On the eve of the AFLW's milestone 10th season, it's time to reflect on the strategic evolution of the women's game. Over four weeks, AFLW analyst Gemma Bastiani will take a look at how the AFLW has evolved over its nine-season history, looking at how tactics, players and techniques have changed the game. This week, Gemma looks at how the forward line has developed.

WE ALL know the AFLW has changed dramatically over its nine-season existence, but how has it changed? Let's take it line by line, starting with the forward line.

Jasmine Garner kicked the very first goal in AFLW history, Darcy Vescio scored four in that very same game. The pair are now two of 22 players who have kicked 50 or more goals in their careers, and it has all been off the back of increasingly sophisticated attacking systems.

Established clubs like North Melbourne, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane have proven their devastating attack over the course of AFLW history, while more recently the likes of Hawthorn, Geelong and Port Adelaide have found consistent avenues to goal.

The role of a forward

Early on, while some sides boasted contested marking beasts to offer a point of difference to their attack, forward lines tended to be dominated by hybrid mid-sized players.

Inaugural premier Adelaide is one example of this, with Sarah Perkins presenting as that marking target, while the likes of Erin Phillips, Jenna McCormick, Kellie Gibson and a host of other mid-sized options rotated through the line.

The focus was on those players being competitive in one-on-one contests and showing off their individual talents.

Over time, however, there has been an increased nuance in forward balance, and the types of forwards clubs have on offer. Forward lines, while they did work together in those earlier seasons, have become more structured and cohesive, finding ways to complement one another rather than rely heavily on the feats of the individual.

Compared to those first few years, balance in how attacks structured up has been increasingly clear, with most clubs opting for at least one, but preferably two tall forwards presenting as a marking focal point, one or two mid-sized options who are also adept in the air, but transition to the ground ball effectively, then two small forwards who hit the fall of the ball with skill and agility.

The likes of Dakota Davidson and Caitlin Gould have made the marking key forward role their own, Greta Bodey and Alice O'Loughlin are first-class ground-level crumbers inside 50, Alyssa Bannan and Aileen Gilroy are adept linking options in attack, and Kate Hore and Aishling Moloney are examples of hybrid forwards.

This sort of structure in the attacking half not only provides stability close to goal, but also offers the ball carrier higher up the field with a more predictable look ahead of them, helping them with decision-making in the moment.

Port Adelaide is a recent side to establish this structure, with Gemma Houghton and Julia Teakle operating as key targets, Ashleigh Woodland offering that mid-sized option who can do damage both in the air and on the deck, and the likes of Caitlin Wendland, Justine Mules-Robinson, Jasmin Stewart and Katelyn Pope rotating through those smaller roles.

Physical development

Fitness levels have developed across the course of the last nine seasons, with time in the system and more established pathways, which has allowed midfielders and wingers to get progressively more dangerous in front of goal.

There is now an unspoken expectation that players like Brisbane's Sophie Conway and North Melbourne's Garner will not only work hard on the wing and midfield respectively, but then press forward and hit the scoreboard. This was less consistently expected in earlier seasons as players were still establishing their fitness base at the highest level.

Some other physical changes in the AFLW have been somewhat of a chicken and egg scenario.

Forwards have needed to become taller with further reach, because defenders have become taller with further reach. Or defenders have had to become taller because forwards have become taller. Either way, the playing contingent as a whole is taller now than it was nine years ago.

In 2024, 14.6 per cent of all AFLW players were 180cm or taller, compared to just 6.6 per cent in the inaugural 2017 season.

Melbourne's Tahlia Gillard was the tallest player last year, standing at 190cm, while in 2025 new Geelong recruit Caitie Tipping comes in at 191cm as the overall percentage of players standing 180cm or taller has grown again to 14.9 per cent.

Back in 2017, Erin McKinnon was the competition's tallest player at 189cm.

Such significant variation in height has also allowed for more distinctive types of forwards moving ahead of the ball.

Attacking sophistication

Early in the competition's existence, most sides worked to find marking targets inside 50 thanks to the personnel at their disposal – to varying levels of success.

Adelaide and Brisbane led the way in this regard back in 2017, boasting contested marking forwards Sarah Perkins and Tayla Harris respectively. Meanwhile Melbourne, which had similar power in the air by way of Alyssa Mifsud and Shelley Scott, spread the load across the pair.

Although they were sides that tended to struggle to score consistently in that inaugural season, Fremantle and Greater Western Sydney still had a main marking target inside 50 – Stacey Barr and Phoebe McWilliams respectively.

For those with fewer dominant marking targets, there was a preference to create space inside 50 to isolate their key forward in a one-on-one with room to move close to goal. Carlton was an especially good example of this in how it chose to use Vescio.

Meanwhile the Western Bulldogs chose a different strategy, emptying out the forward line and running the ball forward regularly, trying to exploit the speed of Kirsten McLeod.

Above all, gaining territory was the priority, and there was a reluctance to over-possess the ball close to goal. Now nine years later, there is far more nuance in the way teams are choosing to attack.

Attacking styles

There tends to be three broad layers to a team's attack – getting the ball inside 50, applying forward pressure and creating shots on goal – all of which culminate in the average points scored. No one way is perfect, rather coaches develop strategies based on the players they have at their disposal.

*Premier
^Grand finalist

Stylistically, different teams prioritise varying aspects of forward movement, and those teams have themselves evolved their attacking style over time.

Melbourne built on its strong aerial game inside 50, culminating in record numbers through its damaging 2022 and 2023 campaigns, Brisbane has made forward pressure its signature, Adelaide overwhelms defences through relentless inside 50 entries, and reigning premier North Melbourne has established a high-scoring attacking unit through its balance of talls, smalls and midfielders hitting the scoreboard.

Getting the ball forward

Adelaide has consistently set the standard for bulk forward entries, leading the League for average inside 50s in four of the nine seasons, and sitting on the podium for another three of those seasons.

Much of this has been the result of star midfielders Ebony Marinoff, Danielle Ponter and Anne Hatchard taking charge through the middle and sending the ball forward. For this reason, Adelaide has been within the top three in the League for average points scored from stoppage in each of the last four seasons.

Should the ball be rebounded out by the opposition, the Crows' defensive unit presses high and creates a horseshoe-shaped wall 70 to 80 metres from goal. From here they intercept and trap the ball in their forward half.

This is a style that was evident in Adelaide's method in early seasons, but has been bedded down over time.

Because of this well-drilled structure, Adelaide has historically been among the most consistent clubs at generating repeat forward 50 entries, while 2022 expansion side Hawthorn has also established an attacking brand that relies on repeat forward entries.

Hawthorn (14.2) and Adelaide (14.1) sat first and second respectively, for average repeat entries in 2024.

*Premier
^Grand finalist

Forward pressure

One of the clearest growth areas across the history of AFLW has been in the forward pressure teams are willing and able to apply. Tackles inside 50 is one of few metrics that has been unhindered by phases of expansion, rather it is a fundamental, effort-based action that even struggling teams can execute.

Forward pressure is, however, something two-time premiership side Brisbane has made its brand. No player has laid more tackles inside 50 across AFLW history than Courtney Hodder (157), with reigning League Best and Fairest winner Ebony Marinoff (135) second for the count. Hodder, notably, has played 30 fewer games than Marinoff.

*Premier
^Grand finalist

Maintaining pressure close to goal, which often leads to forward-half turnovers, creates repeat opportunities to score. This is Brisbane's ethos, led by Hodder, but supported by players like Cathy Svarc, Ruby Svarc, Sophie Conway and recent addition Evie Long.

As a result, the correlation between Brisbane's goal efficiency – goals per inside 50 entry – and the Lions' six Grand Final appearances is clear. The club's least efficient conversion once close to goal – 2022 (S6), 2020, and 2019 – are the only three seasons in which it didn't reach the decider.

Shots on goal

Off the back of Brisbane's forward pressure style, it has regularly been one of the best teams in the competition at turning forward entries into scoring opportunities. In 2024, the Lions scored from 45.1 per cent of its inside 50s, followed closely by premier North Melbourne (42.8 per cent).

While Brisbane's efficiency was largely the result of the pressure applied to keep the ball in a dangerous area, the Kangaroos did so with quick ball movement from the back half, isolating forwards one-out and hitting them on the lead.

What made their forward efficiency so dangerous in 2024, however, wasn't just the ability to hit those leading targets, but the balance of options in the line to do damage even when the marking target wasn't successful.

Melbourne, meanwhile, showed off the value of a patient build-up throughout its impressive 2022 (S7) and 2023 campaigns. Methodically moving into attack, the Demons were hyper focused on finding the highest percentage option close to goal, prioritising marks inside 50.

With this method in 2023, Melbourne averaged a score from 52.8 per cent of its entries to lead the League, while its goal efficiency was also a season high of 23.3 per cent.

*Premier
^Grand finalist

More recently, expansion sides Hawthorn and Port Adelaide neatly fell into each of these modes of attack – forward pressure and marks inside 50. The Hawks established marking targets in attack last season – particularly Áine McDonagh – after struggling to find a focal point in previous years. Meanwhile the Power's contested style of play extended to the attacking arc, laying the fifth-most tackles inside 50 on average in AFLW history.

Rule changes

As the League has evolved, rule changes have also played a part in how coaches can implement their strategies. Two rules that have impacted the attacking nature of AFLW have been the increase in game time and the addition of an interchange cap, both implemented in 2023.

Longer games, which saw quarters increase by two minutes, offered the opportunity for more red time scoring, while the interchange cap more readily affected the usage of certain players.

With interchanges cut back to 60 per game – previously uncapped – the use of dangerous midfielders was adjusted by some coaches. Instead of bringing players off the field as often as they once might, coaches began to experiment with moving midfielders into the forward line as part of their rotation.

Greater Western Sydney young gun Zarlie Goldsworthy was the clearest example of this shift, with her time on ground percentage in her debut season – one prior to the interchange cap's introduction – sitting between 77 and 89 per cent.

In the two seasons since the cap was brought in, however, Goldsworthy has played a minimum of 90 per cent of each game, rotating between the midfield and forward line, and has led the side's goalkicking in each season, while sitting fourth for clearances.

Other players who have been used similarly are Cathy Svarc and Georgie Prespakis. Meanwhile, going in the other direction, Kate Hore and Garner have graduated from permanent forwards into midfielders who pinch hit in attack.

Different rule changes will be explored as this series progresses, with various aspects of the game impacted by the rulebook's evolution.

Check back in next week for the second instalment of R/EVOLUTION.