As the saying goes, forwards sell memberships, and the reasons behind that are obvious. They offer fans the nail-biting, heart-pounding, breath-holding moments in football, with goalscoring shots that can turn momentum on its head, and ultimately, be the difference maker in the result of a game.
In 2024, Jesse Hogan notched his first Coleman Medal with a 69-goal season, 11 ahead of next-best Jeremy Cameron (58) who was closely followed by the reigning leading goalkicker Charlie Curnow (57).
Last season Geelong led the league for goals per game, edging out runner-up Sydney slightly. The Swans led the league for points per game overall though, followed by the Western Bulldogs.
However, after trade and free agency moves, retirements, and new draftees, the forward lines across the league won't be the same as last year. So, with the Opening Round less than two months away, we've ranked every club's forward line 18-1 to determine which club is the greatest attacking threat in 2025.
Here is Part 1, ranking teams 18th through 13th...
2. (17th) West Coast
Although Waterman was fitted for his first All-Australian blazer, West Coast was one of the poorer offensive sides in 2024.
They averaged just 69 points per game (ranked 17th), which makes it unsurprising that Waterman's 53-goal tally nearly doubled the second-highest goalkicker - Jamie Cripps' 27.
Darling, while only offering 22 goals last season, could still be an exit that negatively impacts the side as he took attention away from Waterman and Oscar Allen, allowing them greater space to lead and score from.
The additions of Matthew Owies and Jack Graham could curb that though, and potentially be dynamic inclusions to the mix.
It may be another season of development for West Coast, and thus we shouldn't expect a large improvement from their scoring output in 2025.
