Waikerie footballer Daniel Nobes kicks 100 goals for third season in a row
SOUTH Australia’s most prolific spearhead has done it again, kicking his 100th goal for the season for the third year in a row as part of an amazing 17-major haul. See the celebrations and the other players who have achieved the feat this year.
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SOUTH Australia’s most prolific sharpshooter has done it again.
Waikerie full forward Daniel Nobes on Saturday achieved a hat-trick of tons when he booted his 100th goal of the Riverland Football League season.
The towering, size 17 superboot needed nine goals ahead of the clash against Barmera-Monash in Waikerie’s last home game of the season.
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He didn’t waste any time and, thanks to some silver service from his Magpie teammates, sealed the century before halftime, slotting a set shot from less than 20 metres before being promptly mobbed by a horde of Waikerie players and fans who streamed on to the ground.
The 24-year-old capped another brilliant day out in wet and windy conditions by adding another eight goals, finishing with a haul of 17.11 to take his season tally to 108.
“I had nine to kick on the weekend and I think the boys just fed me a fair bit,” the modest Nobes said.
“I wish I could have converted a few of those points, but I s’pose it doesn’t matter.”
At the halfway point of the season, the hat-trick looked like it might be out of reach. But a career-best bag of 18 goals in a win against Berri on July 28 got the dream back on track.
“It’s come as a bit of a surprise to me (this time),” Nobes said.
“I didn’t really expect this one because I missed a game. 18 (goals) and then 17 definitely helped.
“I did want to achieve it again at the club and became more focused on it (in the second half of the season). It’s bonus. If I didn’t get it I was happy to focus on going to the grand final but now that it has came around … I’m pretty happy with it.”
Nobes kicked 109 goals for Christies Beach in 2016 before transferring to Waikerie — the home club of Crows great and 2003 Brownlow Medallist Mark Ricciuto — last year.
He became the first Magpie in the club’s 110-year history to notch 100 goals in the minor round, eclipsing former Woodville and Barmera Monash legend Barry “Buff” Tyrrell’s 1985 league record of 111, before finishing the season with 130 as the club completed an unbeaten season for back-to-back flags.
Given his recent form, replicating or bettering that high mark isn’t out of the question with one minor round and at least two finals to play.
“It’s possible,” he said with a laugh.
Waikerie is also on a similar trajectory towards a three-peat of flags, with its only blight this year coming in sensational fashion in May when its score was wiped after a headcount in the last term against last year’s runner-up Loxton North.
The Magpies had led the Panthers by 44 points at three-quarter time and were steaming towards their 31st consecutive victory when the headcount was called and Waikerie — which should have only had 17 players on the ground after a player was yellow-carded before the break — lost its score.
“That one was unexpected,” Nobes said of the streak-breaking loss.
“We nearly beat them after having the score taken away but it wasn’t to be.”
Nobes works as an apprentice horticulturist at Adelaide City Council and trains twice a week with other city-based Waikerie teammates at Westminster College before doing the 320km round trip to the Riverland on weekends.
He continues to attract plenty of interest from clubs at all levels across the state but after getting his first taste of premiership glory last year, his sole focus for now is on getting a second helping next month.
“It would be a great reward,” he said of the young team’s success.
“Everyone just gels together so well.
“We have a good coach and a good game plan.”
Nobes follows Adelaide Footy League players Trevor Rigney of O’Sullivan Beach Lonsdale and Tom Langford of Pulteney in chalking up the magical 100-goal feat in A-grade matches in 2018. Langford’s Pulteney clubmate and sporting all-rounder Jesse Whinnen and Hope Valley’s Darren Mitchell also kicked the ton in the league’s high-scoring C5 division.
Hahndorf’s Darcy Hourigan needs just two more goals to achieve the century with two rounds remaining in Hills Football League.
Mannum spearhead Gene Robinson, who kicked 100 goals last year, sits on 84 with two minor round games to play in the River Murray Football League, while South Augusta’s Lionel Brown finished the Spencer Gulf Football League minor round on 82 majors.
Tumby Bay legend Chris Prime has 84 goals in the Great Flinders league’s B Grade competition with one round to go and with the Blues guaranteed to play at least one final. And while 16 short of the ton, the former Norwood full forward requires just 25 more for a gobsmacking 2000 country goals.