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White Ferns LIVE on SN ExtraBickley's Top 10 attacking defenders in the AFL
SEN • March 5th, 2026 3:30 pm
Mark Bickley has named his Top 10 attacking defenders in the AFL ahead of the 2026 season.
Bicks has been on a list rampage over the past few weeks and his latest edition features the running half-backs.
“These are the running, attacking defenders who are an important part of their teams,” Bickley said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“A player like Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, who payed a lot of half-back last year but will likely play midfield this year, is not on my list.
“Neither is Harry Sheezel who will play more midfield.”
See his list below:
10. John Noble (Gold Coast)
“He’s very important to what they do. He runs, he carries, he kicks. He’s a metre eater - he runs 15 or 20m then kicks it 50m.”
9. Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
“He is a sensation. He gets a lot of handball receives, he sets them up, he kicks left and right foot. He is very good.”
8. Jordan Clark (Fremantle)
“He was in the All-Australian side last year and continues to develop. I think that Freo will be a good side and he’ll get plenty of the ball this year.”
7. Darcy Wilmot (Brisbane)
“An emerging player who has just been phenomenal over the last couple of years in his growth. He’s been very important to what they do.”
6. Karl Amon (Hawthorn)
“A beautiful left leg, uses the ball so well. He’s another run-and-carry type.”
5. Jack Sinclair (St Kilda)
“With Nasiah moving into the midfield and Sam Flanders coning to the club, Sinclair should go back to half-back. He spent a bit of time there last year anyway and he will be a very important player again.”
4. Josh Daicos (Collingwood)
“I think he is severely underrated. Everyone talks about brother Nick but Josh has been fantastic. Was the best and fairest winner in their premiership year (in 2023).
“He sets them up well and his disposal is elite.”
3. Lachie Ash (GWS)
“His emergence over the last couple of years has been phenomenal. We saw it in the Origin game where he won the EJ Whitten Medal.
“His run and carry combined with Whitfield is one of the major strengths of the Giants.”
2. Dayne Zorko (Brisbane)
“He just peels off really tough kicks through the middle of the ground. Even if he misses them he doesn’t get perturbed by it, he just keeps going.
“I really like the way he’s going about it and it’s been an absolute revival of his career by going to half-back.”
1. Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs)
“The No.1 attacking defender. His ball use is phenomenal, he gets a lot of it and hardly ever wastes it.
“He’s got the ability to kick back through the middle of the ground through congestion. He backs himself in and he finds the mark most times.”
