ADELAIDE has been battered by injuries in the opening two months of the season, with the club's defence the hardest hit area.

Coach Neil Craig's preferred key-defensive combination of Ben Rutten, Phil Davis and Scott Stevens lasted only two games together before Davis (shoulder) and Stevens (illness) were sidelined.

Davis has since been ruled out for the season, while Stevens continues to battle the after-effects of a concussion at training a month ago.

Fortunately for the Crows, Rutten has lived up to his reputation as the 'rock' in defence.

According to Champion Data statistics, Rutten is the only player in the competition to have played every minute in each of his club's games this season.

The next-best mark belongs to Hawthorn defender Josh Gibson. The former Roo has played 99.2 per cent game time for the Hawks, coming to the interchange bench only briefly against Geelong in round five.

North Melbourne's Scott Thompson and Brisbane Lion Daniel Merrett aren't far behind, averaging 98-99 per cent game time.

Port Adelaide games record holder and Triple M and Advertiser football commentator Warren Tredrea enjoyed a fierce rivalry with Rutten during his career.

The battle between the two All Australians was a highlight of Showdown games over the past decade, but similar mouth-watering match-ups are becoming less frequent in the modern game, as clubs look to 'team' defence to prevent opposition teams scoring.

Rutten's set position in the Adelaide defensive press is on the last line.

He rarely ventures more than 30-40m from the opposition goal and Tredrea said this explained why Rutten and, defenders in general, were able to spend more time on the ground than other players.

"The defenders and full-backs, especially, are the only players these days who are a chance of staying on the ground 100 per cent of the time," Tredrea said.

"Defence used to be about a match-up, but now it's about a position on the ground. It's no longer the forward dictating where the defender goes."

This team approach to defence was highlighted in Adelaide's match against Fremantle in round three.

The Crows employed three different players to try to nullify Dockers skipper Matthew Pavlich, depending on where he positioned himself on the ground.

Rutten manned Pavlich when he was inside the attacking 50m, Davis followed him if he ventured around the 50m arc and Nathan van Berlo assumed the role in the midfield.

"A few years ago, someone like Rutten would play on a specific player and it meant his opponent was often taken outside his comfort zone. In the early days he used to follow me no matter where I went," Tredrea said.

"Now, all the clubs do is pick someone to play full-back. The opposition puts whoever they want at full-forward and the players and coaches work out the match-ups.

"No matter, the full-back doesn't move from his position in the press."

This article appears in this weekend's AFL Record