NOT TOO much changes in football from year to year.

Forwards get the glory and midfielders win the Brownlow, but the best teams are built on great defence.

Since 2000 premiership teams have averaged just 83 points against per game.

So far in 2010 the Saints (71 points against per game), Bulldogs (74.3) and Cats (79.3) have been the league’s most miserly sides - no great surprise given all three are established top teams and considered genuine contenders.

But sitting in fourth spot is Melbourne.

The Demons, who when it comes to goals have leaked like a Gulf of Mexico oil rig for the past two seasons, are conceding just 81.6 points per game so far this year - putting them squarely in the premiership-winning zone on that stat in isolation.

Melbourne - average points conceded

Perhaps it is appropriate that the Demons are spearheading the AFL’s push into China - as their own ‘Great Wall’ is gaining in strength.

While not receiving the same recognition as the team’s talented young midfielders, Dean Bailey’s defence has shown steady improvement, developing into one of the most polished and reliable in the game.

In 2008, the Dees conceded a goal once the ball entered their defensive 50 on 29.7 per cent of occasions - ranked 12th in the league - and collected the wooden spoon.

In 2009, that figure improved to 27.4 per cent - ranked a respectable ninth in the league, but when your uncompetitive midfield is allowing 55 inside 50s per game - the most in the competition - that improvement meant little and the Dees finished bottom again.

In 2010 Melbourne has lifted another notch defensively. Led by the likes of James Frawley, Jack Grimes, Colin Garland, Matthew Warnock, Jared Rivers and Joel Macdonald, they’re conceding a goal for just 21 per cent of opposition forward 50 entries. This puts them second behind only the Western Bulldogs.

While there remains work to be done before Dees fans can confidently cancel their late September holidays to Victoria's high country, the stats suggest that Melbourne’s defence has already reached the elite level.

The views in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.