BROWNLOW medallist Kelvin Templeton's club-record 15-goal haul 40 years ago almost didn't happen.
The former champion Bulldogs spearhead had been affected by cramp during the third quarter against St Kilda at a windswept Whitten Oval and there was discussion at the last change about whether he would continue in the final term.
By that time, Templeton had kicked 7.9, but he was back on target in the last quarter, booting eight straight as the cramp disappeared.
"The agreement was that I would stay on at the beginning of the fourth quarter and the situation would be monitored," he told AFL.com.au this week.
"I had never suffered from cramp before or after in a game and that was responsible for a lot of wayward shots during the last half of the third quarter. I missed several shots that weren't that difficult."
Templeton does not consider the remarkable effort in round 13, 1978, to be the greatest of his 177-game League career, saying several matches as a centre half-forward during his Brownlow season two years later were much better.
"There were several games in 1980 that gave me more pleasure," he said. "I was a more developed player in 1980 with extra experience and training and I was ready to play at that higher level."
Templeton conceded he was the beneficiary of several favourable umpiring decisions, particularly in the last quarter.
We got smashed and the ball came down at 100 miles an hour. When it was coming in like that, (Kelvin) was almost unbeatable - Barry Breen
"The last mark was definitely a favour and the second-last one was probably each-way," he said. "But there were some disputed ones that went the other way at stages earlier in the game."
Templeton's bag helped the Bulldogs kick 33.15 (213), beating the then League record score of 30.30 (210) set by Carlton against Hawthorn at Princes Park in 1969.
The record has been broken several times since.
The match ended in almost farcical circumstances as Templeton lined up for his 15th goal just before the final siren.
Below: A screen shot of the crowd just after Templeton bags his fifteenth goal 
Several Saints had made an early exit for the dressing rooms as enthusiastic supporters invaded the ground and surrounded the full-forward.
Bulldogs coach Don McKenzie was on the field and informed Templeton about the prospect of the Dogs kicking a League record score if he converted the 40m set shot at the Barkly St end.
The 107-point defeat was St Kilda's sixth consecutive loss and ended its chances of playing in the finals after being in second spot early in the season.
Barry Breen, the Saints' acting captain, was the first defender assigned to Templeton and conceded five goals before being moved off him.
Teammates Val Perovic and Trevor Barker were among others to spend time on the full-forward, but he proved unstoppable.
"We got smashed and the ball came down at 100 miles an hour. When it was coming in like that, he was almost unbeatable," Breen said.
Templeton went on to kick a club-record 118 goals that season, topping the ton against Collingwood in round 19 at Victoria Park.
After his Brownlow win, nagging injuries reduced his effectiveness and he made a highly publicised switch to Melbourne to play under Ron Barassi in 1983.
He lasted only three ill-fated seasons with the Demons before finally succumbing to injury.
Templeton later went into club administration, serving as the Sydney Swans CEO between 1996-2002.
These days Templeton, 61, is back in Melbourne running a strategic planning and management company operating in Australia and the Gulf Cooperation Council based in Abu Dhabi, where he lived for five years.
While he attends only three or four games a season, the Bulldogs Team of the Century member takes a keen interest in the clubs he was involved with and was chuffed by the Dogs' breakthrough premiership two seasons ago.
@AFL_HPKotton
