Currently the AFL’s leading goalkicker, Jeremy Cameron has a great chance to bring home his second Coleman Medal.
It’s no secret that kicking goals is key to winning games. Some players just do it a lot better than others. To give these valuable AFL players the recognition they deserve, the Coleman Medal is awarded to the one who kicks the most goals come the finish of the home and away season. As we are now at the halfway point of the 2022 campaign, it makes sense to look at which five forwards might be in contention for the award this season.
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But which five players are fancied by many to be in with a chance of the Coleman this time around?
Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)
One of the game’s most prolific goalkickers, Jeremy Cameron has been at the top end of the leaderboard almost every year.
Having already won a Coleman during his time at GWS, Cameron is looking to win his first in Geelong colours after missing much of the previous season to injury. The 29-year-old is in red-hot form as well, fresh off kicking a bag of six against the Dogs in Round 12 and another four against North Melbourne.
He’s not shy of kicking massive hauls on a weekly basis either, boasting some impressive hauls so far this year. Cameron so far has managed one bag of five and two bags of six, with his best being a bag of seven against the Roos in Round 6.
Currently sitting first on the leaderboard with 46 goals, Cameron has a great chance to bring home his second medal by the end of the year. Although he may find himself competing with his own teammate in Tom Hawkins, the veteran currently sitting two spots behind him in the Coleman Medal race in third place.
Charlie Curnow (Carlton)
Charlie Curnow has been the spearhead of the Carlton side so far this season, with the dynamic forward one of the main reasons behind the Blues’ resurgence and their current position in the top eight. So far this season, Curnow is equal second in the league for average goals per game, currently at 3.0.
Second in the race to the Coleman with 45 majors so far, Curnow is always a danger up front and is no stranger to kicking bags week in, week out. The 25-year-old’s biggest hauls this season are five against the Bulldogs in Round 2, five against Port Adelaide in Round 4, six against Adelaide in Round 8 and another six against Sydney in Round 10.
However, Curnow’s partner in crime up front Harry McKay is also an incredible goal threat, having won the Coleman medal last season.
Although their partnership is immense for the success of the Blues, it may be detrimental to Curnow’s hopes of securing the medal himself, with both elite forwards likely to steal goals from each other on the odd occasion. Regardless, with Carlton looking in good shape, expect Curnow to keep his place in contention for the medal towards the latter end of the season.
Max King (St Kilda)
Max King has really stepped up to the plate this season, meeting the expectation of an aspiring St Kilda side looking to push for premiership contention this campaign.
King has been the main source of goals for the Saints this year, sitting sixth on the table with 38 goals to his name. The young forward is finally starting to live up to the hype after a couple of injury-plagued seasons, looking lively in the forward line and strong in the air.
King remains one of the only players left to kick a goal in every game he’s played, with his best performances so far being two consecutive weeks of four goals in Round 2 and 3, as well as a massive bag of six against Adelaide in Round 10.
As the main source of goals for the Saints, King may have a slight advantage over some of his competitors on this list. While Curnow competes with teammate McKay, and Cameron and Hawkins steal a few goals from each other, King will continue to be the focal point of the Saints’ forward line, perhaps giving him the edge when it gets to the pointy edge of the season.
Tom Hawkins (Geelong)
The evergreen 33-year-old is not far off his teammate Jeremy Cameron on the ladder, sitting five goals behind first place with 33 goals. Like Cameron, Hawkins is also looking to bring home his second Coleman Medal, having won it in 2020. Hawkins also managed to finish second in 2021, showing his consistency over the years.
It’s already been another prolific season for Hawkins, who remains one of the only players in the league to kick a goal in every game he played so far this year. However, his consistency does come in place of massive individual hauls it seems, his biggest bag of the year six against North Melbourne last Saturday.
Having to go against his own teammate in Cameron, Hawkins may not have as easy of a run home as he did in 2020, but still expect the man-mountain to continue to put on a clinic as the competition begins to heat up.
Tom Lynch (Richmond)
Tom Lynch has always been a goal threat and is having one of the best seasons of his career so far in 2022.
Stepping up when the Tigers needed him most, Lynch ranks equal second in the league for average goals per game, and with a tally of 39 so far, he’s one or two massive games from claiming the top spot despite sitting fifth on the goalkicking ladder. He’s not shy of kicking big bags either, with a bag of six coming against the Pies in Round 8, and a bag of seven coming the week before against the Eagles.
One of Lynch’s biggest issues comes from his own teammates. Both Shai Bolton and Jack Riewoldt are well placed on the ladder with 28 and 27 goals respectively, meaning they are both incredible goal threats themselves.
With the Tigers playing few low scoring games so far this season, sharing the goal load may be detrimental to Lynch’s chances of an individual award, although it would remain entirely beneficial for the Tigers in the long run.
