Stats Insider's AFL Player Ratings: Top 10 Forwards

In a period of time when AFL scoring has plateaued, forwards are arguably more important than ever before.

While sure, we’re not presently living through an era characterised by leviathans like Tony Lockett, Wayne Carey and Jason Dunstall, but we are seeing a very different type of forward, both psychically and strategically, and who are still able to have a massive impact on the game.

Stats Insider’s AFL Player Ratings very much capture that variance, with an array of body types and positional flexibility reflected in who we’re presently regarding as the game’s very best.

Speaking of the best, let’s take a look at the top ten AFL forwards.

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1. MICHAEL WALTERS - FREMANTLE

KEY STAT - 11 players kicked 40 or more goals in 2019. Michael Walters was the only player to average more than 20 disposals (21.8) among that group with Jeremy Cameron a distant second with 16.

2. ROBBIE GRAY - PORT POWER

KEY STAT - With 217, Robbie Gray has the fifth most active goal assists in the league, chipping in with an extremely impressive 318 goals to boot. Gray’s also averaged more than 20 disposals throughout his brilliant 13-year career.

3. TOM HAWKINS - GEELONG

KEY STAT - In more than 120 years of Geelong Football Club history, nobody has ever achieved the feat of eight straight years of being the club’s leading goalkicker. That was until Tom Hawkins came along and dominated the decade. With 490 career contested marks, Hawkins is also the active AFL clubhouse leader insofar as pulling down the big grabs.

4. ISAAC HEENEY - SYDNEY

KEY STAT - Heeney’s already averaging a goal a game over his first 5 seasons in the AFL, which has been accompanied by 18.4 disposals per game. The Novocastrian is on the cusp of taking his game to a whole new level in 2020.

5. JEREMY CAMERON - GWS GIANTS

KEY STAT - Eight season of GWS football, eight seasons of Jeremy Cameron being the club’s leading goalscorer. Cameron’s 403 career goals was finally rewarded with a richly deserved Coleman medal in 2019. The truly scary thought? He’s just 26 years old.

6. JORDAN DE GOEY - COLLINGWOOD

KEY STAT - The Pies are 6-1 when De Goey has had at least 20 touches and a two goals in a game, while Collingwood really seem to struggle to post scores without his incredible impact. Few players mean more to the overall function of their team, and particularly their forward line, as De Goey does for Pies.

7. JACK DARLING - WEST COAST

KEY STAT - Over the last two seasons Jack Darling has overtaken two-time Coleman medalist Josh Kennedy as the Eagles most productive forward. Darling’s improved his goal per game tally in each of the last five seasons, slotting 59 in 2019 with his eyes now firmly set on claiming the mantle of the AFL’s preeminent key forward.

8. TOBY GREENE - GWS GIANTS

KEY STAT - Toby Greene was one of 36 players to kick at least 27 goals last season. Only Greene, Dangerfield and Martin however did so while also averaging better than 23 disposals per match.

9. JADE GRESHAM - ST KILDA

KEY STAT - The young St Kilda star was rewarded with State of Origin selection over the pre-season, entering that rarefied air insofar as averaging a goal a game, while also being a prolific ball winner, averaging 22.6 in 2019.

10. LUKE BRUEST - HAWTHORN

KEY STAT - Three premierships, a couple of All-Australians, two-time Hawks leading goalkicker and nine straight seasons of at least 30 goals. He also has 822 career tackles placing him fifth overall among active forwards.

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