Which Victorian country and metro footballers have reached 100 goals in 2019?
From Hepburn to Wallan and Bullioh to Warrnambool, 14 spearheads topped the 100-goal mark in country and metro footy this year. But who was the state’s top forward of 2019?
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More than a decade has passed since Lance Franklin and Brendan Fevola’s famous Coleman Medal shootout.
Hundreds of fans stormed Docklands when Franklin cracked the ton, but the Blues spearhead finished the 2008 season stranded on 99 majors.
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Franklin’s home-and-away haul of 102 goals was the last time an AFL player hit triple figures, with Josh Kennedy’s 80 majors in 2016 the best tally since 2010.
While the century drought drags on at the elite level, 14 forwards passed 100 goals this year in Victoria.
Bullioh premiership hero Ashley Murray led the way with 160 majors, including nine games where he registered double figures.
From the Bellarine Peninsula to the border, Murray was joined by 13 other players who cracked the magical milestone.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF CENTURY GOALKICKERS BELOW
MURRAY MAGIC LAUNCHES BULLIOH TO FLAG
Tim Michell
Bullioh coach Clint Ried called into before the season.
The Upper Murray Football League club headhunted a key forward after its 2018 grand final victory, luring renowned goalkicker Ashley Murray from Murray Magpies.
The Dogs had high expectations of their star recruit and he vastly exceeded them.
Murray was the state’s leading goalkicker this year, finishing his maiden Bullioh campaign with 160 goals as the club went back-to-back.
“Before the season started I backed him in to kick 100,” Ried said.
“I knew how good a player he was. Once the boys saw the first game of the year, I think he kicked maybe 12 or 13 the first game.
“Everyone was pretty much on the same page as I was.”
Murray actually kicked nine goals on debut and 15 the next week, but it’s little wonder the exact number is tough to recall when he booted monster hauls regularly.
He bagged 10 goals or more five times in six weeks in the middle of the season and had 100 goals to his name by Round 12.
“He’s a beautiful kick for goal and just gets himself in good positions to get the ball. He’s a big, powerful unit,” Ried said.
Ried said Murray’s greatest performance was his semi-final against Cudgewa, when he kicked eight of the Dogs’ 10 majors in a five-point loss.
“I thought his finals series were his best games. His three finals games were outstanding,” he said.
Murray’s historic haul was not only the best in the state this season, but also the first time a Bullioh player reached triple figures.
“It was a real excitement around the club because we had never had anyone do it before,” Ried said.
“The playing group is very close, so everyone was really excited and really happy for him.”
EX-DOCKER RUNS RIOT IN MURRAY LEAGUE
Oliver Caffrey
Former Fremantle forward Josh Mellington is no stranger to kicking a ton in the bush.
This year’s century was his third since his short AFL career came to an end in 2013, following six games with the Dockers.
Mellington dominated the Goulburn Valley (Benalla in 2015) and Ovens and Murray (in 2016 and finished on 99 in 2017) leagues, achieving the milestone in premiership-winning campaigns.
The 26-year-old took his talents to the Murray league in 2019, reaching three figures in Round 15 by booting 11 majors during Echuca United’s win against Finley.
Eagles coach Guy Campbell said Mellington had more than lived up to the hype created by his arrival in the border town.
“I’ve been involved with country football for a long time and I can genuinely count on one hand the exciting forwards who can light it up, week in, week out — and he’s certainly one of them,” Campbell told the Herald Sun.
“The juniors would follow him end-to-end each quarter just to watch him and I haven’t seen that in a while.”
An enigmatic character, Campbell said Mellington preferred to let his football do the talking.
Mellington has certainly done that, bagging three 10-goal plus hauls, including a Buddy-esque 13 in a day out against Katandra in May.
“His competitiveness is outstanding, he hits every contest hard and is super driven in how he goes about his game,” Campbell said.
Since signing for Benalla in mid-2014, Mellington has booted 509 goals in 89 games, an average of 5.7 per match, not including his brief stint at Western Region club Caroline Springs last year.
Mellington, who travels from his hometown of Benalla almost two hours away, has committed to playing with Echuca United again in 2020.
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BUCKLEY FALLS ONE SHORT AFTER FINALS EXIT
Tim Michell
Jordon Buckley knows just how Brendan Fevola felt.
The Woorndoo Mortlake key forward enjoyed a breakout campaign in the Mininera District Football League, but will be remembered as this year’s country footy hardluck story.
The 22-year-old improved his output from 55 goals in 30 games in the past two seasons to 99 majors in 15 games this year.
Buckley had 97 goals at the end of the regular season and kicked two in the Tigers’ eight-point elimination final loss to Tatyoon.
“If we got through then it would have been a lot easier,” Buckley said.
“Towards the end of the game, because it had mellowed down, people were trying to look for me a bit more as well.
“Tough when you had three defenders playing on you for the last three rounds.”
Buckley’s efforts were even more meritorious considering he never trained and juggled football with playing soccer on Sundays for Strathfieldsaye, near Bendigo.
“I just rocked up on a Saturday and played footy. Next year I’ll give it a good crack,” he said.
He conceded his inaccuracy had cost him the ton.
“My old man reckons I kicked 140 points for the season as well,” he said.
Buckley had a commendable 20 goals to Round 7 before his season exploded with 14 and 15 majors in consecutive weeks against Ararat Eagles and Hawkesdale Macarthur.
It was then it dawned on him the 100-goal mark might be within reach.
“Some of the players (were asking) me how many were left and I was just like ‘I don’t really want to count’,” he said.
“I just wanted to try and kick as many as I can today and then worry about next week.”
VICTORIA’S CENTURY CLUB
Upper Murray FL
Ashley Murray, Bullioh — 160 goals
Matches: 18
10+ hauls: 9
5+ hauls: 14
Most goals: 17
Bendigo FL
Lachlan Sharp, Strathfieldsaye — 133 goals
M: 18
10+: 6
5+: 13
Most: 16
Strathfieldsaye stalwart Sharp has topped the ton for the second time in three seasons after his monster haul of 142 goals in 2017.
However, this has arguably been his best year for the Storm, during which he celebrated his 150th game for the Bendigo league club.
He has bagged 131 goals in 18 games at an average of more than seven per match and kicked 11 or more in three of his past five matches.
Sharp’s 347 goals in 50 games during the past three years make him one of the most lethal forwards in the state.
Tallangatta District FL
Ricky Whitehead, Chiltern — 131 goals
M: 20
10+: 5
5+: 11
Most: 16
A prolific season for the Chiltern coach, who played a different role last year when he kicked only 38 majors.
Whitehead proved unstoppable for Tallangatta District league defences, with five bags of 10 goals-plus, including 16 against Beechworth in April.
It’s one of the biggest season tallies in league history, going right back to 1984 when Barnawartha’s Peter Woodford booted 141.
Trent Castles, Yackandandah — 109 goals
M: 17
10+: 3
5+: 10
Most: 17
Nipping at Whitehead’s heels in the TDFL was Trent Castles, who booted the fourth century of his career this year.
It doesn’t matter where this guy plays, he kicks bags of goals, following up a ton with Jindera in 2018.
He previously brought up a hundred with Yackandandah in 2015 and 2012.
Castles kicked 30 of his goals against Wahgunyah, posting bags of 17 and 13 in games against them this year.
Murray FL
Josh Mellington, Echuca United — 130 goals
M: 20
10+ 3
5+: 13
Most: 13
Ovens and King FL
Tom Mullane-Grant, United Bright — 121 goals
M: 20
10+: 3
5+: 12
Most: 21
Mullane-Grant has made a stunning impression in his first year as playing coach with Bright, averaging almost six goals per game.
The spearhead joined the Mountain Men after three seasons with Otway Districts in the Colac District league which yielded 208 goals.
He feasted on Goorambat with 21 goals in a 226-point Round 8 victory and has been critical to the club’s progression to the grand final.
VAFA
Harrison Coe, St Francis Xavier — 117 goals
M: 17
10+: 2
5+: 14
Most: 13
Coe has kicked at least three majors in all bar one game this year, building on a 2018 campaign where he registered 48 majors in 14 games in Division 4 of the VAFA.
He has been so dominant, the next best forward in St Francis Xavier’s division is Elsternwick’s Julian Yeatman with 61 goals.
His eight and seven-goal hauls in recent games against grand final opponent Albert Park were highlights of a season to savour.
Central Highlands FL
Marcus Darmody, Newlyn — 111 goals
M: 17
10+: 3
5+: 14
Most: 11
After an injury-plagued 2018 at North Ballarat City, Darmody recaptured his best form in the Central Highlands league.
Darmody was a picture of consistency throughout the season, with 13 of his games yielding hauls of six goals or more.
His peak was an 11-goal bag against Rokewood Corindhap in June.
Darmody was held to only two goals as Newlyn lost its preliminary final by 24 points last month.
Samuel Dunstan, Hepburn — 108 goals
M: 20
10+: 3
5+: 8
Most: 14
Formerly a key major league player in the Ballarat and Goulburn Valley leagues, this young key forward almost knocked off Darmody for the Central Highlands’ leading goalkicker.
While Dunstan’s start to the season was solid, he went into overdrive in July.
During a three-week stretch, Dunstan kicked bags of 14, 11 and 10 goals to spearhead Hepburn’s run to the grand final.
Hampden FL
Darren Ewing, Warrnambool — 107 goals
M: 20
10+: 4
5+: 9
Most: 12
The former NT Thunder ace headed south with giant expectations on his shoulders and he did not disappoint.
He became the first Hampden league player to bring up a century in five years, currently on 107 goals with at least one, potentially two more games to come.
Ewing made an immediate impact, kicking 11 goals in his debut for the Blues in April and followed it up with another eight in round two.
He’s just the third player in the strong league to have kicked a ton since 2000.
Maryborough Castlemaine District FL
Ashley Munari, Carisbrook — 107 goals
M: 16
10+: 2
5+: 12
Most: 16
After 105 goals last year, Munari has gone to another level in the Maryborough Castlemaine District league this season.
Munari actually started 2019 playing for Ballarat, but he lasted just two games in the Ballarat league before switching back to Carisbrook.
He went an average of 6.62 goals a game, highlighted by a haul of 16 during a 275-point rout of Dunolly.
Munari had some stiff competition in the league, with Maldon’s Rhys Ford kicking 91 goals for the season.
He will have a chance to add to his tally this Saturday with Carisbrook playing Natte Bealiba in the grand final.
Riddell District FL
Matt Perri, Wallan — 105 goals
M: 18
10+: 4
5+: 7
Most: 21
Perri arrived at Riddell District club Wallan this year with a reputation as a prolific country goalkicker and hasn’t disappointed.
Hauls of 13 and 21 goals against winless Rockbank lifted his overall tally, however Perri enjoyed a consistent first year in black and white for the Magpies.
Rupertswood has been the only club to hold Perri goalless.
Warrnambool District FL
Jason Rowan, Merrivale — 103 goals
M: 18
10+: 2
5+: 12
Most: 14
This man knows a thing or two about kicking bags in the Hampden.
Before Ewing, Rowan kicked a ton for Warrnambool three times.
But he’s taken his talents to the Warrnambool District league and is coaching Merrivale.
After seasons of 72 and 59 goals with the Tigers, Rowan stepped it up a notch this year to turn back the clock with 103 majors.
Bellarine FL
Jordan Erskine, Anglesea — 102 goals
M: 21
10+: 2
5+: 10
Most: 12
After an prolific stint with Geelong league club Grovedale, Erskine has been a dominant force in the Bellarine league in the past two years for the Roos.
He booted 83 goals in 21 games in 2018 and went to another level this year, logging 94 goals in the regular season.
Erskine finished with 102 majors after booting four goals against Modewarre and Torquay in finals and averaged more than five goals per game.