au

Despite Marinoff's tackling dominance however, Adelaide failed in their quest to return to the big dance where they were a consistent challenger in the early years of the competition.

Given end of season results, it should therefore come as no surprise that the two Grand Finalists from 2024 led the charge on the tackle front.

Both North Melbourne and Brisbane each had three players in the top 12 when total tackles were tallied up at the conclusion of the season.

Marinoff was the sole Adelaide player in that group. In fact, the next closest Crow when it came to total tackles was Stevie-Lee Thompson sitting at number 29 on the list with 75 tackles.

North Melbourne and Brisbane led the charge, each team with 3 players inside the top 12 total tackles laid in the league for Season 9. Stats courtesy aflwstats.com.au

There were of course some other players who really delivered when it mattered.

The players in the top five for average tackles laid per game last season were all from different clubs. It was the first time North Melbourne's Mia King cracked more than 9 tackles on average per game (9.3).

And, in Aisling McCarthy's first year at Freo, she managed almost 3 tackles more per game than her previous six seasons at the Bulldogs and West Coast (previous best was 5.3 per game).

The top five average tackles per game were laid by 1. Marinoff (ADE), 2. King (NMFC), 3. Tanya Kennedy (SYD), 4. Tyanna Smith (STK), 5. Aisling McCarthy (FRE). Stats courtesy aflwstats.com.au

So who else racked up the tackles?

Well, 2024 was a big year for the new kids on the block, the rookies.

When it came to tackling, AFLW Rising Star runner-up Shineah Goody (Port Adelaide) had a cracking year. She played 14 games for the Power, averaging 5.3 tackles each week.

She was equal fourth for Port in total tackles for the season. Not bad in your first year of W footy.

Goody finished runner-up to Port Adelaide teammate Matilda Scholz in the 2024 AFLW Rising Star Award. Photo - Port Adelaide FC

Then there were the veterans. Jasmine Garner ended up in the top ten for average tackles with 7.6 per game.

It might seem strange to hear, but it's the first time in her career she's finished top ten in this category at season's end. Her previous best tackle average per game, per season was 7.2 back in 2023.

Her career average is 5.2 per game.

North Melbourne's Jasmine Garner celebrates a goal. Photo - The Australian

2025 looks set to be another fierce year for the players chasing the tackle. The veterans who have made a career out of pressuring opponents, such as Emily Bates (Hawthorn), Ally Anderson (Brisbane) and Jaimee Lambert (St Kilda) look poised to do it again.

But at what point do those players reaching 90+ games start to slow down a little and make way for the young ones?

With a raft of young talent emerging, including players coming into year 2, 3 and 4 in the system, we're about to see who has the determination and willingness to get after it in season 2025, and put the pressure on their opponents.

We're excited to revisit 'the tackle' midway through the season to see who is dominating the numbers when the pressure is on.

Until next time, bring on Season 10!