AFL forward line rankings

[WallyStringhaus]

Personally, I would have:
1. GWS Giants - self-explanatory.
2. Adelaide - two solid key forwards, the best crumber, lovely creator and a nice developing third tall. Depth is also very nice.
3. Hawthorn - Roughy, Breust, Gunston, Rioli, Puopolo and Sicily is too much.
4. West Coast - best key forward in the game, solid 2nd forward, nice small options and solid depth.
5. Sydney Swans - most dangerous key forward and stocked with young medium forward talents. Will only get better. Also have Reid returning at CHF.
6. St Kilda - Bruce, McCartin and Membrey is dangerous in every language. Weller is great, and Gresham has elite potential and is already winning games.
7. Port Adelaide - No complaints. i love their small forward options, and whilst weak up high, their smaller fellas make up for it. Very dangerous side up front.
8. Western Bulldogs - Cloke is cooked and Boyd is still yet to put it together in the H&A season. I love their medium options in Dickson and Crameri and such though, so they still belong in the 8.
9. North Melbourne - rated too low. Waite, Brown, Higgins, Thomas, Wood and Simpkin will be a terrific front six in 2017. Could be rated even higher still.
10. Collingwood - we're not star studded, but if playing simultaneously, a forward line of Moore, Elliott, Fasolo, Hoskin-Elliott, White and Sidebottom should be a real handful for oppotision teams.
11. Melbourne - A front three of Hogan, Garlett and Watts is splendid, but I fail to see any strong immediate goal threat from the HF line of Weideman ,Kent and Petracca. Lucky they have some solid goal kicking mids who can contribute to their score (I'm only rating the front six, not any midfielders)
12. Gold Coast - Lynch and Wright will be the best KPF duo in the comp one day but until then, their small forward stocks are uninspiring. I'm a big fan of Ah Chee but that's about it. Some of their mids do have strong goal senses though which should be very handy.
13. Geelong - I don't see it. Hawkins and Menzel I rate, but McCarthy, Selwood and even Cockatoo just don't kick enough goals. Taylor will need to be the 2nd key forward, not Henderson although I do believe that is what is happening; I've heard Taylor has been training up forward. Too many of their goals come from mids.
14. Richmond - it's the next area to build on. Riewoldt is elite and lloyd is solid but that's it for me. Everyone else is either too inexperienced, too incosistent or not good enough.
15. Fremantle - it has the scope but it's not there yet. I do not mind their depth however.
16. Essendon - It looks much better than previous years but until they've proven themselves as higher scorers, I don't really know how to place them higher. Daniher and Fantasia are the two important ones in 2017, Hooker and Langford will be nice contributors also. Tippa will be a forward as well I think?
17. Brisbane Lions - too many midfielders thrown in the forward flanks and pockets. Schache and Hipwood are an amazing young duo but that's about it.
18. Carlton - nah. McKay is a great talent but I fail to see much else. Come back in a few years

How you think Port, Stk, Syd, Haw and WCE have better forward lines than the Dogs is beyond me.

Dogs lowest score in the finals was 89 points both against Top 4 defenses. Sydney had scores of 55 and 67 in the finals yet they have a better attack? Port and the Saints didnt make the finals and they are better offensively? I dont think so...

 

[BoydOHboyd]

We clearly duped this author into thinking our forward line is better than it is because of the flag. It was our ridiculous midfield that did the job our forward line is provably 7-10th.

 

[ManOfClay]

Cloke ruins that forward line. Nothing about his ability, just throws the balance out.
Surely you'd stick with a focus on small marking options who can also put a heap of defensive pressure on. Picken or Smith forward, Dunkley to the bench, Cloke to the 2nds.

From the grand final Cloke takes Zaine Cordy's spot in the forward 50. Cordy goes back to play the role he was drafted for.

Crameri comes in for McLean who doesn't really play much like a small anyway

 

[WallyStringhaus]

Cloke ruins that forward line. Nothing about his ability, just throws the balance out.
Surely you'd stick with a focus on small marking options who can also put a heap of defensive pressure on. Picken or Smith forward, Dunkley to the bench, Cloke to the 2nds.

How can you be so sure when he hasnt even played a practice match yet? He might fit in seamlessly. He might take the role of Zaine Cordy and crash packs for those medium and small forwards. He might have a point to prove and play with extra motivation. Lets judge him after the season finishes eh?

 

[TiAn_]

Cloke ruins that forward line. Nothing about his ability, just throws the balance out.
Surely you'd stick with a focus on small marking options who can also put a heap of defensive pressure on. Picken or Smith forward, Dunkley to the bench, Cloke to the 2nds.

Our forward line worked best last year with Jack Redpath playing permanent forward with two rucks rotating through. I imagine that Cloke will fill that role, which Zaine Cordy had to step into in the finals.

Crameri will be an important addition too. Our forward line, which was dysfunctional for large portions or last year, should be noticeably better next year.

 

[Bokonon_]

Cloke ruins that forward line. Nothing about his ability, just throws the balance out.
Surely you'd stick with a focus on small marking options who can also put a heap of defensive pressure on. Picken or Smith forward, Dunkley to the bench, Cloke to the 2nds.

He can be a very effective target inside inside 50, with the right glove

 

[aussierulesrules]

Freo ahead of North is a joke.

 

[Beer n Skittles]

From the grand final Cloke takes Zaine Cordy's spot in the forward 50. Cordy goes back to play the role he was drafted for.

Crameri comes in for McLean who doesn't really play much like a small anyway

Had Crameri replacing Cordy but that works. I just loved how a different small marking forward stepped up in each final. Go too tall & it could upset that crazy forward pressure

 

[Harlequin Dream]

Freo ahead of North is a joke.

I can't understand it.

Walters is quality.

The rest has to be based on potential. Apeness has kicked 3 goals, McCarthy is untried as a number 1 forward, Ballantyne has not performed for 2 years and Bennell needs to get out on the park.

Should be bottom 3.

 

[aussierulesrules]

It's just silly silliness!

 

[TedDougChris]

Think that we are rated a little too high, but we have a few to come back into the forward line and a few handy ball users (such as Murphy) that should help our delivery I50. Combined with natural improvement due to relatively young squad, that should see us ranked somewhere in the 4 - 8 range (without directly comparing to any other sides).

 

[adammania9]

How you think Port, Stk, Syd, Haw and WCE have better forward lines than the Dogs is beyond me.

Dogs lowest score in the finals was 89 points both against Top 4 defenses. Sydney had scores of 55 and 67 in the finals yet they have a better attack? Port and the Saints didnt make the finals and they are better offensively? I dont think so...

I mean, the season is a little bit longer than the last four games a team could possibly play in. Reality is, you scored the least amount of points in the entire H&A season than every other club in the top 12, so upon second thought, there are some pretty good arguments you could make to relegate the Dogs even lower than the 8th best forward line. I may have been a bit kind there.

 

[WallyStringhaus]

I mean, the season is a little bit longer than the last four games a team could possibly play in. Reality is, you scored the least amount of points in the entire H&A season than every other club in the top 12, so upon second thought, there are some pretty good arguments you could make to relegate the Dogs even lower than the 8th best forward line. I may have been a bit kind there.

They also had a ridiculous injury toll which forced players to cover in different areas. No doubt in your research you saw that the Dogs averaged 97 ppg across the first two months of the season and had a percentage of around 145. It was no accident that once our best players came back that our forward line efficiency went back to normal.

Given we were top 4 for points scored in 2015 and the evidence presented above with concerns to season 2016, i thinks its fairly safe to say that you have underrated the reigning premiers

 

[adammania9]

They also had a ridiculous injury toll which forced players to cover in different areas. No doubt in your research you saw that the Dogs averaged 97 ppg across the first two months of the season and had a percentage of around 145. It was no accident that once our best players came back that our forward line efficiency went back to normal.

Given we were top 4 for points scored in 2015 and the evidence presented above with concerns to season 2016, i thinks its fairly safe to say that you have underrated the reigning premiers

I'll give you Crameri, that's really the only player who was missing. If you want to talk about 2015, then why are you mentioning the fact that you're the reigning premiers? 2016 is all that matters, and your forward line may have been pretty good in the finals, but it was the 13th best for scoring in the 22 games preceding them.

 

[sonnywalters]

Jenkins and Walker are over-rated imo. I watched them very closely in this years finals and they are bog ordinary football players. Real front runners with serious limitations. If Walker doesnt mark it lace out he is useless. Kicks his goals against weak sides.

I would have Hawks as clear number one fwd line still.
Next has to be GWS.
Woofers - third - Boyd, Crameri, Dixon, Cameron, The Haus. Looks very dynamic.

 

[simmo97]

Jenkins and Walker are over-rated imo. I watched them very closely in this years finals and they are bog ordinary football players. Real front runners with serious limitations. If Walker doesnt mark it lace out he is useless. Kicks his goals against weak sides.

I would have Hawks as clear number one fwd line still.
Next has to be GWS.

Walker scores against TOP 8 teams in 2016
R1-North 2.3
R4-Sydney 2.2
R5-Hawthorn 2.2
R7-Bulldogs 1.0
R8-Geelong 2.0
R10-Giants 5.3
R12-Eagles 2.0
R14-North 2.2
R18-Geelong 0.2
R23-Eagles 0.1
EF-North 2.3
SF-Sydney 2.2
22 of his 47 goals kicked against top 8 teams i think this shows your perception is getting in the way of reality

 

[WallyStringhaus]

I'll give you Crameri, that's really the only player who was missing. If you want to talk about 2015, then why are you mentioning the fact that you're the reigning premiers? 2016 is all that matters, and your forward line may have been pretty good in the finals, but it was the 13th best for scoring in the 22 games preceding them.

Just Crameri? Please tell me how Clay Smith affected the dynamics of the forward line when he came back into the lineup in round 15...8 goals and 37 tackles in the finals alone. The structure Zaine Cordy brought in after his inclusion in round 19. The influence of Liam Picken who was allowed to move forward once our A grade mids came back to kick 8 goals in the finals. The confidence Tom Boyd will gain from dominating a GF? Please tell me how all of the above factored into your 2017 ratings?

 

[Bokonon_]

Just Crameri? Please tell me how Clay Smith affected the dynamics of the forward line when he came back into the lineup in round 15...8 goals and 37 tackles in the finals alone. The structure Zaine Cordy brought in after his inclusion in round 19. The influence of Liam Picken who was allowed to move forward once our A grade mids came back to kick 8 goals in the finals. The confidence Tom Boyd will gain from dominating a GF? Please tell me how all of the above factored into your 2017 ratings?

Yeah
I carelessly left Boyd out in my earlier post. No more positive sign than having a breakout game in a GF.

 

[adammania9]

Just Crameri? Please tell me how Clay Smith affected the dynamics of the forward line when he came back into the lineup in round 15...8 goals and 37 tackles in the finals alone. The structure Zaine Cordy brought in after his inclusion in round 19. The influence of Liam Picken who was allowed to move forward once our A grade mids came back to kick 8 goals in the finals. The confidence Tom Boyd will gain from dominating a GF? Please tell me how all of the above factored into your 2017 ratings?

Clay Smith in some sense contributed. His preliminary final performance was marvelous - I'll also give you him.
Cordy offers very little - he had minimal impact.
Picken kicks goal but at the expense of other players. He's a midfielder and will rightfully return to the midfield
Tom Boyd? Has a mountain to climb to become this gun key forward everyone all of a sudden thinks he is. The confidence factor won't have any effect on a new season.

Look, if you feel your forward line is better than I think it is, go and think that, good for you but I disagree. I think that the returns of those who missed out on parts of 2016 lifts your forward line to the 7-9 area so I put them in the middle.

 

[Thrawn]

I'm surprised we ended up as high as 18th.

 

[_Mike_]

I have us around 6-7 on that list, nowhere near top 3 at this stage.

Crameri is going to need to have a big year to drag us back to that level as well as the outputs of both T Boyd and Cloke needing to be consistent contributors.

 

[WallyStringhaus]

Clay Smith in some sense contributed. His preliminary final performance was marvelous - I'll also give you him.
Cordy offers very little - he had minimal impact.
Picken kicks goal but at the expense of other players. He's a midfielder and will rightfully return to the midfield
Tom Boyd? Has a mountain to climb to become this gun key forward everyone all of a sudden thinks he is. The confidence factor won't have any effect on a new season.

Look, if you feel your forward line is better than I think it is, go and think that, good for you but I disagree. I think that the returns of those who missed out on parts of 2016 lifts your forward line to the 7-9 area so I put them in the middle.

My issue is you place to much emphasis on home and away results. Dogs were the number one ranked offense in September. In cutthroat games, where every teams defense cranks it up a notch. This, along with our form across the opening of season 16 gives me every bit of confidence that they will have a top 4 attack in 17...injuries permitting. That you have Port and Stkilda in front of them is a joke

 

[ScragCity]

Good to see the Twin Towers of Boyd and Cloke getting the credit they deserve.

 

[hk89]

Very lazy piece of journalism.

Bulldogs at 3 is simply, "they won the flag, we better rate them accordingly". Bulldog's were the 12th most potent forward line in the competition. They won the flag because they were excellent in other parts of the ground. Even Boyd sticks more in my mind for his defensive efforts during the finals than his goal scoring power. Cloke is probably cooked, and while Crameri might add something, he's been out the game for a year, so I don't see how those two are going to propel them from 12th to 3rd in terms of scoring power.

 

[theprospect]

1. GWS
2. Adelaide
3. Bulldogs
4. Hawthorn
5. West Coast
6. Sydney
7. Geelong
8. Port Adelaide
9. St Kilda
10. Gold Coast
11. Fremantle
12. Melbourne
13. North Melbourne
14. Richmond
15. Collingwood
16. Essendon
17. Brisbane
18. Carlton

Is the article a joke? Bulldogs have a very good forward line don't get me wrong, but it's not better than Hawthorn's or West Coast IMO, have them on par with Sydney maybe just ahead. With Crameri coming back though they can justify being ranked 3rd however, Cloke is cooked. Port don't have a forward line if you take out Wingard, their forward line is just full of spuds. St. Kilda have a much better forward line than Port, and pound for pound it's probably better than Geelong's too, but they kick a lot more goals through the midfield. Freo have nothing, North's is much better on paper. Hell, Richmond has a better forward line than Freo and even Essendon