With the Saints’ season over, it is time to look at the seniors’ best defensive players.
While the Saints had difficulties keeping their opposition from scoring, the side constantly dug deep when under siege.
It was not necessarily the defenders leading the defensive statistics, as Benalla took a holistic approach to shutting down its opponents.
Benalla defensive leaders:
Tackles: James Martiniello — 72
Effective tackles: James Martiniello — 50
Back 50 tackles: Colby Mathieson — 13
Spoils: Jordan Wolff — 42
Pressure acts: Christopher Welsh — 58
Regarding wrapping up opposition players, no-one was better than James Martiniello, who landed 72 tackles throughout the season. The next best, Christopher Welsh, was eight tackles adrift.
It was not quality over quantity for Martiniello, as 69 per cent of his tackles were effective.
Put into perspective, some of the other most effective tacklers, such as Tom O’Brien, with 81 per cent efficiency, had 34 fewer tackles.
In do-or-die moments in the back 50, Colby Mathieson made the difference with 13 tackles.
Spoiling the fun for the Saints’ opposition most often was Jordan Wolff, who got hands to the ball before a mark 42 times in 2023.
The Saints were always able to put pressure on their opposite side, and Christopher Welsh stood out as the most determined to make life difficult for his opponents, with 58 pressure acts accumulated for the season.
The Saints’ defence started at the front, a quality the side shares with some of the best teams in the league.