He’s always been regarded as a tackling machine, but in 2016, Andrew Swallow is taking things to a new level.

The Roos’ inspirational skipper has laid an amazing 98 tackles in just 11 games.

To put that into context, the average across the AFL is around 34 tackles per player in the first half of the season.

Swallow is 13 clear of his closest competitor, Hawthorn’s Liam Shiels, who has registered 85 tackles in nine games, while Matt Priddis is a distant third with 76.

While tackle numbers have only been registered since 1987, North’s number nine is setting a record pace.

Back in 2011, then Eagle Scott Selwood laid 202 tackles in 25 games, which stands as the all-time record.

Selwood averaged a little over 8 tackles a game (8.08), while Swallow is currently going at 8.9.

The importance of tackling was highlighted by Richmond coach Damien Hardwick following Friday night’s game.

“The fact of the matter is they (the Kangaroos) blitzed us early and we didn’t stand up to the pressure,” Hardwick said.

“I thought their pressure was very good. You sort of felt as if the game was over at quarter-time.

“Every time (Trent) Cotchin got the ball he probably got smashed by three or four North Melbourne players.

“They’re AFL number 1 pressure side. They’re nine and one, now ten and one for a reason – they win contested ball, they win tackle counts.

“I think six out of their ten games now they’ve won both contested ball and tackle. I think you win 90 per cent of those games.”

Not surprisingly, Swallow played a huge part in that advantage, with his highest contested disposal count since 2013 (19).

He also laid 11 tackles, after 12 the week before.

It’s that balance of finding the ball and pressuring the opposition in close that makes Swallow such a valuable commodity for Brad Scott.

His impact over his 197 games in royal blue and white can’t be underestimated when you consider the numbers; he averages six and a half tackles a game, the most for any player with over 50 games, and sits in the top 20 of all-time for contested possessions, as well as clearances.

The skipper simply leads from the front.