As the 2022 season approaches, we take a look at the best performing forwards throughout the 2021 season to try and gauge which of these attackers sits on top of the rankings going into the new season.

Here is our top 10 list of the best forwards in the league for this upcoming season.

RANKING THE TOP 10 RUCKMEN IN THE AFL

4. Lance Franklin

An icon of the modern game, โ€˜Buddyโ€™ is still putting up excellent numbers despite being well past his prime. The 35-year-old has played 318 games in the AFL, but still remains one of the competitionโ€™s biggest game-changers when heโ€™s up and running.

Franklin scored 51 goals for the year, averaging 2.8 goals a game. That's the second-highest average goals per game out of any player in the league, with only Coleman medallist Harry McKay having more.

โ€˜Buddy' is also well renowned for his forward pressure, averaging an elite 2.6 tackles per game to give the Swans an advantage both with and without the ball.