By Paul Semertzidis @PaulSemertzidis
The number 100 is such a magic figure in sport and even life in general.
Every cricketer dreams of taking off the helmet, raising the bat and saluting the crowd after bringing up three figures. The standard length of many sports fields (Rugby League, Gridiron etc) sits on 100m and of course, we all want to get that letter from the Queen on our hundredth birthday.
But in football terms when is 100 a special number?
In 1929 Collingwood goal kicking superstar Gordon Coventry became the first man in VFL/AFL history to put through more than 100 goals in a season, he did it in style, kicking 124 goals and playing in a second successive Collingwood premiership. Then there was former Port Melbourne bad boy Fred Cook took the VFA by storm in 1977 when he slotted 167 goals in an extended 26 match season but that’s not even the record! Ron Todd did when playing for Williamstown in 1945 booted an almost unimaginable 188 goals for the season after controversially crossing from the Magpies.
Memories of hordes of fans screaming onto playing arenas are still fondly placed in the minds of many football pundits. Everybody loves to see a ‘ton, whether it be at the highest level, in the country or out in the suburbs.
For Eastern Football League followers though, we have been bereft of any such frivolity since season 2011, but all that is set to change.
In season 2014 all 4 divisions across the Eastern Football League are set to have at least one brilliant forward ‘raise the bat’.
Jason ‘The Hulk’ Eagle leads all comers in the premier division with an outstanding 58 goals in 12 rounds of football, but with names like Barker, Broadhurst and Van Unen nipping at his heels the race is far from over and with a lot of footy still to be played we could see our first Division 1 hundred since Tory Dickson ran amuck in Noble Park’s 2010 premiership.
Division 2 has been screaming out for a dominant spearhead since Kire ‘Kid’ Talevski moved interstate and Croydon front man Brendon Weinert is looking to throw his hat into the ring. His 53 goal season includes brilliant hauls of 11 and 10 against Bayswater and the Waverly Blues respectively.
Templestowe’s Paul Eccles was the last centurion in Division 3 in 2011; with just under 300 goals in little more than 50 games with the Dockers he was a goal kicking machine. South Belgrave’ recruit Cody Morris currently has 49 goals for the season and with a resume that boasts a 100 goal season in Division 2 playing for Rowville he is certainly no mug and is every chance repeat that dose for the boys up the mountain.
Lukas Appleby’s retirement has left a hole in Division 4 but Warrandyte big man Luke Dunn has taken everyone by storm. The Bloods spearhead has taken over from Michael ‘Magic Hands’ Morello and has not looked back. 43 goals in the last 6 games is not beyond the young man as he looks to become his clubs first centurion since Ron Wilson in 1983 (Wilson kicked a remarkable 280 goals over 2 seasons with Warrandyte).
One thing is for certain, footy fans in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne are crying out for the memory that comes with moment that crowns a remarkable personal achievement and depending on where you choose to go you might just be so lucky.