Footy's version might be that while attacking flair is great to watch, it is defensive effectiveness that consistently wins games and, ultimately, premierships.
St Kilda's undefeated start to 2009 is based on this principle.
The Saints have put together five games where their defensive systems have been nothing short of outstanding. They are starving the opposition both in scoring opportunities and goals scored.
The bottom-line stats show that St Kilda has not conceded over 40 inside-50 entries in any of the five games they have played. Remember competition averages are around 50.
This is the result of fantastic contest-winning around the footy, excellent chasing and tackling when the opposition are in possession and a zoning set-up which is protecting the centre square and forcing teams out wide when they attack.
In their defensive half the emergence of the much-improved ex-Hawk Zac Dawson to take the main marking target has allowed Sam Fisher to play a Luke Hodge model as the Saints' defensive general. That means either playing as an extra defender or taking one of the opposition's lesser lights.
So the ball is not getting deep into the Saints' defensive 50 very often and when it does their defence is quite impenetrable.
Releasing a defender from tight checking defensive duties to read the play and attack the footy third-up is working well for many teams. Andrew Mackie for Geelong and Josh Drummond for Brisbane are another couple of examples. Overall these factors are working together to make St Kilda incredibly difficult to score against.
This quality is the hallmark of every premiership team. It is one of the few common denominators that apply year after year and the Saints are the current benchmark to this point of 2009.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
