MATT Rowell is renowned as one of the toughest tacklers in the AFL and he has the numbers to prove it.
The Gold Coast midfielder had another 10 tackles against Geelong on Thursday night, taking his career tally to 509 from 72 career games.
The 22-year-old is the fastest man to the 500 milestone since tackle numbers started to be recorded consistently in 1987, getting there two games faster than St Kilda skipper Jack Steele.
While tackle statistics have been measured since the late 1980s, it comes as no surprise that the game's most prolific tacklers have come in the modern era of relatively high congestion around the ball.
Of the top 11 fastest to 500 career tackles, seven are active players and the other four all played in the past decade.
Equal 10th on that list is Sydney's James Rowbottom, who is the only man to have recorded more tackles than Rowell this year, with 93 from 10 games.
His tally includes 16 against Carlton on Friday night, 12 of which came in the first half, the most in a game so far this season.
Fewest games to 500 career tackles
72 - Matt Rowell
74 - Jack Steele
75 - Hugh Greenwood
80 - Ben Howlett
80 - Clayton Oliver
82 - Andrew Swallow
82 - Jack Redden
82 - Willem Drew
83 - Tom Mitchell
84 - Matthew Priddis
84 - James Rowbottom
Your club's tackle king
Rory Laird
Total tackles: 929
Ave per game, career: 3.97
Ave per game, 2024: 6.10
Ave per game, 2023: 7.95
Most in a game: 20
Josh Dunkley
Total tackles: 907
Ave per game, career: 6.04
Ave per game, 2024: 7.20
Ave per game, 2023: 6.88
Most in a game: 15
Patrick Cripps
Total tackles: 1054
Ave per game, career: 5.46
Ave per game, 2024: 5.40
Ave per game, 2023: 5.42
Most in a game: 13
Tom Mitchell
Total tackles: 1153
Ave per game, career: 5.68
Ave per game, 2024: 6.67
Ave per game, 2023: 6.04
Most in a game: 14
Zach Merrett
Total tackles: 1115
Ave per game, career: 5.16
Ave per game, 2024: 5.40
Ave per game, 2023: 5.50
Most in a game: 12
Andrew Brayshaw
Total tackles: 708
Ave per game, career: 5.32
Ave per game, 2024: 5.20
Ave per game, 2023: 6.22
Most in a game: 12
Tom Atkins
Total tackles: 619
Ave per game, career: 5.43
Ave per game, 2024: 7.11
Ave per game, 2023: 7.61
Most in a game: 17
Matt Rowell
Total tackles: 508
Ave per game, career: 7.01
Ave per game, 2024: 8.50
Ave per game, 2023: 8.26
Most in a game: 17
Tom Green
Total tackles: 314
Ave per game, career: 4.08
Ave per game, 2024: 4.70
Ave per game, 2023: 5.05
Most in a game: 13
Conor Nash
Total tackles: 342
Ave per game, career: 4.12
Ave per game, 2024: 6.50
Ave per game, 2023: 4.78
Most in a game: 9
Jack Viney
Total tackles: 1197
Ave per game, career: 5.81
Ave per game, 2024: 6.70
Ave per game, 2023: 5.92
Most in a game: 16
Tristan Xerri
Total tackles: 167
Ave per game, career: 3.88
Ave per game, 2024: 7.40
Ave per game, 2023: 2.89
Most in a game: 11
Willem Drew
Total tackles: 560
Ave per game, career: 6.15
Ave per game, 2024: 6.20
Ave per game, 2023: 6.64
Most in a game: 16
Tim Taranto
Total tackles: 786
Ave per game, career: 5.54
Ave per game, 2024: 4.80
Ave per game, 2023: 6.70
Most in a game: 14
Jack Steele
Total tackles: 1190
Ave per game, career: 7.08
Ave per game, 2024: 8.20
Ave per game, 2023: 7.14
Most in a game: 18
James Rowbottom
Total tackles: 653
Ave per game, career: 6.34
Ave per game, 2024: 9.30
Ave per game, 2023: 7.33
Most in a game: 16
Reuben Ginbey
Total tackles: 139
Ave per game, career: 5.14
Ave per game, 2024: 3.80
Ave per game, 2023: 5.94
Most in a game: 16
Marcus Bontempelli
Total tackles: 1176
Ave per game, career: 5.20
Ave per game, 2024: 5.60
Ave per game, 2023: 7.48
Most in a game: 12