How Demon’s 30-goal haul nearly toppled state record

Motton Preston’s Jalen Hayward didn’t know how close his 30-goal haul on Saturday came to breaking the state record until his coach scrolled Wikipedia. Hear from the Demons after their forward’s big day.

Jalen Hayward, pictured during last year's NWFA grand final, booted 30 goals for Motton Preston on Saturday. Picture: Solstice Digital

After booting an incredible 30 goals for Motton Preston against Rosebery-Toorak on Saturday, Jalen Hayward was oblivious to how close he’d come to breaking the state record until Demons coach Nick Hall scrolled Wikipedia after the game.

“We finished and I said it might be a record,” Hall said after the 54.21 (345) to 0.0 (0) win at Rosebery Oval.

“I remembered it was on the NWFA Wiki page and I was like ‘oh you useless bast*** it (NWFA record) is 31. And it’s also a state record, you were that close.”

Former East Ulverstone goal machine Jamie Auton can rest easy knowing his Tasmanian record set against West Ulverstone in 2006 remains in tact.

After entering the game on 69 goals for the season, the Demons’ focus in the dying stages was to try and get Hayward to the ton after he had booted 19 majors at three quarter time.

Like the state record, he fell just one short.

“I just said to the boys let’s look for him today, I’d love for him to get to 100 for the year,” Hall said.

“I was just looking for a stepping stone I guess to eventually get him there, but then it turned to let’s get it to him in the last quarter because he might get 100 today.

“You try and look after your own and try and get them those milestones if you can, if you have any say in it.”

Defending premiers Motton Preston (10-2) have won three of the last four NWFA flags and are second behind Sheffield (12-1) on the table.

Sheffield’s Aaron McNab became the first player in Tasmanian league to reach 100 goals for the season on Saturday when he booted exactly the 11 goals required in Saturday’s win at East Ulverstone.

Hall said he felt for winless Rosebery-Toorak, who they also beat 343-6 earlier this year and have a season percentage of 1.81.

“They play the game in good spirits, they just want to play a game of footy and still enjoy themselves,:” Hall said.

“It’s a long way away on the west coast so they’re happy to have a game. I’d love to see them better, but where they’re situated it’s a really hard place to attract players.

“We just set ourselves goals of how many goals we want to kick in a quarter, we talk about defence and things that end up being important at the end of the year.

“Jalen was a highlight for us, so that kept us going for the back end of the game at least.”

Hayward is in his second year at the club and Hall said the 23-year-old’s versatility makes him tough to handle.

He’s a pretty small guy but can play big and small,” he said.

“He can be a hit up key forward and takes marks you wouldn’t expect a smaller guy to take as well.”