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...
3. (16th) North Melbourne
How much better do the Roos get after their acquisitions of veteran talent? It seems like a story we'll have to watch unfold before we rank North Melbourne any higher.
While Darling and Parker add valuable experience, Darling kicked just 22 goals last season, while Parker was slightly more productive with 14 goals from 10 appearances.
Nick Larkey was a Coleman smokey in 2023 despite the lack of success for North Melbourne, and he kicked 46 goals in 2024.ย Cameron Zurhaar and Paul Curtis remain underrated components to the Roos' outfit, combining for 59 goals in 2024.
Eddie Ford, Harry Sheezel and Jy Simpkin were all regular goalkickers in 2024 too, however, the latter two are irregularly stationed inside 50 for the majority of the match.
What hurt the Kangaroos the most was their inability to convert inside 50s into scores, scoring from just 38.3% of their inside 50s (ranked 18th).
While on paper, their forward line ranks no higher than 16th. There is potential for the Roos to flourish in 2025 if the team can gel quickly with their new veteran teammates.
