Goals 100+

[Equus]

I was thinking to myself, How come there hasn't been a goal kicker that can kick pass 100 goals since Gehrig (2004)?

The last time we kicked more than 100 goals was when Michael Roach was still in our team 1980.

So why aren't their more 100+ goal kickers? You'd think wiht more money being poured in and more players kicking accurately, there would be more 100+ goal kickers.

I dunno, senseless rambling here.

 

[polakthetiger]

Perhaps you should watch a few games over the last decade and pay attention to how the game plan and strategies have changed since 100+ FFs were around.

More emphasis on multiple goal kickers to put it in basic terms and defensive tactics to make sure they can't do it.

 

[zacaxel1975]

So why aren't their more 100+ goal kickers? You'd think wiht more money being poured in and more players kicking accurately, there would be more 100+ goal kickers.

At goal?? Dont think this is true at all. One of the only areas of footy that the players arent much better now than 20 years ago.

 

[Equus]

So i suppose the reason why is because it's more of a team game rather than a one man game?

 

[Rayzorwire]

There's several factors involved:

Improved competitiveness in the AFL - i.e. you don't play a couple of easybeat sides twice a year which your FF kicks 10 goals against like the VFL - and the switch from 24 rounds to 22.

Added player fitness and the four man bench leading to the viability of flooding tactics.

Coaching instructions which focus on the best option available rather than a focus on the best big forward.

Rule changes which prevent 'gorilla' forwards from getting rid of their opponent.

I expect we'll see the 100 mark broken again in the future, but it's going to be much rarer.

 

[Equus]

Hmmm good point. Thanks Rayzorwire

 

[roostertalk]

i just spewed writing this, but Buddy Franklin will be the next to kick a tonne.

 

[RoscoeTheDawg]

I think if Johno Brown can stay fit he will kick well over 100 in a year

 

[wart101]

I believe it's just a change in game stratergies, i don't think there is a main factor stopping 100 + goal kickers esxcept that this isn't the way that games are played anymore, i must admit it was really exciting watching Modra, Ablett, Lockett, Dunstall and who ever kick bags of goals.

i think it could still happen in today's game but not in a winning side!!!

 

[Richo for PM]

I hope Jono Brown has the best pre season this year and isn't interupted with injuries if so he will kick 100+ this year

 

[Equus]

I hope Jono Brown has the best pre season this year and isn't interupted with injuries if so he will kick 100+ this year

Hopefully not the majority of the goal on us.

 

[Richo for PM]

Hopefully not the majority of the goal on us.

We did a good job stopping him this year. with polak loose and joel waiting to spoil anything that came his way we pretty much triple teamed him each time which shows the player he is

 

[Tigertriumph]

If richo was able to kick more accurately and there was better delivery to him he could have got 100 goals. Due to all the opportunities he presents and him being the main man for so many yrs up forward.

 

[emperor]

imo a lot to do with improved fitness + conditioning as well as the evolution of tactics.

Gorilla forwards like Plugger were just so much stronger and bigger than the majority of fullbacks and therefore could still kick a bag every game despite being known as the primary avenue to goal. Now most sides have a FB who is strong enough to make it tough for the FF to get more than 5, then you factor improved tactics and you virtually eliminate the 100 goal forward. He gets 70 or 80 but not 100 unless he really has a great season. I suppose a bloke like Plugger didn't have to do as much running as Brown, Lloyd etc and that would definately have an impact too.

Although It only takes a gifted player such as Lloyd,Gehrig,Brown, Fev or even Pavlich to have a 'hot' season to kick 100+ though...in recent times don't think any of the power forwards in the game have had a season where they are in form, their team is in form and/or injuries haven't hampered them.

 

[TigerGlory]

We did a good job stopping him this year. with polak loose and joel waiting to spoil anything that came his way we pretty much triple teamed him each time which shows the player he is

He never dominates against us. Bowden is just to quick for him and because hes an attacking defender, poor Browny has to keep Bowden quiet.

 

[jko'neal]

Agree with most of the above opinions and the big one for me is, a lot more people like midfielders, wingers and half back flankers are kicking multiple goals now days.
Plus it's all about pin point passing and the best option as mentioned above. The days are gone of kicking it long to a spot and guys like Carey,Ablett, and Modra taking screamers over a big pack. There is only a few of those guys left in the game capable of that, and we have one of them in Richo.

 

[Weaver]

Another factor is that while it could be exciting to watch a gun forward, those teams rarely won when it counted.

Dunstall obviously did, but his team was gigantic.

But Lockett never did. Modra might have been exciting, but Jarman was FF by the time they won.

You look at the top-10 goalkickers this season and only Franklin, Mooney and Ebert made the finals ... and Ebert ain't a FF.

Most coaches are not prepared to empty a forward line and give it to one man anymore. It is a bad strategy that can easily come undone.

We have spent 15 years watching a 1-man forward line in Richo and know better than most it doesn't work.

 

[richoatthedisco]

Another factor is that while it could be exciting to watch a gun forward, those teams rarely won when it counted.

Dunstall obviously did, but his team was gigantic.

But Lockett never did. Modra might have been exciting, but Jarman was FF by the time they won.

You look at the top-10 goalkickers this season and only Franklin, Mooney and Ebert made the finals ... and Ebert ain't a FF.

Most coaches are not prepared to empty a forward line and give it to one man anymore. It is a bad strategy that can easily come undone.

We have spent 15 years watching a 1-man forward line in Richo and know better than most it doesn't work.

To be fair to Mods, Weav, he did do his knee during the 97 finals series. Tragic. Superstar. Wonder if Crows would have won if he was there and Jars didn't have F50 to himself to kick 5 in last quarter. Probably.

 

[aron_rox]

before you try and think of whos kicked 100 try and think of a player who can kick 1

 

[Yellowandblack10]

i stupidly accquired afl 07 on my new next-g phone, (thinking it would be a decent, nice investment ) anyway, a bloke by the name of maxey payne, who is the tiger's gun full forward, can and will kick 20 odd goals a match, and it can sometimes be a 25.0.150 def. 0.0.00 scoreline, making the game a bore. Still, wouldnt it be nice to have dunstall-like games such as this.

 

[Crumden]

I think it has as much to do with the quality of full forwards as it does tactics. In the 70s there were 3 great full forwards in Hudson, Wade and McKenna and kicking 100 looked easy. Same in the 90s with Dunstall, Ablett and Lockett. Outside that you get the occassional excellent full forward like Lloyd, or even Modra, who are capable of kicking 100 goals repeatedly. Other than that you are pretty much relying on players to have an 'out of the box' season like Larry Donohue, Warwick Capper or Fraser Gehrig to get over the line. I think the only current full forward that has the talent to kick 100 repeatedly is Lloyd, and I'm not sure if even he still has it in him. There were periods between Hudson/Wade/McKenna era and Ablett/Lockett/Dunstall when people were saying the same things as they are now about how the game had changed and the era of the 100 goal full forward was over. But it was because, as now, there just weren't too many 100-goal-a-season-quality full forwards about.