Grassroots football’s most amazing stats and efforts from across Australia
They’re the sporting efforts – and numbers – that almost defy logic. From monster hauls to almighty streaks, these are the stats you have to see to believe.
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They’re the sporting efforts – and numbers – that almost defy belief.
From monster goal hauls to almighty tryscoring blitzes, these are the Aussie grassroots sporting efforts that left us amazed in 2023.
Read about all the efforts, vote for your favourite and see the videos below >>>
JUNIOR’S REMARKABLE DEBUT
Booting six goals on your senior Aussie rules debut is quite an effort … especially when you’re 12.
Jacko Kemp stamped himself as a player to watch when he made an all-star entrance to SANFL APY League after a surprise call-up.
The rising star in August filled in for second-bottom team the Amata Bombers and helped himself to six majors against bigger and older opponents.
Even more remarkably, his side only kicked nine goals for the whole game, going down 89-62.
“I felt really happy about my game,” Kemp said.
“I wasn’t scared at all, my coach told me to lead out at the front and that’s what I did, I made good leads and I kicked straight.”
FREAK TRYSCORING STREAK
Tryscoring hot streaks don’t come much hotter than this.
Yarrabah premiership hero Oswald Fourmile in July was being hailed the form tryscorer of any Far North Queensland rugby league competition after a phenomenal six-game run.
Fourmile has been a regular in the FNQRL for years, having spent much of the past 15 seasons at the Seahawks, and with a short stint at Southern Suburbs as well.
But his run over the past six weeks is not just eye-catching; it’s almost unbelievable to witness.
Fourmile, 37, scored 22 tries … and did it all in his previous six games.
“I’m just loving my footy at the moment,” he said.
“Especially with the old folks still here watching games, it certainly lift my momentum to go out and put a smile on their face.”
RECORD DROUGHT ENDS
It was a historic and emotional victory 64 years in the making, orchestrated by a group of old mates proud of their western Sydney roots but now spread across NSW.
When the Blue Mountains rugby club beat Hunters Hill for the prized Kentwell Cup – the major trophy in the NSW Suburban Rugby Union ‘Subbies’ competition – it was a moment of celebration, elation and fanfare.
The team was mainly comprised of childhood mates who grew up in western Sydney who decided to reunite to throw the spotlight on rugby in Sydney’s west – and to try and end a very long dry spell for their old club.
“It was incredible, very emotional,’’ said captain Chris Nay who gave a rousing speech at the end.
“We made the decision to play together and help out our childhood club.
“But we weren’t expected to win. No expected us to do better than last.’’
NOVICE TO NATIONALS
Central Coast teenager Sienna Thomas had never played a game of Rugby Sevens before being drafted into a schoolgirls team to play at the Australian schools championship.
So she turned to TikTok to learn the game, scored countless tries, helped her NSW I team to win the event and was then named in the Australian Schools 16s Merit Squad.
Even Rio Olympian Shannon Parry was impressed with the young guns at July’s Australian schools rugby championships in Sydney.
“Being in the Merit team puts them on the radar for Australian selection in the future,’’ Parry said.
TEEN’S ALMIGHTY HAUL
Twenty goals in an Aussie rules season? Solid enough.
Twenty goals in a single game? OK, we’re impressed now.
Jesse Hunter may have finished with more than 100 goals for Portarlington in Geelong’s BFL U18 Division 3, but one game stands out.
His booted 20.1 against Bell Post Hill to rocket his tally along.
Even the tale of his 100th was quirky – punters flooded the field as the kick looked to sail through … only for the ball to swing late into a post.
“To be fairly honest I just prefer to kick goals to win games, that’s the reason why I do it. Obviously to get to 100 it is a pretty big thing, and it hasn’t sunk in yet. Same with when I kicked 20 goals earlier in the year, that hasn’t sunk in either,” he said.
52YO GRANDMA SKITTLES ‘JUNIORS’
This was no ordinary footy yarn.
A broad-shouldered grandmother, aged 52, decided to wedge her head in rugby league scrums.
She’s the doting mother of four and former wife of a pastor who, after decades of unselfishness, finally found the light.
In fact, the longer Leah Alefaio-Stevenson speaks the harder it is to reconcile that after a 34-year absence from any organised sport, she now rotates alongside daughter Tessa in the Campbelltown Collegians front row.
“I’ve never played before and all the girls in my team just look at me, the youngest is just 17 – I’m still trying to get my head around it,” a humble Leah said.
And just to be clear, this was no Sunday afternoon touch or tag in the local park. The Macarthur Open Age Women’s competition is littered with aspiring talent already on pathways towards the NRLW.
FIELD GOAL PHENOM
It is the stuff of backyard legends.
A 42m field goal from James Lee shook the Macarthur Rugby League competition in June.
Playing for Thirlmere, Lee took upon himself to break the 20-20 deadlock.
Even more impressive, the teen had spent much of the season on the wing before being thrust into the halves.
42 GOALS – IN ONE GAME!
He entered the final round of the season 20 goals behind in the comp’s goalkicking tally.
Now he’s got his name on the medal.
Lindenow’s Peter Harrison filled his boots with an almighty 42 goals in the East Gippsland league’s under-17.5 Aussie rules competition in August.
The 18-year-old’s haul in the Cats’ 43.9 (267) to 0.1 (1) victory over Paynesville shattered the club record for goals kicked in a match – said to be 22.
He finished the season with 78 majors from 15 matches in the under-17.5s – 18 ahead of Lakes Entrance’s Harry Warfe – with Harrison also kicking two each across a couple of showings in the reserves and seniors this year.
“They just kept feeding it to me,” Harrison said.
“I’m very thankful for all the boys in the midfield and the wings, the backline (and) everyone on the field.
“I ended up with nine in the first quarter and kept on going from there.”
MIRACLE FINALS PLAY
A piece of brilliance from Jay Belgrove saw the second rower etch his name into Redfern folklore in August.
Playing in the Souths Juniors rugby league grand final day in Sydney, Belgrove delivered a chip and chase try for the ages.
First kicking over the defender, he regathered before producing a miracle offload to a teammate to score the winning try.
Five-eighth Matty Gordon paid tribute to the man of the match for his special play.
“I grew up playing with him and he was a halfback growing up, so I knew he had that in his bag,” Gordon said.
“He’s tough as a nail. When he pulls something out like that the whole side backs him.
“Magic like that is what Redfern is about.”
BIG DAY OUT
OK, so this one is more of an all around team effort.
But one players kicking 10 goals, cracking 200 points, overcoming a sorry start to the season and a veteran celebrating his 300th all in the one Tassie Aussie rules match sure made for a special day.
In May Lindisfarne skipper Josh Green helped himself to a lazy 10 majors in the 203-49 victory over New Norfolk in the Southern Football League.
After starting the season 1-3, Lindisfarne kicked into gear with the 149-point victory, as Matthew Phillips marked his 300th game in style.
CROSS-CODE STAR’S BLITZ
She is already known as one of Northern Territory’s most exciting soccer talents.
Indeed, 11 goals in four games tends to earn you that reputation.
Cassie McWilliam entered the 2023 season late – such is her skill with an Aussie rules ball as well – but still went on a blitz.
FIFTY IN LOSING EFFORT
Another week, another Joel Bennett masterclass in the Geelong local footy competition.
The Corio superstar showed once again in July that he is a class above the rest, finishing with an eye-watering 50 disposals, four goals and 235 ranking points in his side’s loss to Geelong West.
His dominant display included a lazy 40 kicks, 20 contested possessions, 12 rebound 50s and eight clearances, in a round where a host of stars stuffed the stat sheet.
It was Bennett’s second double ton in as many weeks after logging 42 disposals, 221 ranking points and four goals in their loss to Thomson.
FOOTY CLUB’S MILESTONE
It has a proud 52-year history, devoted volunteers and players – and in September three teams from the Forbes Platypi rugby club were part of a piece of history at the grand final weekend in Parkes.
For the first time 12s, 14s and 16s teams qualified for the decider in the same season.
And each team ran out in a reproduced jersey they had made 20 years ago to honour players Paul Cronin, Greg Sanderson and Brad Ridley, victims of the 2002 Bali Bombing on an end-of-season rugby trip.
These teams were all coached by members of the Forbes Platypi side which won the premierships themselves two decades ago, wearing the special jersey.Forbes Platypi 12s, 14s, 16s.
MUM’S REMARKABLE FORM
A humble and talented mother of three played a key role in the Noosa Tigers’ 132-point win over Moorooka in July, kicking a whopping 11 goals for her Aussie rules side.
Vice-captain Dani Bishop-Kinlyside, who has only been playing the sport for four seasons, kicked a career-high 11 goals in the QFAW Division 2 North fixture.
The 37-year-old full forward said she still couldn’t believe her milestone achievement.
“Obviously I was trying not to count because then I know I would’ve been kicking crooked but I know after the first quarter all of the girls were pumping me up and I think I was sitting at four goals,” she said.
KICKING SERIOUS GOALS
With some guidance from her legendary uncle, a Red Centre football star in February doubled her career-best effort with a 12-goal haul in her debut season with the Green Machine.
Kaitlyn Armstrong, the niece of Central Australian Football League legend and three-time Minahan medallist Charlie Maher who grew up 30km west of Alice Springs, surged up the goalscoring charts in 2023.
Armstrong raced to 56 goals from just 13 in the NTFL, topping the tally despite only coming in at Round 7.
She then kicked 37 from 14 games in the winning CAFL team.
AFTER-THE-SIREN SPECIAL
Montrose’s Lachlan Jackson in August lived out every young kid’s dream (watch the video below).
The Eastern Football Netball League under-14 etched himself into footy folklore by kicking a goal after the siren to clinch premiership glory over The Basin.
Jackson’s kick was on the wrong side for a right footer but he pierced it through to deliver his side the 9.8 (62) to 9.6 (60) win and – more importantly – the premiership.
Jackson kicked two majors for the match, both in the last six minutes of play as the Demons stormed home from an eight-point three-quarter time deficit.
ULTIMATE GOAL POACHER
To score 51 goals in a football season is pretty good. Until you realise we’re talking about soccer.
Stephanie Latham proved a goalscoring machine for Brisbane City’s FQPL 1 side, netting 51 times in just 21 games to be the most damaging striker of the competition.
Abbey Lloyd from SWQ Thunder had the second highest goal tally with 28, nearly half that of Latham.
Meanwhile Laura Sevil netted 33 goals in 14 games for Gold Coast Knights in the FQPL 3 South Coast women’s competition.
CRACKING THE TON
An Adelaide Footy League forward in August become the first local player to boot 100 goals this season – achieving the feat in 17 games.
Electric Para Hills forward Daniel Weetra booted his 100th goal during his side’s 84-45 defeat of OSB Lonsdale in division seven, sending teammates and the home crowd into a frenzy.
Weetra took a grab in the forward pocket towards the end of the second term and was put on the goal line after an opposing defender gave a 50-metre penalty away.
The goal sneak then went back and slotted home the goal as teammates and fans prepared to run on to mob him in celebration.
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Originally published as Grassroots football’s most amazing stats and efforts from across Australia
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