Amongst the AFL's top 15 leading goalkickers through nine rounds, seven are at least 30 years old. Increase that number to 34 and, perhaps surprisingly, there are three left. You would probably recognise their names.
Jack Gunston. Taylor Walker. Patrick Dangerfield.
These three legends of the game continue to defy the odds and excel alongside their peers despite being some of the oldest players in the competition. So, is an additional All-Australian blazer out of the question for these certified Hall of Famers? Let's break down how they've been performing at an elite level in 2025.
Patrick Dangerfield's move to the forward line has been a resounding success at Kardinia Park. While there were sceptics who pointed to the Geelong skipper's poor career shot accuracy of 45.5%, he's become an absolute wrecking ball inside 50 for the Cats. At the conclusion of Round 9, Dangerfield has kicked 17 goals with 50% accuracy, putting him on pace to beat his career-best goal total of 45 from 2017. He's also averaging 2.8 offensive one-on-ones this season, double his career average, and he's winning 52% of them. The AFL average is 26%.
What strengthens Dangerfield's case for a record-breaking All-Australian nod is his ability to still dominate in the midfield when needed for Geelong. Only Toby Greene averages more clearances per game amongst players with at least 15 goals this season, and many favour him as a potential All-Australian captain this year. Dangerfield's versatility around the ground is vital to Geelong's success, as is his hunger to win the football in crucial areas. Only Bulldog Rhylee West averages more forward 50 ground ball gets than Dangerfield (3.3-2.6), and he's 24 years old. Dangerfield is winning the ball close to that rate at 35.
While there are several quality small and medium forwards competing with Danger for a blazer, including Jack Higgins, Jamie Elliot and Toby Greene, it is hard to ignore Dangerfield's immense impact on Geelong despite the less ball-dominant role up forward. The success of that move may put him in good stead to receive blazer number nine in September.
Taylor Walker joins his former teammate as the only other 35-year-old in the top 15 goal scorers this season, also sitting at 17 snags to date. Similarly to Dangerfield, Walker's role has changed slightly this season, but it has resulted in a jump in form compared to 2024, where his career appeared to be on the ropes.
A lot of Walker's success is thanks to Adelaide having the most effective attack in the competition. The Crows lead the league in goals scored per game, goal assists, shot accuracy and goals per inside 50 entry. Their forward depth has exploded onto the scene, with Riley Thilthorpe (23 goals), Darcy Fogarty (21 goals) and Ben Keays (16 goals) all on track for career years in front of the sticks, reducing the need to rely as heavily on Walker to stay in games.
This development has been important for elevating Walker's on-field success back to his career standard, currently on track for another 45-goal season. With a more dynamic forward line, Walker has been able to roam as a scarier threat from general play, Thilthorpe and Fogarty becoming the focus of opposition defensive gameplans with their ability to mark on the lead.
This change in where chances arise for Tex is quietly valued. Since 2021, Walker's percentage of shots taken from set shots has hovered around 64%, but last year he relied on it more than ever, taking 74.1% of his shots with a man on the mark. That is an enormous leap from his career year in 2023, where only 58.1% of his goal-scoring opportunities came from set shots. But as Adelaide's forward line has strengthened this year, Walker is back to kicking scores from set shots just 54.8% of the time.
Admittedly, Tex will probably struggle to earn a blazer this season with the likes of key forward stars Jesse Hogan, Ben King, Nick Larkey and his teammates all having phenomenal seasons. However, Walker's importance to Adelaide's AFL-best attack is still recognisable and has helped turn them into a legitimate contender in 2025.
Two months ago, the last forward expected to be in All-Australian conversations for the Hawks this season would be Jack Gunston. Sam Mitchell didn't even select him for their first two games. However, since returning, "Gunners" has ensured that the idea of dropping him back to the VFL is a complete afterthought.
He's kicked, at minimum, two goals in every game in 2025, and hasn't kicked less than three since Round 6. He's also setting up his teammates in big ways, too, leading the league in score involvements with 8.4 per game and equal third in direct goal assists, averaging 1.3 (minimum five games played). He hasn't had figures like these since the Hawks' three-peat.
Gunston crumbs the footy from crashed packs at a superb rate, rewarding the Hawks' elite defence more than anyone. He's winning 2.3 forward 50 ground ball gets per game, a figure good for sixth in the entire AFL, taking advantage of Hawthorn's second-best rebound 50 rate of 77.6%.
Gunston has received an All-Australian blazer just once in his career in 2018, a year where he kicked 51 goals and helped guide Hawthorn to a top four finish. He's on pace to obliterate that marker as the Hawks look like locks for another Finals appearance.
While Gunston's ability to sustain this level of success is a question that remains to be answered, if he can remotely continue his current level of play for the remainder of the season, there should be no doubt he earns another All-Australian blazer in 2025.
