AFL 2023: All the major milestones set to be reached this season

We’re unlikely to witness what happened when Lance Franklin kicked his 1000th goal at the SCG again. Or are we? There could be more to celebrate for two goalkicking greats in 2023.

Melbourne captain Max Gawn is scheduled to play his 200th AFL game this year. Picture: Getty Images

From a 150th anniversary to setting a new all-time disposals record, a whole host of milestones are set to be reached in the AFL in 2023.

Sydney superstar Lance Franklin is poised to become just the 22nd player to hit the 350 VFL/AFL games mark, with his milestone match scheduled for a round 9 clash against Fremantle at the SCG.

North Melbourne veteran Todd Goldstein is poised to play his 300th game against the Lions Brisbane during Gather Round in round 5, while Collingwood’s Steele Sidebottom and Richmond’s Trent Cotchin are also on track to rack up their 300th appearances in the first half of the season.

Franklin needs just 53 more goals to reach 1100 across his remarkable career, while Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt needs to kick 45 more goals to rack up 800 majors.

Meanwhile, new North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson will reach 400 games as a coach against Sydney in round 10.

Here are all the big milestones that are within reach next year.

Sydney star Lance Franklin is due to play his 350th AFL game in Round 9. Picture: Phil Hillyard

PLAYERS

350 GAMES

341 games: Lance Franklin (Syd/Haw), scheduled to be reached in round 9.

327: Travis Boak (Port Adel), scheduled round 24.

327: Tom Hawkins (Geel), scheduled round 24.

326: Jack Riewoldt (Rich), scheduled finals week 1.

300 GAMES

295: Todd Goldstein (North Melb), scheduled round 5.

289: Steele Sidebottom (C'wood), scheduled round 11.

287: Trent Cotchin (Rich), scheduled round 13.

250 GAMES

238: Luke Shuey (West Coast), scheduled round 12.

238: Taylor Walker (Adel), scheduled round 12.

233: Rory Sloane (Adel), scheduled round 18.

231: Brandon Ellis (Rich/Gold Coast), scheduled round 20.

230: Dayne Zorko (Bris Lions), scheduled round 21.

230: Cam Guthrie (Geel), scheduled round 21.

229: Ben Cunnington (North Melb), scheduled round 22.

227: Mark Blicavs (Geel), scheduled round 24.

225: Brodie Smith (Adel), scheduled finals week 2.

225: Jack Gunston (Adel/Haw/Bris Lions), scheduled finals week 2.

Adelaide forward Taylor Walker needs to play just 12 more games to reach his milestone 250th match. Picture: Tom Huntley

200 GAMES

199: Dylan Shiel (GWS/Ess), scheduled round 1.

197: David Swallow (Gold Coast), needs three games to become the first Gold Coast player in history to play 200 games with the club, scheduled round 3.

195: Tom Liberatore (W Bulldogs), scheduled round 5.

194: Robbie Tarrant (North Melb/Rich), scheduled round 6.

193: Marcus Bontempelli (W Bulldogs), scheduled round 7.

193: Steven May (Gold Coast/Melb), scheduled round 7.

192: Phil Davis (Adel/GWS), scheduled round 8.

192: Dion Prestia (Gold Coast/Rich), scheduled round 8.

191: Toby Greene (GWS), needs nine games to become the second GWS player to reach 200 games and follow in the footsteps of Callan Ward. Scheduled round 9.

190: Nick Vlastuin (Rich), scheduled round 10.

189: Charlie Dixon (Gold Coast/Port Adel), scheduled round 11.

185: Michael Hibberd (Ess/Melb), scheduled round 16.

185: Lachie Whitfield (GWS), scheduled round 16.

184: Zach Merrett (Ess), scheduled round 17.

183: Taylor Adams (GWS/C'wood), scheduled round 18.

183: Nick Haynes (GWS), scheduled round 18.

183: Rhys Stanley (St Kilda/Geel), scheduled round 18.

182: Elliot Yeo (Bris Lions/West Coast), scheduled round 19.

181: Max Gawn (Melb), scheduled round 20.

181: Will Hoskin-Elliott (GWS/C'wood), scheduled round 20.

181: Jarryd Lyons (Adel/Gold Coast/Bris Lions), scheduled round 20.

181: Sam Reid (Syd), scheduled round 20.

181: Seb Ross (St Kilda), scheduled round 20.

177: Stephen Coniglio (GWS), scheduled round 24.

177: Brodie Grundy (Melb/C’wood), scheduled round 24.

177: Gary Rohan (Syd/Geel), scheduled round 24.

176: Charlie Cameron (Adel/Bris Lions) scheduled finals week 1.

176: Jason Johannisen (W Bulldogs), scheduled finals week 1.

176: Josh Kelly (GWS), scheduled finals week 1.

175: Levi Casboult (Carlton/Gold Coast), scheduled finals week 2.

173: Lachie Hunter (W Bulldogs/Melb), scheduled finals week 4.

Collingwood’s Jack Crisp is on track to play 200 consecutive matches. Picture: Michael Klein

200 CONSECUTIVE GAMES

188: Jack Crisp (C'wood) needs 12 to become only the fifth player to reach 200 consecutive games. The VFL-AFL longest streak of games record is held by Jim Stynes with 244 matches.

CAREER GOALS

1100 GOALS

1047 goals: Lance Franklin (Haw/Syd) needs 53 goals.

Note: Franklin needs 11 goals to pass Doug Wade (1057) as the fourth-most VFL-AFL career goals.

800 GOALS

755: Jack Riewoldt (Rich) needs 45 goals.

Note: Riewoldt needs 24 goals to pass Kevin Bartlett (778) as Richmond’s third-highest goal kicker in history, behind only Matthew Richardson (800) and Jack Titus (970). Riewoldt also needs five goals to become the third player to kick 400 or more goals at the MCG.

Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt needs just 45 more goals to hit 800 majors in his decorated career. Pictures: Getty Images

750 GOALS

732: Tom Hawkins (Geel) needs 18 goals.

550 GOALS

536: Taylor Walker (Adel) needs 14 goals.

531: Jeremy Cameron (GWS/Geel) needs 19 goals.

500 GOALS

484: Jack Darling (West Coast) needs 16 goals.

481: Luke Breust (Haw) needs 19 goals.

447: Tom Lynch (Gold Coast/Rich) needs 53 goals.

COACHES

400 GAMES

390: Alastair Clarkson (Haw/North Melb), scheduled round 10.

New North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson is due to coach his 400th AFL game mid-season. Picture: Getty Images

300 GAMES

297: Damien Hardwick (Rich), scheduled round 3.

286: Chris Scott (Geel), scheduled round 15.

183: John Longmire (Syd), scheduled round 18.

Note: Scott will pass Reg Hickey (304) as the most games as coach of Geelong in 2023. Hardwick and Longmire are already the longest serving Richmond and Sydney coaches.

OTHER MILESTONES

CLUB ANNIVERSARY

St Kilda is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2023. The club was officially formed on April 2, 1873.

St Kilda is celebrating its 150th anniversary in April. Picture: Getty Images

MOST CONSECUTIVE WINS

Geelong’s current streak of 16 wins is only seven short of the VFL-AFL record created by the Cats in 1952-53. If Geelong remains undefeated in the first eight rounds of 2023, it would eclipse its club record. Only four teams in VFL-AFL history have won 20 games in a row.

VENUE

The round 1 Melbourne v Western Bulldogs clash will be the 3000th VFL-AFL match to be played at the MCG.

Few players have played in as many winning matches as Geelong forward Tom Hawkins. Picture: Getty Images

MOST PLAYER WINS

Tom Hawkins (Geel) needs 15 more wins to become only the fifth player to record 250 or more wins in a career.

MOST DISPOSALS

Scott Pendlebury (C'wood) needs just 342 more disposals to overtake St Kilda legend Robert Harvey as the leading all-time disposal winner in VFL/AFL history since 1965. Pendlebury has 9315 disposals to his name from 358 career games (average 26.0 per match).

Originally published as AFL 2023: All the major milestones set to be reached this season