Fact Ken Farmer's career

[frankc]

The WAFL only started paying free kicks for out on the full in late 70s, IIRC. Watching the 1979 Grand Final, the commentators mention that it was a new rule.

Surely, there must have been some reason why there was such a scoring spree. Looking at the VFL goal kicking numbers, it is noticeably that after 1940 the number of goals kicked falls right away. Other than Coleman (who tops 100 three times and kicks 97 in another season) no one gets close to 100 goals for a season until 1967 (Doug Wade kicked 96; Hudson kicks over 100 in 1968) when the VFL started penalising players for kicking the ball out of bounds on the full.

 

[worbod]

I have discovered that I made a small error on page 2 when stating Farmer kicked 637 goals from 92 games at his home ground, Prospect Oval. I have now completed a game by game check through the australianfootball.com website, and this is how Farmer fared on all SANFL grounds.

ground | games | goals | avge | best | 10 goals in a game
\Adelaide Oval|54|347|6.42|15|10
\Adelaide Showgrounds|11|54|4.90|10|1
\Alberton|13|69|5.30|9|0
\Glenelg|14|91|6.50|12|3
\Norwood|14|77|5.50|9|0
\Prospect|93|643|6.91|23|20
\Thebarton|13|65|5.00|11|2
\Unley|12|71|5.91|13|1

 

[worbod]

Farmer's record for each month.

month | games | goals | avge | best | 10 goals in a game
\April|14|108|7.71|14|5
\May|55|317|5.76|16|3
\June|50|329|6.58|13|10
\July|41|229|5.58|23|5
\August|41|270|6.58|16|8
\September|20|149|7.45|15|6
\October|3|15|5.00|6|0

 

[GrahamClayton]

Ken Farmer - the Don Bradman of SANFL football.

 

[worbod]

I have recently discovered the North Adelaide Football Club website, which lists all their players and a game by game analysis of their careers. From this I was able to see some of Ken Farmer's more inaccurate goal-kicking days. Although behinds are not recorded for all his games, there was still a good selection to browse through.

OFF TARGET GAMES

Goals/behinds	Accuracy %	Opponent	Game	North Adelaide result
2.6	25.0	Norwood	round 8, 1929	lost
2.5	28.5	West Torrens	round 14, 1938	lost
3.7	30.0	West Torrens	round 7, 1935	won
3.7	30.0	Port Adelaide	preliminary final, 1936	lost
2.4	33.3	West Torrens	round 7, 1932	won
5.10	33.3	West Torrens	round 14, 1935	lost
4.8	33.3	Norwood	round 15, 1939	lost
3.5	37.5	West Adelaide	round 10, 1934	lost
3.5	37.5	Sturt	round 4, 1937	draw
3.5	37.5	Port Adelaide	round 7, 1938	lost
3.5	37.5	Port Adelaide	round 16, 1938	lost
3.5	37.5	Norwood	round 12, 1939	lost
5.7	41.6	West Adelaide	round 7, 1937	won
5.7	41.6	Glenelg	round 9, 1940	won

 

[worbod]

OTHER RECORDED INSTANCES OF 7 OR MORE BEHINDS IN A GAME

Goals/behinds	Accuracy	Opponent	Game	North Adelaide result
16.10	61.53	South Adelaide	round 14, 1933	won
11.9	55.00	West Adelaide	round 17, 1939	won
6.8	42.85	Norwood	round 13, 1934	lost
6.8	42.85	Sturt	round 4, 1936	won
8.8	50.00	West Adelaide	round 14, 1936	won
6.8	42.85	Glenelg	round 13, 1938	won
8.8	50.00	West Adelaide	round 7, 1939	won
12.7	63.15	Glenelg	round 1, 1935	won
7.7	50.00	Glenelg	round 2, 1937	draw
12.7	63.15	Glenelg	round 8, 1937	won
11.7	61.11	Sturt	round 7, 1940	won