Best forwards of the decade: Leading goalscorers, most and least accurate goalkickers
It wasn’t a great period for goalkicking accuracy. Which player will go down as the worst shot on goal for the decade? Plus, the deadeyes who didn’t miss.
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Sydney superstar Lance Franklin has been a goalkicking powerhouse across the decade – just ask the defenders who have tried to stop him.
The four-time Coleman Medallist has kicked more goals than any other player from 2010-2019, slotting 639 for Hawthorn and Sydney at an average of 3.2 goals per game.
It is no wonder he was named No.1 in Robbo’s Top 50 of the decade and why the Swans paid a high price to lure the spearhead from the Hawks following their 2013 premiership triumph.
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He has led Sydney’s goalkicking in five of the six seasons since his big move – an injury affected year restricting him to just 10 matches in 2019 – booting 364 goals in total for the Swans.
We are aware of Buddy’s prowess up forward, but who else has dominated the decade up forward?
Which player has the highest accuracy in front of goal, and who has kicked the most behinds?
Who features in the top-10 goal scorers for the decade, and which forward has booted most majors for your club?
Check out the leading forwards from 2010-2019.
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Franklin leads the decade’s Coleman Medal y by a considerable margin with 62 more goals than the next best forward, Richmond spearhead Jack Riewoldt.
While he is no longer the No. 1 man in the Tigers forward line, Riewoldt has been a goalkicking machine over the past 10 years, claiming three Coleman Medals.
Homecoming small forward Eddie Betts has the highest number of goals for a small forward, and ranks fifth overall for the decade. His former Crows teammate Taylor Walker ranks just behind him in equal sixth spot.
SCROLL DOWN TO VOTE ON THE BEST FORWARD OF THE DECADE
Hawthorn has three players on the top-10 list including Buddy, with retired star Jarryd Roughead (8th) and small forward Luke Breust (9th) also featuring. Roughead and Breust efforts in the forward half were pivotal parts in Hawthorn’s premiership three-peat.
The Eagles have two tall forwards among the top-10 goal scorers, including third placed Josh J. Kennedy. The bearded spearhead booted 562 majors across the decade, forming a damaging duo with Jack Darling (10th). The latter has succeeded Kennedy in the goalkicking stakes in recent years.
GWS goalkicker Jeremy Cameron only made his debut in 2012 but still ranks equal sixth overall – no mean feat considering the Giants’ lack of success in their formative years.
TOP GOALKICKERS AT EACH CLUB
Most of these names are expected but some come as a surprise, especially considering the amount of games certain forwards played for their respective club.
Current Fremantle forward Jesse Hogan leads Melbourne’s goalkicking for the decade despite playing just four seasons for them – a reflection of their poor record over this period.
Former Blues goalsneak Jeff Garlett has booted the most goals for Carlton from 2010-2019, slotting 171 in five seasons. He was traded to the Demons following that season and finished the decade in the worst possible way: by getting delisted.
Surprisingly, midfielder Dayne Zorko leads the way for the Lions with 181 goals, while sharpshooter Tory Dickson has slotted more goals than any other Bulldog over the past 10 seasons.
MORE DECADE STORIES
Mark Robinson ranks his top 50 AFL players of the decade
Stats leaders and your club’s home-and-away record across the decade
Australia’s greatest cricket innings of the decade
The 10 best sporting comebacks of the decade 2010-2019
The 10 biggest Australian sporting scandals of the decade
Former Power and Tiger forward Jay Schultz finishes the decade as the leading goal scorer for Port Adelaide.
Retired stars Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle), Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) and Travis Cloke (Collingwood) lead the way for their former clubs.
Most goal assists – Eddie Betts 234
When Eddie has the ball in his hands, he makes things happen.
The homecoming excitement machine not only ranks fifth for total goals for the decade, he has also set the most up, racking up more goal assists than any player in the competition.
It means Betts has either scored or assisted over 700 majors for Carlton and Adelaide.
Who knows how many more goals he will produce back in the Navy Blue.
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Most behinds – Lance Franklin 459
Buddy’s inaccuracy was well documented throughout his career, leading all comers in another goalkicking statistic – but this one is much less desirable.
Franklin kicked five behinds or more in 15 matches across the decade, including a wayward 3.7 against the Demons in Round 7, 2012.
However, this is nothing on his horror game in front of goal against the Bulldogs in 2007, finishing with a whopping 11 behinds and just two majors.
Most accurate (minimum 200 shots at goal) – Tory Dickson 64.0%
He has been on the outer in recent seasons but Bulldog Tory Dickson is the decade’s resident deadeye.
In his prime the sharpshooting forward couldn’t miss, booting an accurate 50 goals and just 12 behinds in 2015. He followed it up the next year with another impressive goalkicking tally of 40.17.
Dicksons pinpoint accuracy of 64 per cent is the highest of any forward from 2010-2019 who has taken more than 200 shots on goal, pipping Jay Schultz (62.2%), Barry Hall (61.9%), Daniel Giansiracusa (61.2%) and Luke Breust (61%).
Worst goalkicking accuracy – Danyle Pearce 32.9%
Former Docker and Power stalwart Danyle Pearce wasn’t a noted goalkicker, booting 127 majors across his 258 game career, but has the worst goalkicking accuracy of any player across the second decade of this century.
He is the only former player among the top five in this category. It isn’t a shock to see wayward Saint Jack Billings (36.2%) in third place, finishing with a dismal tally of 23.36 in 2017 alone.
Bombers star Dylan Shiel (35.1%) finishes the decade with the second worst accuracy, while Liam Shiels (36.2%) and Devon Smith (36.8%) round out the bottom five.
Originally published as Best forwards of the decade: Leading goalscorers, most and least accurate goalkickers