Weekly Times | NO FEWER than eight Victorian country footballers reached the magic 100-goal milestone at the weekend.
For half of the elite eight, it was their last bite of the cherry to hit the hallowed ton in their respective home-and-away seasons.
Colbinabbin’s Grant Weeks was the standout of the bunch. The Victoria Country vice-captain only needed one goal for the match to reach triple figures for the sixth time in his career.
The prolific forward booted a statewide best 20 goals at the weekend for good measure against Heathcote in the Heathcote District league.
Weeks returned to his home club Colbinabbin this season for its centenary year.
“I’ve done it (reached 100 goals) a few times now, so the excitement probably goes out of it a little bit,” Weeks said. “But it’s always a great honour, and to do it for my home club especially.”
Despite Weeks, 27, almost making the ton a yearly ritual, his teammates came from everywhere after he slotted the set shot in the first quarter.
North Geelong’s Jamie Pitman (109) and Kiewa Sandy Creek’s Guy Telford (108) also enjoyed healthy hauls, kicking 15 and 10 respectively to surge past the ton.
South Colac’s Ben Cox (104), Irymple’s Jason Eagle (103), Phillip Island’s Beau Runnalls (102), Geelong Amateur’s Mitch Day (101) and Tongala’s Paul Newman (100) also worked their way to the hundred mark.
Newman, 32, pulled off a virtuoso performance up front in the Murray league match against Deniliquin Rams, kicking nine goals to complete the feat in the last quarter.
“I’ve never kicked 100 before so it was good to experience it and celebrate it with the boys,” Newman said.
After being mobbed by his teammates, Newman celebrated in bizarre fashion, benching himself for the remainder of the game in order to “rest”.
The last person to kick 100 goals in a home-and-away season in the Murray league was Sam Lloyd, for the Rams, in 2010. He was drafted to Richmond in 2013.
