AFL Coaching Glossary, Part 4: Forward Craft

AFL Coaching Glossary, Part 4: Forward Craft

The language of attack inside 50 — marks, crumbs, leads, isolations.

Once the ball gets inside the forward 50, a different vocabulary kicks in. Forwards work with leads, marks, crumbs and contests in a way the rest of the ground doesn't. This article covers the words coaches use to talk about scoring opportunities and forward set-ups.

Terms marked Advanced are deeper tactical concepts that come up more often in senior football.

Mark

A clean catch of a kicked ball that has travelled at least 15 metres. The player who marks the ball gets a free kick. Marks inside 50 are the single most valuable possession in the game because they give the player time and a clean shot.

Crumb / Crumber

A "crumb" is a ground-ball pickup at the feet of a marking contest. A "crumber" is a small, fast forward whose job is to roam under marking contests and grab the ball when it spills loose. Crumbs are often the highest-percentage shots at goal because the defence is committed to the aerial contest.

Lead up / short lead up

A "lead" is when a forward sprints into open space to receive a pass. A "short lead up" is a lead that doesn't go far towards goal — it just creates a marking option for the kicker. Short leads are safe but often produce shots from outside 50.

Advantage kick

A kick deliberately placed in front of a leading forward so they can run onto it at pace. The forward gets the mark while continuing their run, which lets them either take a shot or play on quickly.

Deep advantage kick Advanced

An advantage kick that goes long — past the leading forward into space behind. It's higher-risk because the defender can run with the forward and contest, but the reward is a much deeper mark or a ground ball right in front of goal.

Front of the contest

The space in front of a marking contest, where the ball drops if it's punched or spoiled forwards. Smart small forwards play "front of the contest" — they're not trying to mark, they're trying to be the first to the spillage.

Resetting (forwards resetting)

When forwards run back up the ground to get even numbers against the opposition's defenders. Resetting forwards stops the opposition from outnumbering you in front of goal and is one of the hardest-working roles in modern footy.

"Loop and get back in" Advanced

A specific small-forward movement: lead up the ground, then loop around behind your defender to get back into a crumbing or pressure position. It's a tool for small forwards who can't outmark their opponent — they use movement to outsmart them instead.

Predictable target

A forward who always plays in a known spot so teammates know where to kick. Coaches will sometimes deliberately ask one forward to be "the predictable target" so the rest of the forward line knows the default option.

Consistent deep target

A specific kind of predictable target — a tall or strong forward who always plays close to goal. Even if they don't mark every ball, just having someone consistently deep gives the team a long-bomb option whenever they need to clear pressure inside 50.

On-ball forward Advanced

A forward who plays close to the ball — at stoppages, marking contests, or wherever the action is. On-ball forwards apply pressure and create opportunities for their off-ball teammates.

Off-ball forward Advanced

A forward who plays away from the ball — usually deeper, holding space or staking out a position close to goal. Off-ball forwards don't get touches every five minutes, but they're who teammates kick to in scoring moments.

Isolation / isolate a matchup

Setting up your forward line so one of your forwards has a one-on-one against their defender, with no other defenders nearby to help. Isolation is the holy grail of forward play — most modern forward structures are designed to create at least one isolated contest per entry.

"Locking it in" F50

Keeping the ball inside the forward 50 after it gets there, instead of letting the opposition rebound it out. Locking it in is a team-wide effort: forwards pressuring the ball, midfielders pushing higher, defenders pushing up too.

Secondary mark Advanced

A mark taken on the second or third kick of a forward chain — often by a midfielder running into the 50 after the first entry. Secondary marks are dangerous because the opposition defence has already committed and there's no one set up to defend them.

Previous: Part 3 — Possession & Chain Play Next: Part 5 — Defence & Pressure Index: The AFL Coaching Glossary