BRISBANE'S surprise climb into the top two in 2019 came with a similar spike in a statistic that Richmond dominated in its 2017 premiership year.

Seven Lions featured in the top 30 for most tackles laid inside the forward 50 last season, just edging out Richmond's six in 2017.

Lions skipper Dayne Zorko set the tone, leading the AFL with 48 tackles inside 50 for the year.

Jarryd Lyons was equal eighth (31 tackles), Lincoln McCarthy landed in equal 13th (28), and Charlie Cameron finished equal 15th (27).

Allen Christensen's equal 19th place was perhaps the most impressive, with 26 tackles from just 13 games.

Christensen finished level with Zorko for second in the League for average forward 50 tackles per game.

Dan McStay (25) and Eric Hipwood (23) finished equal 21st and 30th respectively, an enormous improvement considering they were 75th and 154th in the competition in 2018.

North Melbourne and St Kilda were the only teams without a representative in the top 30, while Carlton, Essendon, Fremantle, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide, Sydney and the Tigers each had just one player make the list in 2019.

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Granted, the stat takes into account finals games played, which puts other teams at a disadvantage, but it's also a testament to a season-long commitment to forward pressure.

The correlation between the intense pressure gameplan and on-field success continues when you take a look at the year-by-year numbers.

The Lions had two players make the top 30 in 2017 and just one in 2018.

Interestingly, Sam Lloyd was Richmond's best performer in 2016 in terms of forward 50 tackles, but he was ranked 57th overall.

Brisbane's rise in average score per game from 2018 to 2019 mirrors Richmond's 2016 to 2017 bump.

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The Lions went from 83 points per game in 2018 to 90 in 2019.

Richmond's average score jumped from 78 points per game in 2016 to a massive 92 in 2017.

The next question for the Lions will come this year and whether they can roll out the same style, or whether there will have to be major adaptations like the Tigers have been forced to make. 

Jason Castagna has ranked in the top 30 for three straight years, but the other tacklers dropped off.

Jack Riewoldt went from 13th in 2017 and shot up to fourth in 2018.

Injuries took their toll on the key forward and landed him in 93rd place for 2019.

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That forced Tom Lynch to pick up the slack in that role, while usual forward mainstay Josh Caddy moved into a new position.

The Lions had a dream run when it came to injuries last year, but the sign of their improvement will come with winning in the face of adversity, much like the Tigers did after being written off early last season.