Which key forward would you rather: J. Riewoldt, Cameron or Hawkins?

They say defence wins premierships. But if you’re a sucker like I am for exciting goals, pack marks, attacking football and big bags of six pointers, well, then you’re going to the footy to watch the key forwards play.

The up and coming key forwards have previously been compared, as have the old timers like Nick Riewoldt and Matt Pavlich, and the Roughy versus Buddy decider went toe to toe, so this ‘who you would you rather’ will compare three of the best key forwards right now.

We’ve got Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt, Geelong’s Tom Hawkins and Greater Western Sydney’s Jeremy Cameron.

So which key forward would you rather?

Jack Riewoldt
Taken at pick 13 in the 2006 draft, Jack Riewoldt has done more than enough to repay Richmond in his 164-game career.

He was drafted as the next successor of Richmond’s forward line. Following in the great Matthew Richardson’s footsteps was never going to be an easy task, let alone having the added pressure of being cousins with St Kilda’s Nick Riewoldt.

But Jack has definitely made his last name and the Tigers forward line his own. He’s kicked 401 goals, is a two-time Coleman Medallist, a Best and Fairest winner, an All-Australian and a five-time leading goal kicker at the Tigers.

As much as his credentials speak for themselves, Jack is perhaps just as well known for his self-imposed media bans, criticism of his coach’s game plan, ridiculous-marking attempts, eccentric and expressive on-field body language – all of which have made him one of the most beloved and unorthodox characters in the AFL.

Riewoldt is an incredibly creative forward. He can do his damage deep in full forward. He can push up onto the wing. He can devastate you in open space on the forward 50 arc.

In fact, giving Riewoldt an inch of space is all he needs. Despite some of his silly attempts at a specky, Jack has the ability to take a remarkable pack mark. He is a great, accurate set shot at goal, but one of his better attributes is his selfless play in the forward line.

He was ranked third for total goal assists in 2013. He was the club’s leading goal kicker that year as well.

He has kicked season totals of 60 goals 70 goals, but his greatest individual performance to date was his demolishing 11-goal bag against the Giants last year.

Jeremy Cameron
In just 58 games with the Giants, is Jeremy Cameron the new king of Sydney? Well, if his first seven rounds of 2015 are anything to go by, Cameron may have knocked Buddy Franklin off the pedestal.

Cameron is the least experienced out the three candidates, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that by following his performances. He was one of GWS’s underage recruits and debuted in their innagural 2012 season. Would you be surprised if I told you that he didn’t start playing football until he was 16? Sixteen? Wow.

He led GWS’s goal kicking in his and their first season and has won himself the title in 2013 and 2014.

2013 – his second AFL season, was extraordinary. How does this sound for a second year player: All-Australian, GWS Best and Fairest, leading goal kicker at GWS with 62 goals and third in the Coleman Medal race. Not bad Jeremy. Not bad at all.

His 2014 campaign was derailed by an ankle injury but his 2015 season couldn’t be going any better. The Giants are flying, Cameron is sitting third in the Coleman race with 24 goals and he would still be smiling from his newly signed, five-year, $4 million deal with the orange.

Now that the formal introductory are covered, let’s talk about Jeremy Cameron the player. With just over 50 games into his AFL career, Cameron has already kicked 144 goals. He’s an incredibly accurate kick at goal, is a strong marking target and has added another string to his bow of late – his creativity.

From bicycle kicks to soccering the ball through to nailing set shots, Cameron has shown he is no traditional, stay at home key forward. He is deceivingly quick, is a great lead up target and is pretty hard to miss in the Giant’s forward line with a 195-centimetre, 95-kilogram frame.

At just 22 years of age, Cameron will be the forward pillar for the Giants for a very long time to come. Pair him with a powering Jonathon Patton (when he returns) and the unlikely Cam McCarthy, and the Giants will be very hard to beat for a long time to come.

Tom Hawkins
Tom Hawkins was drafted in 2006, under the father son rule by the Geelong Cats. Like many key forwards, and probably the most out of these three, Hawkins took a while to develop into the player he is today.

However, since 2011, Tom Hawkins has claimed the title as the most powerful forward target in the AFL. With a 105-kilogram, 197-centimetre frame, Hawkins has learnt how to dominate his opposition.

Put it in the air, put it to his advantage, or put it in space and Hawkins will do his best to mark the ball. Marking is his forte, and if you were a Geelong midfielder, you would absolutely love having Hawkins as your target. He led the league in contested marks last season and also took the most marks inside 50 in the AFL.

No one can question his effort. He is always trying to get involved in the game and 8/10 will play his role to the best of his ability.

152 games in and 295 goals, like Travis Cloke, Hawkins’ goal kicking has always been the little knock on his career.

Since Cameron Mooney’s departure, Hawkins had really been the sole forward target for Geelong until Mitch Clarke arrived this year. He has dealt with his fair share of back issues and patches of inconsistent form throughout his career. But Hawkins, like Riewoldt is an incredibly selfless player, and his big, cheesy smile shows that he loves playing the game.

The monster forward he has developed into was no better encapsulated in the 2011 AFL grand final. It was the game that displayed two of the best, most dominant power forwards. Cloke versus Hawkins. And Hawkins won that battle convincingly. 19 disposals, 9 marks and 3 goals were his stats. His influence was remarkable.

He’s 26 years old, a beloved Geelong team man, a two-time premiership player, an All-Australian, Geelong’s Best and Fairest winner in 2012 and a three-time leading goal kicker for the Cats, with his best coming last season with a final tally of 68 goals.

He may of taken his time to develop, but Geelong would be absolutely thrilled with the player Tom Hawkins has become.

The Decision
If you were picking a key forward to build your forward line and your team around, who would you go for?

Do you want creativity? Do you want accuracy? Do you want power?

You can only pick one.

So who would you rather – Jack Riewoldt, Jeremy Cameron or Tom Hawkins?