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Sport Nation
The evolving forward role that clubs must adopt in 2025
Jaiden Sciberras • May 19th, 2025 6:30 pm
Nathan Buckley has credited the rising importance of an evolved forward role in 2025.
This season has seen an astronomical rise in small to medium forward stocks, with a number of undersized front-half threats hitting the scoreboard at record rates through 10 games.
Led by Jack Higgins with 28 goals, the likes of Jamie Elliott (23 goals), Ben Long (19), Paul Curtis (18) and Rhylee West (18) have exploded, with small to medium sized forwards making up 12 of the current top 30 players in the Coleman Medal race.
As it stands, every side currently residing within the top eight has a small to medium forward within the top 30.
After big bags from a number of smalls in Round 10, Buckley believes that failing to adapt to the changing landscape in the forward 50 would be perilous to those already behind the eight-ball.
“It’s been a trend for a while, but I think it’s probably as prevalent now as ever, and that’s damaging small or medium sized forwards,” Buckley told SEN’s Whateley.
“Not just crumbing small forwards, but guys that can hurt you in the air as well.
“We’re seeing a batch of them in this season that their sides are getting their tall forwards up the ground a little bit where they can and going over the top to these players.
“Jamie Elliott has been excellent, he’s kicked 23 goals which puts him seventh on the Coleman. He had a quieter weekend but was still playing that role.
“We saw Nick Watson early was put deep and isolated, hitting the scoreboard early for Hawthorn. Ben Long for the Suns
“Rhylee West, he doesn’t get the field set up for him to be a target player, but he just imposes himself because he can nullify a 6'4" intercept marker and bring the ball to ground, or he can move him out and take the mark.
“His performance was huge. (Jack) Higgins is second in the Coleman, he’s probably more your quintessential crumber but his body work, he just finds opportunities when others won’t.
“It’s probably more the Elliot, Long, West, Watson, Curtis before he went out. (Oliver) Dempsey’s doing it off a wing. He’s kicked 17 goals off a wing.
“It’s not your Heeneys, Zurhaars, Haywards, who I think are more aerial players first, these are guys that were more ground players to begin with. They’re 5'7,8,9" that are just causing havoc, and have become prevalent forward 50 targets as the tall players that we’ve come to love and expect in that role.
“Watch this space because if you don’t have one, you’re behind the eight-ball.”
