FIVE forwards, four goals between them and a maiden AFLW Leading Goalkicker crown on the line.

Heading into the final round of the 2026 NAB AFLW home and away season, Sydney's Chloe Molloy leads with 24 goals, just one clear of Hawthorn's Aine McDonagh (23) and two ahead of North Melbourne's Tahlia Randall (22). Geelong pair Jackie Parry (21) and Chloe Scheer (20) remain firmly in the hunt, adding an intriguing intraclub element to the race.

Molloy took control after booting a season-high five goals in Sydney's 22-point win over West Coast on Sunday, including four after half-time and the 100th goal of her AFLW career. But with just four goals separating Molloy from fifth-placed Scheer, one big haul could decide the award in the final round.

All five are also within reach of the highest winning tally in AFLW Leading Goalkicker Award history, set by Indy Tahau with 25 goals in last year's home and away season. Molloy needs just two goals to surpass the mark, while McDonagh needs three, Randall four, Parry five and Scheer six.

Whoever finishes on top will also be a first-time winner, with none of the five having previously claimed the award.

Molloy has the tougher assignment on paper of the top two, travelling to face Fremantle, which has conceded just 452 points this season, the best defensive record of any of the five contenders' final-round opponents.

But Molloy carries significant momentum into the decider, having kicked at least three goals in each of her past three games and on six occasions this season. She has the highest scoring rate among the contenders at 2.2 goals per game and also has the biggest single-game haul of the five, having kicked a career-best seven goals against Gold Coast in round two last year, equalling the AFLW single-game record.

In reaching the century mark on Sunday, she joined an exclusive club as just the fourth player in AFLW history to achieve the feat, alongside Gemma Houghton, Kate Hore and Jasmine Garner.

McDonagh, however, arguably has the more favourable match-up, facing a West Coast defence that has conceded 562 points this season. The Irish product isn't far behind Molloy's output, averaging 2.1 goals per game this season, well above her career average of 1.4. Her career-best return came in round five this season, when she booted four goals against the Western Bulldogs.

Randall enters the final round in strong form and has an inviting opportunity against Richmond, having kicked nine goals over the past month. Richmond holds the worst defensive record of any of the five contenders' final-round opponents, having conceded 613 points across 11 matches to sit 14th on the ladder. Randall has lifted her season average to two goals per game, well above her career mark of 0.9, headlined by a career-high five-goal haul against St Kilda in round four.

Geelong duo Parry and Scheer, meanwhile, face the toughest assignment of the contenders against the sixth-placed Western Bulldogs.

Parry averages 0.9 goals per game across her career but has already demonstrated her capacity for a big haul this season, kicking a career-best six goals against St Kilda in round two.

Scheer, who averages 1.2 goals per game across her career, has similar scoring potential. She kicked four goals against Collingwood in round six this season, while her career-best return of five came against Sydney in round two of 2023. Both will likely need to approach those career-best returns against the Bulldogs to overhaul Molloy.

AFLW Leading Goalkicker leaders

24 goals - Chloe Molloy (Sydney)
23 - Aine McDonagh (Hawthorn)
22 - Tahlia Randall (North Melbourne)
21 - Jackie Parry (Geelong)
20 - Chloe Scheer (Geelong)
18 - Havana Harris (Gold Coast)
16 - Mia Austin (Melbourne), Aishling Moloney (Geelong), Olivia Wolmarans (Richmond)
14 - Sarah Hartwig (Western Bulldogs)