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...
4. (15th) St Kilda
Similarly to Richmond, without a healthy star forward the Saints' forward line is scarce of firepower. Max King has the capability to have 50+ goal seasons, but his injuries and inaccuracy keep leaving fans wondering about how good he can be.
King played in just 12 games in 2024, leading to small forward Jack Higgins taking control of the forward half with a 36-goal season.
St Kilda are now without their second-highest goalkicker of last year after Membrey's departure, although the Saints hadn't offered him a new contract anyway. 24-year-old Cooper Sharman could finally take the leap in becoming the key forward pairing King is after, after kicking 18 goals from 18 appearances in 2024.
But the Saints will have plenty of work to do to improve. They ranked 15th for points per game in 2024, with an average of just 76 points per game. Whilst defence was the key part of their winning formula in 2023, it was unable to carry them through to a consecutive finals berth in 2024.
