Every team has its stars—the headline-makers, the poster boys, the ones with highlight reels that fill your feed. But look closer, and you’ll see another kind of brilliance at work.

This is a not only a tribute to the key players who continue to influence their team’s attacking forays, but also the unsung attacking weapons at each AFL club—the players who may not lead the Coleman race, but whose fingerprints are all over the scoreboard.

Let’s shine a light on those who do the dirty, crafty, and often overlooked work up forward.

Adelaide Crows

Riley Thilthorpe has well and truly now burst on to the scene. He is beginning to deliver on his promise that was identified when Adelaide took him with pick 2 in the 2020 draft. Thilthorpe has kicked 15 goals in 2025, averaging three goals a game and is the leading tall in the competition in terms of serving his teammates with goal assists, highlighting his versatility despite his hulking-size.

But it’s the celebrated veteran Taylor (Tex) Walker who is proving he still has what it takes and is quietly stitching the chaos that is the Adelaide Crows attacking juggernaut together. Walker has 12 goals of his own, averaging just shy of 2.5 per game.

Tex is kicking the ball inside 50, 4.5 times a game and with his elite kicking skills on both sides of his body, highlighted by his left-foot snap to open Gather Round, this will set the other Crows forwards up with great chances to score.

Taylor Walker fends off Caleb Windsor. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Brisbane Lions

During Brisbane’s success over the last 2-3 years, Zac Bailey has emerged as one of, if not the most impactful player for the Lions in terms of their attacking threat. Combining his elite agility and finishing skills with pressure inside the forward 50. Bailey has 12 goals in 2025, whilst also average nearly 1.5 tackles inside 50 per game, showing that he is taking care of business on both sides of the ball.

But right beside him, Logan Morris is continuing to develop into a damaging forward in his own right. The Lions youngest member of last year’s premiership side, who kicked six goals across the 2024 finals series, has picked up where he left off. Morris sits just behind Bailey in terms of goals, with 11 of his own and is one of the key marking targets for the Lions going forward, averaging nearly two marks inside 50 per game.

Carlton Blues

Carlton are struggling to score in season 2025, averaging only 10 goals a game. The AFL average is 13 goals per game and all but one of the top-eight teams to this point of the season, are averaging over league average. Because of this it is no surprise to see Carlton with only one win.

In terms of the players contributing to their scores, Patrick Cripps is averaging seven score involvements, highlighting his continued ability to put his Carlton team on his shoulders. George Hewett, who has shown what he has capable of in previous seasons, has been really consistent and has strung together five great games.

Hewett is also averaging seven score involvements and two score launches, showing his ability this year to start and impact scoring for his team. The lack of forwards mentioned suggests that Carlton’s forwards aren’t doing enough in the front half to put opposition defences under pressure and capitalise on opportunities provided by the like of Cripps and Hewett, further up the ground.

Collingwood Magpies

Jamie Elliot has started season 2025 strongly, showing why he is the glue that holds the Magpies forward line together. He is the equal leading goal kicker alongside Bobby Hill and Brody Mihocek, all with eight goals. Elliot proving to be the point of difference by being a key marking target, always showing his aerial prowess despite his height and being one of Collingwood’s best pressure players inside 50.

Lachie Shultz is starting to show why the Pies were willing to part ways with a first round draft pick at the end of the 2023 season, to secure his services from Fremantle. Shultz’s first season at Collingwood wasn’t to the level that was expected of him when at the Dockers, having a dip in key statistical areas such as inside 50s, score involvements, and goals.

However, in 2025, Shultz is involved in just over six scores a game, a career high. He has also become a marking target for the Magpies, averaging 2.5 marks inside 50 per game and is back to his busy, pressuring best, averaging three tackles inside 50 per game.

This was highlighted by Shultz being awarded the Richard Pratt medal for his performance against Carlton in Round 4. The Richard Pratt Medal is awarded to the best player on the ground in Carlton-Collingwood matches. It is named after Richard Pratt, a former Carlton player, committeeman, major donor, and president.

Essendon Bombers

Zach Merrett is again leading his team from the front, being one of the main drivers in the Bombers attack. Merrett is involved in over eight of the Bombers scores, having scored six goals of his own, after spending more time forward in 2025. He is also feeding his teammates with over six inside 50s a game and 1.5 goal assists per game.

Zach Merrett celebrates with Archie Roberts (Photo by Martin Keep/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Sam Draper deserves some flowers to being the 2025 season. Alongside the skipper, Draper is one of the leading players contributing to scores for Essendon, averaging five score involvements and two score launches. Draper has split his time in the ruck and as a key tall up forward.

The ‘eye test’ will tell you that he looks to be one of the Bombers most dangerous forwards, always flying at the ball and being physical in forward 50 contests. Much like Carlton, the absence of ‘traditional’ forwards listed here, tall or small, demonstrate the Bombers inability to put teams under pressure on the scoreboard, leaving them vulnerable in games, even when they are on top in other areas.

Fremantle Dockers

Josh Treacy is fast becoming one of the preeminent tall forwards in the game. He entered this discussion by going from kicking 15 goals in 2023, to 45 goals in 2024 in a Fremantle side that finished 10th. This season, he is equal leader of the Coleman Medal on 17 goals, kicking more than three goals in all but one game.

He is a beacon for the Fremantle players up the field, taking four marks inside 50 a game and involved in almost 7.5 scores.

He may not be an unsung hero given his exploits at the Tigers but Shai Bolton is adding a new dynamic to the Fremantle side. He is averaging the most score involvements, with just over eight a game. Bolton is also assisting his teammates using his crafty instincts, averaging over four inside 50s a game and over one goal assist per game.

Geelong Cats

Jeremy Cameron is still at his freewheeling best. His ability to hurt the opposition both up the ground and working back inside 50 makes him Geelong’s biggest threat. He has 11 goals for the season and is involved in close to 7.5 scores per game. His ability to lose his opponent in traffic is allowing him to take 2.2 marks a game inside 50.

This was evident just last week when he made an Adelaide defence, who looked to have a good mix of 1 on 1 ability and athleticism, look all at sea. Cameron kicked three of his four goals in the last quarter to dampen Adelaide spirits who were hoping to kick off Gather Round in the right way.

Jeremy Cameron celebrates a goal. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

In the same game , Bailey Smith was at his hard running, damaging best. He has added a new element to this Geelong side and is impacting scores like they haven’t had for a while. Smith is responsible for 7.5 scores a game and his driving runs is allowing him to kick the ball inside 50 over six times per game. He is also applying elite pressure in the forward 50, averaging over two tackles a game.

Gold Coast Suns

It seems different this year with the Suns and a man who seems to be the beneficiary is Ben King, who has shown the ability to kick 40-plus goals a season on multiple occasions, has started the season well with 17 goals, making him the equal leader of the Coleman Medal.

The Suns will be hoping that his goal kicking ability leads to more wins as they are looking for their first finals series. King is averaging over four goals a game with bags of six, five and four this season. He is a strong target for the Suns, taking over four marks inside 50 per game. His ability to get on the scoreboard means he is heavily involved in the Suns scores, averaging seven a game.

A player who is an unsung hero for the Suns, is Ben Long. The AFL is beginning to notice how much he means to this team. Long impacts the game in many ways, being involved in seven scores a game whilst also being prominent in marks inside 50, tackles inside 50, and goal assists. He is also getting on the end of his own ‘dirty work’, having scored 10 goals of his own. All teams need a ‘Ben Long’.

GWS Giants

It is no surprise to see 2023 All Australian captain, Toby Greene, top of the pile when it comes to who is most involved in ‘The Orange Tsunami’. Greene is averaging the most score involvements in the competition, with 10 a game. He is forever a marking target for his team and is providing opportunities for others, kicking the ball inside 50 over 6.5 times a game.

He is also finishing his work, kicking 14 goals so far this season, just three short of the Coleman Medal leaders.

A player that is unsung and arguably most embodies ‘The Orange Tsunami’ with how he plays is Darcy Jones. Jones broke a 14-year-old record at the NAB AFL Draft Combine in the agility test back in 2022. His speed and agility consistently catch opponents on the back foot, having a huge impact on games.

This impact is sometimes not measurable on the stats sheet. What is measurable is that he has his fingerprints on six of the Giants scores per game, which is approaching elite in terms of across the competition.

In a game obsessed with moments, it’s easy to miss the mechanics behind the magic. But every highlight has a heartbeat—and more often than not, it belongs to someone who doesn’t get the credit they deserve.

These are the players who do the work so others can shine. And it’s about time we started noticing.