KICK Rating · 1980s · defenders
Best AFL defenders of the 1980s
The best defenders of the 1980s by KICK-D, calibrated so the 95th-percentile defender season sits at 76. Raw formula + overall KICK shown for transparency. Minimum 50 games across 1980–1989.
See the all-time defenders leaderboard or read how positional KICK works.
| # | Player | Team | GP | KICK-D avg | Raw | Best | KICK ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Worsfold | West Coast | 52 | 58 | 46 | 79 | 33 |
| 2 | Peter Knights | Hawthorn | 67 | 55 | 45 | 100 | 32 |
| 3 | Ricky Barham | Collingwood | 108 | 51 | 41 | 85 | 29 |
| 4 | Rod Lester-Smith | Brisbane Bears | 96 | 49 | 40 | 89 | 28 |
| 5 | Peter McConville | St Kilda | 163 | 49 | 40 | 81 | 28 |
| 6 | David Grant | St Kilda | 95 | 48 | 39 | 78 | 28 |
| 7 | Peter Foster | Footscray | 106 | 47 | 38 | 82 | 27 |
| 8 | Dean Rice | St Kilda | 64 | 47 | 38 | 76 | 27 |
| 9 | Michael Christian | Collingwood | 60 | 47 | 38 | 95 | 27 |
| 10 | Phil Egan | Richmond | 120 | 46 | 37 | 92 | 27 |
| 11 | Wayne Harmes | Carlton | 127 | 46 | 37 | 84 | 27 |
| 12 | Ian Fairley | North Melbourne | 90 | 46 | 37 | 82 | 26 |
| 13 | Tom Alvin | Carlton | 118 | 45 | 37 | 81 | 26 |
| 14 | Robert Mace | Brisbane Bears | 80 | 45 | 37 | 82 | 26 |
| 15 | Graeme Yeats | Melbourne | 93 | 45 | 36 | 82 | 26 |
| 16 | Darren Crocker | North Melbourne | 52 | 45 | 36 | 88 | 26 |
| 17 | Denis Banks | Collingwood | 123 | 45 | 36 | 78 | 26 |
| 18 | Val Perovic | Carlton | 97 | 45 | 36 | 69 | 26 |
| 19 | David Rhys-Jones | Carlton | 167 | 45 | 36 | 71 | 26 |
| 20 | Jim Jess | Richmond | 160 | 44 | 36 | 92 | 26 |
| 21 | Steve Reynoldson | Brisbane Bears | 131 | 44 | 36 | 82 | 25 |
| 22 | Chris Mew | Hawthorn | 194 | 44 | 35 | 76 | 25 |
| 23 | Rod MacPherson | Brisbane Bears | 50 | 43 | 35 | 68 | 25 |
| 24 | Shane Morwood | Collingwood | 136 | 43 | 35 | 86 | 25 |
| 25 | Bernard Toohey | Sydney | 180 | 43 | 35 | 100 | 25 |
| 26 | Jon Dorotich | Carlton | 82 | 42 | 34 | 74 | 24 |
| 27 | Jim Sewell | Footscray | 76 | 42 | 34 | 82 | 24 |
| 28 | Sean Wight | Melbourne | 77 | 42 | 34 | 60 | 24 |
| 29 | Graeme Landy | Geelong | 129 | 41 | 34 | 71 | 24 |
| 30 | Earl Spalding | Melbourne | 65 | 41 | 33 | 78 | 24 |
| 31 | Phil Cronan | Footscray | 75 | 41 | 33 | 70 | 24 |
| 32 | Mark Yeates | Geelong | 147 | 41 | 33 | 86 | 24 |
| 33 | Greg Phillips | Collingwood | 84 | 41 | 33 | 65 | 23 |
| 34 | John Blakey | Fitzroy | 78 | 41 | 33 | 74 | 24 |
| 35 | Craig McGrath | Fitzroy | 58 | 40 | 33 | 68 | 23 |
| 36 | David OKeeffe | Brisbane Bears | 100 | 40 | 33 | 85 | 23 |
| 37 | John Manton | Richmond | 59 | 40 | 32 | 78 | 23 |
| 38 | Murray Rance | West Coast | 79 | 40 | 32 | 63 | 23 |
| 39 | Peter Giles | Melbourne | 113 | 40 | 32 | 78 | 23 |
| 40 | Gary Pert | Fitzroy | 147 | 40 | 32 | 83 | 23 |
| 41 | Terry Smith | Richmond | 100 | 39 | 32 | 60 | 23 |
| 42 | Neil Cordy | Sydney | 175 | 39 | 32 | 64 | 22 |
| 43 | Stephen Silvagni | Carlton | 75 | 39 | 31 | 68 | 23 |
| 44 | Shane Zantuck | Melbourne | 95 | 39 | 31 | 63 | 23 |
| 45 | Anthony Daniher | Essendon | 166 | 39 | 31 | 77 | 22 |
| 46 | Grant Lawrie | Fitzroy | 139 | 38 | 31 | 63 | 22 |
| 47 | Paul Hamilton | Essendon | 70 | 38 | 31 | 69 | 22 |
| 48 | Ray Jencke | Hawthorn | 53 | 37 | 30 | 58 | 22 |
| 49 | Chris Langford | Hawthorn | 149 | 37 | 30 | 63 | 22 |
| 50 | David OHalloran | Hawthorn | 68 | 37 | 30 | 57 | 21 |