AFL 25: The greatest 25 goals of the century so far
There’s been 126,666 goals kicked in this century. Josh Barnes has narrowed that list down to his top 25, with Eddie Betts and Lance Franklin prominent. Did he get it right? HAVE YOUR SAY.
If you had to choose, would you rather the highlight tape of Lance Franklin or Eddie Betts?
Likely the two most entertaining players of this century, it felt like Eddie and Buddy put up a highlight goal or two every single week.
And so when naming the best 25 goals since 2000, the two greats had to be right in the mix, and they share eight slots in the 25.
While this exercise was incredibly difficult – more on that later – choosing the No.1 was not.
It had to be Franklin’s iconic run down the Members side of the MCG, tearing away from Cale Hooker and kicking a famous and singular goal in 2010.
It had everything we love about a great goal: athleticism, a string of bounces and a tough finish right up against the fence.
If that was the greatest actual goal of the century so far, the final spot in the list went to the most important and Dom Sheed’s equally iconic set shot to sink Collingwood in the 2018 grand final.
Judging the best goal is a tough task because of the variance in memorable finishes.
How does a running effort in which a player takes five bounces compare to a freakish finish from the boundary line?
Or a game-winning monster goal?
They all feature here and they all make for great debate.
Add your voice to that debate in the comments below.
1. LANCE FRANKLIN
Hawthorn v Essendon, round 13, 2010
It is the goal of the century from the man who kicked more majors than anybody else this millennium. Mention Buddy Franklin and Cale Hooker and the same mental image comes into every footy fan’s head. What may be most remarkable about this goal is the fact it is a sequel. Franklin ran away from Mark McVeigh only minutes earlier in a tight fourth quarter, so when the ball got over the back of him and Hooker, everybody knew what was coming. Like The Godfather Part 2, it improved on a classic. For that first goal, Franklin dribbled it through but this time Bomber Jarrod Atkinson got back to the goalsquare, so he had to go ariel from right up against the fence. And he did it so easily, as poor Hooker blew up in an admirable chase. It was all pure Buddy, no other player that size could kick a goal like that. Tom Harley instantly remarked that it was “as good a goal as I have ever seen”, and there are no arguments here.
2. MATT WHITE
Port Adelaide v Richmond, round 17, 2014
There have been plenty of excellent running goals this century. And Matt White’s is the best. That comes down to the pure effort. He has to motor to get in front of Steven Morris and then puts the foot down even further to get around the Tiger. Then he has to clear the line from 48m at full speed. No player had to run harder for longer for a goal since 2000.
3. LANCE FRANKLIN
Hawthorn v Collingwood, round 3, 2013
The best 12 seconds in football history? Brent Guerra unloads his torp from the defensive goalsquare with 8:23min left on the clock, Ben Stratton marks near the centre square four seconds later, Franklin hurdles over Sam Dwyer and Stratton at 8:17 and his 70m drop punt clears the goal line at 8:11. Perhaps more a team goal than just Franklin’s brilliance, his hurdle and monster kick was needed to finish it off. Just like his best goal on this list, who else in footy history could have done that so smoothly?
4. EDDIE BETTS
Carlton v Collingwood, round 21, 2006
Like deciding on Jeremy Howe’s best mark, how do you decide which of Eddie Betts’ goals was best? The great goalkicker is to goals of the year as Jasprit Bumrah is to smashing cricket stumps. His earliest GOTY gong is the best. Betts flashes into the screen to smother a Tarkyn Lockyer handball then gathers on the boundary with Simon Prestigiacomo fencing him in. Three Blues have their hands up for handballs but Eddie does the right thing and slips a banana on his boot and curls it in. All while a fight was on in the middle of the ground between Collingwood and Carlton players. Pure artistry.
5. LEON DAVIS
Collingwood v Fremantle, round 22, 2008
This ‘Leon Neon’ special was so good it would forever be used by coaches as an example to small forwards on why they should put pressure on defenders. The Pie traps Des Headland in a tackle twice, steps over him, pulls out his trademark one-handed pick-up and beautifully spins away from Andrew Browne. Davis then just casually stepped into a drop punt from the boundary 45m out from goal. As ex-teammate Nathan Buckley put it, “the goal was actually the easy part”, and it wasn’t an easy goal.
6. DANIEL RIOLI
Richmond v West Coast, round 3, 2017
Let’s count up the efforts. First, Daniel Rioli is in the marking contest and brings it to ground. He takes off and reaches over Brad Sheppard in another marking attempt, again bringing the ball to the deck. Third, he collects the footy, shrugs off Sheppard and dishes to Dion Prestia. Naturally, Rioli gets it back, and finally bangs a banana from 35m out. It’s enough to put you out of breath just watching the replay.
7. EDDIE BETTS
Adelaide v GWS Giants, round 10, 2016
Many will argue that this is Betts’ best. Nick Haynes probably would argue the tape should be burned. Betts slides into the contest here and manages to keep the ball inside the boundary before reading where Haynes was moving so he could dodge the other way, while holding the Sherrin inside the line. The finish was rudimentary by his standards, which loses some style points.
8. CYRIL RIOLI
Hawthorn v Essendon, round 7, 2009
Only those crazy dance mat video game lovers can match Cyril Rioli’s quick feet in this goal. He mucks up Bachar Houli’s handball, gathers on the bounce and then before you can blink takes 11 steps in and out of three Bombers defenders, leaving them sprawling on the ground. Simply electric.
9. DANIEL KERR
West Coast v Fremantle, round 22, 2003
The running machine Eagle was given the footy comfortably behind the centre square late in this Western Derby. He collected five bounces – on his left hand – and had to put the foot down to get away from an opponent before goaling from just inside the 50m arc. A classic.
10. MARK MERENDA
West Coast v St Kilda, round 3, 2001
Remember Mark Merenda? He played 75 games for the Tigers before joining the Eagles and slotted the goal of the year in 2001 as he seemingly paddled the ball around the boundary forever against St Kilda. He first touched the ball 55m from goal and tapped it along for at least 30m, Merenda gathered and slotted a drop punt on the left from the boundary. It was pure 2001: West Coast and St Kilda in vintage jumpers and a chopped up Colonial Stadium turf.
11. STEPHEN HILL
Fremantle v Geelong, qualifying final, 2013
Aaron Sandilands happily thought he had done the team thing by belting the ball to the fence late in the final term of this monumental upset. As luck would have it, he collected a goal assist. Stephen Hill stepped out of the dugout, plucked the ball to his left and took off. Hill cruised to five bounces and the game-sealing goal in a moment that still shocks Geelong fans 12 years on.
12. DUSTIN MARTIN
Richmond v Geelong, grand final 2020
There was a single-minded inevitability about Dustin Martin in grand finals. To seal the 2020 decider and his third Norm Smith Medal, Martin was just always going to kick this goal. He stalked the footy like a shark once Rhys Stanley spilt an easy mark then symbolically shrugged off Patrick Dangerfield – an extremely rare occurrence – to then snap the goal from a tight angle. You just always felt it was going to happen.
13. LANCE FRANKLIN
Hawthorn v Collingwood, preliminary final, 2011
One of the underrated calls of the great Dennis Cometti’s career: “here comes Buddy”. With four minutes left in a tough prelim final, Franklin just gets away from Chris Tarrant’s grapple for long enough to dribble one through on the left. Not the greatest goal ever but the moment raised this to new heights.
14. EDDIE BETTS
Adelaide v Fremantle, round 9, 2015
The instant the ball leaves Betts’ left boot, Mark Ricciuto can’t believe what he has done. Betts chucked the ball on his left for an audacious torpedo that curled like a James Anderson outswinger. One of the great goalkickers of all time, Jason Dunstall quickly said “you are not entitled to kick that”. But you can never say no to Eddie in front of goals.
15. LEWIS JETTA
Sydney v Collingwood, preliminary final, 2012
Can anyone explain why there was nobody in front of Lewis Jetta when he collected this ball 150m from goal? Unlucky for Pie Nathan Brown who had to forlornly chase as Jetta seemingly jogged all the way home taking three bounces – clearly not enough for the distance he covered – to drop the goal in.
16. DANIEL WELLS
North Melbourne v Fremantle, round 15, 2004
The “Jackie Chan in mid-air” was a goal we had never seen before and haven’t seen since. For some reason there were no rucks around when the umpire bounced the ball in North Melbourne’s goalsquare, so Wells saw the giant space and leapt to slam the ball on his boot in one motion.
17. ZAC BAILEY
Brisbane Lions v Collingwood, grand final, 2023
Easily forgotten in a losing grand final but this was a belter. Bailey smothered Mason Cox’s kick, re-engaged with the play when Joe Daniher was caught then danced around Nathan Murphy and Cox to snap a beauty. In one of the highest quality grand finals in memory, this was a true highlight.
18. DAVID KING
North Melbourne v Brisbane Lions, round 3, 2003
File this one under unusual. At full momentum, David King just threw his boot in at the perfect time to soccer a ball from well inside the centre square and over the goal line, travelling 60m. Johnny Wilkinson couldn’t hit a set kick any better. King would slot a different but equally skilful soccer goal later in the game.
19. HAYDEN BALLANTYNE
Fremantle v Geelong, round 2, 2011
On the first glance, this looks like a pretty standard goal. But on the replay you realise how Hayden Ballantyne completely made this play. He was involved twice to get the ball to Matthew Pavlich and kept charging through to slot the goal at full tilt.
20. CHRIS YARRAN
Carlton v Richmond, round 1, 2012
Chris Yarran just oozed class. In this round 1 goal, he danced around two Tigers, took a tiny bounce and snagged the goal at full speed. Delightful to watch, even if he did wave the ball outside the boundary line at one point.
21. LANCE FRANKLIN
Hawthorn v Adelaide, elimination final, 2007
Pretty stock standard by the incredible Franklin standards. But this was the moment Lance became Buddy. He soaked up the moment to bomb one from outside 50, his seventh major of the match, to put the Hawks up over the Crows with seconds to go in the elimination final. The footage was instantly iconic and Buddy was on his way to legendary status.
22. EDDIE BETTS
Adelaide v Gold Coast, round 5, 2019
The third time Betts lands on this list from the same pocket at the Adelaide Oval. In game 300, Jarrod Harbrow thinks he has killed this ball over the line only for it to land with Betts. By the time he has caught the ball, Betts is facing the goals, so in one motion he naturally just chucks it on his left for a checkside goal. The goal is ridiculous, and it’s even more ridiculous it is only his fourth best.
23. TRAVIS VARCOE
Geelong v Collingwood, grand final, 2011
Cameron Ling still rates this right up among his favourite goals. The “left foot goal to remember”, as Anthony Hudson put it, came after Varcoe first flew for a mark in his defensive 50. He helped clear the ball from defence, then soccered it forward on the wing and still had the legs late in the fourth term to perfectly rove off Mitch Duncan’s hands and snap on the left at full speed with Ben Johnson in his back pocket. As Hudson finished, “he will never forget it”. And neither have Cats fans.
24. NICK DAVIS
Sydney v Geelong, semi final, 2005
Nick Davis kicked two brilliant snaps and a set shot in the final term of this classic semi-final. But he saved his best for last. As Mark Thompson would later bemoan, the Swans opened up a heap of space for this final ball-up in front of goal and Davis waltzed through to Jason Ball’s perfect tap. But for extra style points, Davis never had true control of the ball, just enough to get it over the top and put the Swans into a preliminary final.
25. DOM SHEED
West Coast v Collingwood, grand final, 2018
This may end up as the most important kick in the history of the game. The premiership swung on this set shot. It was huge enough to vault a tough but reasonably common tight set shot to legendary status. Everybody knows about the West Coast play around the wing by now and Pies fans certainly know all about Brayden Maynard being guided off the ball. Sheed took very little time on the set shot, calmly going back and nailing it with less than two minutes to go. Not the best goal on this list but easily the most important.
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