AFL 2022: Big goal tallies have made the Coleman Medal race interesting again

Big bags of goals were thought to have become extinct over the past decade but now, multiple forwards are scoring multiple goals every week. And we’re the better for it.

When one of the AFL’s greatest all-time goal kickers got to the point where he’d rather see his son play in the midfield than as a forward, you know we have a problem.

The ex-player in question is former Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd, who cracked the ton in a season twice during his remarkable 926-goal career.

The Coleman Medal was won last year with just 58 goals, a far cry from the days when the likes of Jason Dunstall, Tony Lockett, Gary Ablett Sr were all kicking over 100 goals a season in an enthralling battle for the coveted award.

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Charlie Curnow has been a real revelation for the Blues this season. Picture: Michael Klein

The game has changed, but in 2022 big key-position forwards are back in vogue, and for many it’s not a moment too soon.

Bags are back.

Carlton’s Charlie Curnow has had two six-goal and two five-goal performances so far this season to lead the Coleman Medal race on 33 goals.

Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch went goalless last weekend, but before that kicked swags of seven, six and four goal hauls in his past three outings.

A six-goal burst by Saint Max King last weekend saw him shoot to third.

The drought for the big men has ended, much to the relief of those of us pining for the great goal kickers of the past.

“I remember having a chat with someone and I said: ‘my son is 10 and I wouldn’t mind him coming back as a midfielder,’” Lloyd said.

The Carlton big man is the prototype of the new modern forward.

Tom Lynch missed out last week but has been in terrific form.

“I said ‘I don’t want him to become a forward because the game’s just not good for being a forward and it’s no fun down there for them with the rolling mauls and all of that.”

That was then, but the wheel has begun to turn.

“With how the game is now going, I think it is an opportunity again for those mobile forwards to thrive,” Lloyd said.

Curnow, in particular, is the prototype of the new modern forward than can do it all.

“Guys like Tom Boyd, Paddy McCartin and Jon Patton, the modern game probably went past them a bit because they were those big, bulky forwards,” Lloyd said.

“Curnow is the modern day forward who can sit on heads, he can run 14km, he can get up, he can get back.

“His mobility and the mobility of the King twins coming along and Harry McKay … I think they can cover the ground so well, which maybe the forwards of previous times who were bigger and bulkier and just couldn’t do it.

Max King’s mobility makes his extremely difficult to defend against.

“It’s that different type of forward that’s coming along that can really thrive in the game.”

It’s shaping as the most exciting Coleman Medal race for many years, with Curnow leading over Lynch (31) Saint Max King (29), Geelong’s Tom Hawkins (29) and Jeremy Cameron (28).

The big forwards are all the rage again, and Lloyd puts it down to a change in coaching mindset, the quickening of the game due to aspects like the standing on the mark rule and the impact of Melbourne.

“In past years you might have had a Charlie Cameron type or one of those smaller types leading the goalkicking, but it’s so good to see so many key forwards thriving in the game again,” he said.

Veteran Cat Tom Hawkins is also putting his hand up to sit fourth in this year’s Coleman Medal race.

“I think the game does evolve, not to the point where I think we’ll get a 100 goal kicker again, but it’s more teams realise you can’t be ultra-defensive.

“We went through a phase where it was all about getting heaps of numbers around the ball and trying to win by kicking 10 to 12 goals.

“Then a team like Melbourne comes along and they’re so destructive through centre bounce and getting the ball deep.”

Defenders have had it too good for too long.

Clogged back lines have made it easier for defenders to shut down their opponents in recent years, but this year we’ve seen some big-name backmen exposed one-on-one.

“I don’t think there are many great defenders out there either who can really hold (these forwards),” Lloyd said.

Carlton’s Harry McKay will be in the thick of things too once he returns from injury.

The emergence of the likes of the King twins, Harry McKay and Peter Wright means the return of the big men is unlikely to be short-lived.

While we’ll probably never see another 100-goal-a-season forward, Lloyd said there was still plenty to get excited about.

“There was a period I remember after about round 8 a few years ago where we’d hardly had anyone kick five goals in a game,” he said.

“It’s just brilliant to see it back because that’s what it’s about.

“The stars of the past three years have been midfielders and I think it’s nice the kids can go to games and think ‘I wonder how many goals Tom Lynch will kick today?’

“He hasn’t kicked bags for a number of years and now he’s kicked sixes the past few weeks, so it’s great to see the ball is going in there with more one-on-one opportunities.

“We haven’t seen that for a few years.”