High-volume goal-kicking is one of the more entertaining parts of footy, with it arguably being the main draw toward the game for fans since the AFL's conception. But how many out there have stayed in form long enough to get to that historic margin of 500 goals?

With Richmond forward Tom Lynch just three goals away from becoming the 66th player to join the 500-goal club in the AFL's history (and the benchmark might be reached on Friday night) I decided to take a look at the best from players who played around the same time in the 21st century to see if he'd made the cut.

The criteria for the list is based on whether the player got to the 500-goal mark during any year from 2000 onwards.

Some notable players that missed out were Matthew Richardson, Brendan Fevola, Jarryd Roughead and Brad Johnson.

4Tom Hawkins (796 Goals)           

Ranking the top 10 forwards of the 2023 AFL season
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 30: Tom Hawkins of the Cats celebrates after scoring a goal during the round seven AFL match between Essendon Bombers and Geelong Cats at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on April 30, 2023, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Notable accolades: 3x Premiership player, Coleman Medal, Carji Greeves Medal, 5x All-Australian, 11x Geelong goalkicker

The Tomahawk had a deadly combination of speed and body power that allowed him to beat most toward the ball. Having a stacked midfield of Geelong greats throughout his career was definitely handy through feeding him entries, however Hawkins still proved his individualistic greatness with a best and fairest under his belt, as well as nabbing the most prestigious goal-kicking award in the game.

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