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The AFL is currently blessed with a supremely talented posse of elite young key forwards.
The modern AFL key forward is tall, athletic, quick, agile and just as good on the ground as in the air.
It is a joy to watch these young key forwards dominating an ever evolving game. Below I have ranked the top five young key forwards in the AFL.
1. Jeremy Cameron (Greater Western Sydney)
Age: 23
Height: 196cm
Weight: 93kg
Draft: 2011
Achievements: AFL Rising Star Nominee 2012
AFLPA Best First Year Player 2012
4x Greater Western Sydney Leading goal kicker 2012-2015
Kevin Sheedy Medal (GWS Best and Fairest) 2013
All Australian Team 2013
Third in Coleman Medal 2013 with 62 goals
Second in Coleman Medal 2015 with 63 goals
In 2013 I said Jeremy Cameron will be the best AFL forward for the next ten years. Three years later he has definitely lived up to the hype.
Cameron kicked 63 goals last year and this year he has kicked 16 goals in four games after missing the opening month due to suspension.
He is the ultimate modern AFL prototype: tall, quick, great overhead, a solid set shot for goal and supremely agile. Cameron posses all the weapons to continue dominating the game for years to come.
2. Tom Lynch (Gold Coast Suns)
Age: 23
Height: 199cm
Weight: 98kg
Draft: 2010 Number 11
Achievements: 2x Gold Coast Suns Leading goal kicker 2014 andamp; 15
Gold Coast Suns Club Champion 2015
Gold Coast Suns Runner Up Club Champion 2014
The tallest of the group and the best pack mark. He is super quick on a lead, a great set shot for goal and possesses the best hands overhead of the five.
He is quickly becoming the best key forward in the league, let alone the best under the age of 24. He is the complete package and may well dethrone Cameron as number one on this list by seasons end.
3. Jake Stringer (Western Bulldogs)
Age: 22
Height: 192cm
Weight: 93kg
Draft: 2012 Number 5
Achievements: AFL Rising Star Nominee 2014
Western Bulldogs Leading goal kicker 2015
All Australian Team 2015
International Rules Series 2015
His nickname ‘The Package’ says it all. What a player and talent. He is a unique footballer and a genuine freak around goals.
He has one of the best vertical leaps of the group and is known to take a ‘hanger’. His laboured and relaxed approach must be at times frustrating to coach. He is a see ball, get ball type of player and relies on instinct.
Luke Beveridge clearly gives Stringer a creative licence each week (who wouldn’t). He is my favourite of the five players to watch because he is so unpredictable and freakish.
4. Jack Darling (West Coast Eagles)
Age: 23
Height: 191cm
Weight: 95kg
Draft: 2010 Number 26
Achievements: AFL Rising Star Nominee 2011
West Coast Eagles Leading goal kicker 2012
Darling oozes class and talent. This man child was ready to play at the elite level as a teenager. The acrobatics, speed and agility of this big unit is amazing to watch. He is like a cat on a hot tin roof in close quarters and on the ground, using his background in martial arts to great effect.
He is lightening quick on a lead and very strong overhead. Darling hasn’t yet developed into the player I thought he would become but I forget how young he still is. If he puts it all together he could become the most damaging forward in the competition.
5. Jesse Hogan (Melbourne Demons)
Age: 21
Height: 195cm
Weight: 101kg
Draft: 2013 Number 2
Achievements: AFL Rising Star Winner 2015
Melbourne Demons Leading goal kicker 2015
Melbourne Demons Best First Year Player 2015
The big boy, the monster, the body player. I just love what Hogan brings to the competition. An old fashioned key forward that relies on straight line speed and power more than agility.
His goal kicking is unpredictable and he needs to address his ‘stuttering’ Josh Kennedy-esque run up. He has unbelievable strength one on one for a 21 year old and he must have been born with chest hair. Hogan is the future of the Demons structure and hopefully he can cope with the intense scrutiny and pressure.
Honourable mentions: Josh Bruce (St Kilda Saints), Darcy Moore (Collingwood Magpies) and Joe Daniher (Essendon Bombers).
The advent of reduced interchange and the removal of the substitute rule has allowed key forwards to become more relevant in the modern game. The speed of the game is at an all time high but the above rule changes will slow the game down especially in the last two quarters.
This will enable the ‘big boys’ to have more of an influence. Who doesn’t love seeing a key forward taking huge pack marks, snapping freak goals and dominating the game? This list of young key forwards excites me and I look forward to watching their development in the coming years.
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