FROM 126 AFL/VFL seasons, there are just 28 of them: players to kick 100 goals in a year.
Of that 28, 21 are still alive.
In a very special AFL.com.au project launched today, the extraordinary stories of these footballers who dominated the game, supporters' minds and the media, will be told in their own words, and celebrated in video, podcast and text.
Today's podcast launch episode of Centurions can be found HERE, and as of next week, individual interviews with these footballing icons will be rolled out.
Collingwood's Australian Football Hall Of Fame Legend Gordon Coventry was the first to kick a ton in a season, in 1929. Hawthorn and Sydney legend-in-waiting Lance 'Buddy' Franklin was the last to do it, in 2008.
The 28 individuals who have kicked 100 goals in a season did so a combined 57 times. Jason Dunstall and Tony Lockett, the game's greatest goalkicker with 1360, each did it six times, Peter Hudson five, Coventry four.
Hudson kicked an average of 5.64 goals a game, Lockett 4.84, Dunstall 4.66. On 74 occasions, Lockett kicked seven goals or more in a game. In 22 different matches he kicked 10 goals or more. Dunstall kicked 10 goals or more in a match on 16 occasions.
The century goalkickers were the game's rock stars, their type now on the verge of extinction as a result of defensive coaching methods and mindsets. Not to downplay the achievements of today's big-name goalkickers, but merely to highlight how the game has changed, Eagle Josh Kennedy has averaged 2.5 goals a game, Cat Tom Hawkins 2.2, Giant and Cat Jeremy Cameron 2.53 and Tiger Jack Riewoldt 2.3.
Essendon great John Coleman, to some still the best the game has ever seen, played just 98 games of football but kicked 100 goals in a season on three occasions, as did Bob Pratt, Gary Ablett and Peter McKenna.
The 28 Centurions are:
- Gordon Coventry, Collingwood, four times … 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934
- George Moloney, Geelong, 1939
- Bob Pratt, South Melbourne, three times 1933, 1934, 1935
- Bill Mohr, St Kilda, 1936
- Ron Todd, Collingwood, twice … 1938, 1939
- Jack Titus, Richmond, 1940
- John Coleman, Essendon, three times … 1949, 1950, 1952
- Peter Hudson, Hawthorn, five times … 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1977
- Doug Wade, Geelong AND North Melbourne … 1969, 1974
- Peter McKenna, Collingwood, three times … 1970, 1971, 1972
- Alex Jesaulenko, Carlton … 1970
- Geoff Blethyn, Essendon, 1972
- Larry Donohue, Geelong 1976
- Kelvin Templeton, Footscray, 1978
- Michael Roach, Richmond, 1980
- Malcolm Blight, North Melbourne, 1982
- Bernie Quinlan, Fitzroy, twice … 1983, 1984
- Simon Beasley, Footscray, 1985
- Brian Taylor, Collingwood, 1986
- Tony Lockett, St Kilda AND Sydney, six times … 1987, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998
- Warwick Capper, Sydney, 1987
- Jason Dunstall, Hawthorn, six times … 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996
- Peter Sumich, West Coast, 1991
- Tony Modra, Adelaide, 1993
- Gary Ablett, Geelong, three times … 1993, 1994, 1995
- Matthew Lloyd, Essendon, twice … 2000, 2001
- Fraser Gehrig, St Kilda, 2004
- Lance Franklin, Hawthorn, 2008
