DOMINANT forwards are more present in the AFLW than ever before, with record numbers of players kicking bags of goals across the opening two rounds of the season. 

In round two alone, three different players kicked five or more goals – just four players had achieved that same feat across the seven seasons preceding this one.

Jamie Stanton's six goals in her 50th career game could have easily been more, also kicking two behinds and handing one off to teammate Claudia Whitfort. Kate Hore's three-goal opening quarter set her up beautifully to snag a total of five against the Giants. And it only took Chloe Scheer 10 disposals to kick five of her own against Sydney. 

But it's not just big individual goal tallies that are up, players kicking multiple goals in a game is on the rise. While still only an 18-game, two-round sample size, there have already been 15 instances of players kicking three or more goals in a game. The previous high was 37 from 99 games last season. 

Multiple goals are on the rise 

Added to this, there has been a show of consistency from five players who have each kicked at least two goals in each of the two opening rounds. 

Kicking multiple goals in both rounds one and two this year 

Encouragingly, it is largely a new era of forwards who are doing the damage this year. In the past the likes of Darcy Vescio, Erin Phillips and Tayla Harris were expected to lead goalkicking tally boards. While history proves those names have most often hit the scoreboard repeatedly in game, it is a broader range of forward options who are doing the damage this year. 

Most common multiple goalkickers in AFLW history 

There is no specific archetype in what makes a damaging goalkicker, and each high-scoring team has crafted a gamestyle to best suit what assets they have in attack. 

Gold Coast, boasting contested marking forwards Tara Bohanna and Jac Dupuy, has found a balance between creating marks inside 50 and applying immense forward pressure. The Suns are averaging 12 marks inside 50 so far this season, while also leading the competition for average tackles inside 50 with 18.5 per game.  

It is this balance of aerial and ground level control that allowed Stanton (six goals), Bohanna (four goals) and Dupuy (three goals) to lead the Suns to the equal-third highest score in AFLW history on Saturday against West Coast. 

For current ladder leader North Melbourne, it is about creating an abundance of opportunity. The Roos have averaged 45.5 inside 50s across their first two games, generating plenty of chances for their tall trio of Tahlia Randall, Kate Shierlaw and Emma King who have all hit the scoreboard in each of the opening two rounds.  

Brisbane has found its new focal point inside 50 with Dakota Davidson relishing the opportunity to compete in the air and take contested marks. Davidson has taken 14 marks so far this season, nine of which have been contested, leading the competition for the metric.  

While fellow talls Taylor Smith and Analea McKee have also been important forward targets for the Lions, it is around Davidson that the Lions' attack now operates, with wingers and midfielders also playing their part to push forward and hit the scoreboard. 

Meanwhile, Melbourne has been super-efficient at creating goals from its forward 50 entries, kicking a goal from a record 32.5 per cent of its inside 50s. It is doing so through a wide spread of contributors, enjoying goals from a competition-high 10 players in the opening fortnight, and with 11 players taking at least one mark inside 50 – equal with Adelaide for the most.  

The Demons have now kicked the highest and equal-third highest scores in AFLW history thanks to their 99 points on Sunday, while they are also the only side with two different players to kick five or more goals in a match. 

There are several reasons why we have seen this uptick in power forwards and their impact on the scoreboard. The newly introduced interchange cap is seeing players spend more time on the field and, as a result, have a better chance to maintain any momentum they or their team finds. 

Teams are also better drilled than ever before, thanks to increased hours spent at clubs during the day allowing for more strategic development of players, and sides are using that increased strategic understanding to transition into attack and get the ball into the hands of their most damaging players more effectively. 

While three different players kicking five or more goals in a single round isn't something we should expect to see week in, week out, trends are suggesting that this will be the highest scoring season in AFLW history, and it will be off the back of some impressive individual seasons.