Joe Daniher breathing down Josh Kennedy for Coleman Medal
WEST Coast star Josh Kennedy is chasing a Coleman Medal three-peat, which hasn’t been done since Gary Ablett Sr from 1993-95, but Joe Daniher is looming large to take his goalkicking throne.
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DAVID Neitz expects the red-hot Josh Kennedy to complete a Coleman Medal three-peat.
Neitz, the 2002 winner, says the West Coast spearhead is a “goalkicking machine” who will become the first player to go back-to-back-to-back since Gary Ablett Sr won his three medals from 1993-95.
Three-time winner Matthew Lloyd and 2007 champion Jonathan Brown disagree.
They believe Essendon’s soft run home will help Joe Daniher (59 goals) end Kennedy’s (60) dominance.
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The Dons’ final two opponents — Gold Coast and Fremantle — both conceded 22 goals on Saturday, while Kennedy is likely to battle Phil Davis (GWS) and Daniel Talia (Crows).
“I remember saying earlier this year Daniher could be the best forward of the game,” Lloyd said of his former protégé.
“I didn’t think he’d be knocking on the door this season.
“His ability at 200cm to mark at the highest point, sit on heads, pick the ball up and snap across his body … and his goalkicking’s improved out of sight.
“He’s not there yet, but he’s becoming the complete player and well ahead of time.”
But forget Kennedy’s goalless 2014 Grand Final — the Eagle with the stuttering approach is who Lloyd would pick first come September.
“You know what you get every week. He’s kicked six goals five times and nobody else has done it more than twice.
“He’s got great endurance and is as strong as anyone in the game as well.”
Three of those six-goal bags have come in Kennedy’s blistering past four weeks, where he has booted 6.1, 6.4, 5.1 and 6.3.
Kennedy has contributed an astonishing — and perhaps unhealthy — 37 per cent of West Coast’s goals since returning from a calf injury.
Behind Kennedy and Daniher sit Lance Franklin (56 goals) and Ben Brown (54).
“He’s a once in a half-a-century type player,” Lloyd said of Franklin.
“Buddy’s probably going to be the last bloke ever to kick 1000 goals, he’s just a freak.”
But with Talia to contend with on Friday night, Lloyd said Franklin would be too far behind to claim a fourth Coleman.
It won’t be through lack of chances — nobody has taken more pings at the sticks than Buddy.
He has kicked 56.53 from 123 shots, more than Daniher’s 59.34 (103 shots), Kennedy’s 60.33 (96 shots) and Brown’s 54.26 (92 shots).
“But what Brown’s done is phenomenal,” Lloyd said.
“At a bottom-four club his goals hold even more weight. He just straightens you up. His ability to lead and lead hard gets so many shots in the corridor directly in front 30m out.”
Neitz agreed Brown’s haul was enhanced at a struggling club.
“He’s got a great kicking style, he’s very accurate and he takes a really good grab,” Neitz said.
“I watched him play the Demons in Tassie and we really had no answers for him.”
Brown’s Kangaroos face St Kilda on Sunday and then Brisbane at the Gabba.
After adding Nathan Brown and Jake Carlisle, the Saints concede just 65 SuperCoach points to key forwards each week — ranked No.1 in the AFL.
With the Kangas out of the finals race, should North feed Brown like a hungry teenager against the Lions?
“Within reason if you can find him, why not?” Neitz said.
“You don’t want to do anything wildly outrageous to give him the footy, but if he’s there for the Joe-the-goose, give him the handball for God sake.”
In 2004 Lloyd needed seven goals in the final round to equal Fraser Gehrig.
In the last quarter and with the scoreboard under control, Lloyd’s teammates made him the sole target.
“I probably became a bit of a distraction,” Lloyd said.
“Rohan Smith sat in the hole in front of me for the whole last quarter to stop it from happening. We won, but it probably wasn’t a great look.
“I kicked 6.3 and lost (to Gehrig) by one. There was a bit of disappointment there, but we had a finals series the week after.”
THE COLEMAN MEDAL CONTENDERS
Josh Kennedy (WC) 60
Joe Daniher (Ess) 59
Lance Franklin (Syd)
Ben Brown (NM)
PAST 10 COLEMAN MEDAL WINNERS
2016 Josh Kennedy (WC) 80
2015 Josh Kennedy (WC) 75
2014 Lance Franklin (Syd) 67
2013 Jarryd Roughead (Haw) 68
2012 Jack Riewoldt (Rich) 65
2011 Lance Franklin (Haw) 71
2010 Jack Riewoldt (Rich) 78
2009 Brendan Fevola (Carl) 86
2008 Lance Franklin (Haw) 102
2007 Jonathan Brown (BL) 77
BIGGEST SEASON HAULS
1970 Peter Hudson (Haw) 146
1971 Peter Hudson (Haw) 140
1992 Jason Dunstall (Haw) 139
1934 Bob Pratt (SM) 138
1972 Peter McKenna (Coll) 130
1989 Jason Dunstall (Haw) 128
1968 Peter Hudson (Haw) 125
1993 Gary Ablett Sr (Geel) 124
1988 Jason Dunstall (Haw) 124
1969 Doug Wade (Geel) 122
Note: Excludes finals
Source: CHAMPION DATA
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