Top 5 - Take 5 Defenders (29.07.2026)

**Mark Duffield** (0:02)
Wednesday, which means Take 5 is all about the Defenders, and we have a good group together today, one of whom I believe just has to be bound for all Australian honours, and may be bound for a club best and fairest, even though he's got some fairly stiff opposition.
Paul Heath joins me in the studio. I think he could probably almost take the medal name for the Defenders this year. He's been in our Top 5 pretty much every week. He has, yes, and you'll find out what we're talking about in just a second. But let's start off with a young bloke at Geelong, who may be one of the very best young players in the competition. So Connor O'Sullivan against Melbourne. 21 disposals, eight marks, 416 metres gained. A goal assist, two contested marks, 12 intercept possessions. He is a very, very good player. Here he is at number two. Jarman Impey. So how's this for a game? 37 disposals, one goal, two.
12 marks, 836 metres gained, two goal assists, nine inside fifties, 11 score involvements, eight intercept possessions. He mowed the pitch, he sold the tickets, he delivered the drinks, he did the lot. Yeah, fantastic. At number three?
Number three, Lockie Bramble from the Western Bulldogs. Unsung hero in the Bulldogs line up, I believe. Highly skilled backman, wins a lot of ball, uses it well. 27 disposals, 531 metres gained, a goal assist, eight intercept possessions and six score involvements. Good to see this bloke back in at number four. Jasper Fletcher. So had some challenges earlier on in the season, Jasper. He was, when the team wasn't going so well, he was given tough defensive jobs, didn't always cope that well, but he's back in good nick now, handling the ball cleanly, using it really well. 27 disposals, nine marks, 390 metres gained, a goal assist, three intercept possessions and seven score involvements. And rounding it out at number five. So a test of character, and this guy passed it with flying colours at the Adelaide Oval, booed by the Adelaide Faithful for simply being the victim of the homophobic slur issued by Isaac Rankin the previous season, of course, which saw Rankin rubbed out and suspended for basically the remainder of the season. But he played really well against the crows on the weekend, with Isaac Quainer, nine inches at possessions, two contested marks, 20 disposals, three tackles, 338 metres gain, doesn't lose many one-on-one contests. Isaac Quainer. He's a fantastic player. And PerthLynx fans, we have unfinished business. Membership's on sale now at perthlynx.wmbl.com.au.