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No doubt Jack Riewoldt feels jilted by Collingwood.
Not only would he have played his 250th game in the grand final but (I confidently predict) he would have kicked at least one goal. This would make him the outright fourth greatest goal scorer ever for the Tigers. He would have also had a chance to raise the premiership cup for a second time!
Click here to see the rest of Stephen’s lists.
It was not to be, but with the addition of Tom Lynch to the club – and the collective talents of the current five top 100 goal kickers (Riewoldt, Dustin Martin, Shane Edwards, Trent Cotchin and Shaun Grigg) – it gives the club plenty of firepower for another tilt at the flag in 2019.
Although Lynch is unlikely to reach top 100 status at the Tigers in his first year, he will not take long to join the elite.
One player who will make it in 2019 is Josh Caddy, currently six goals short.
St Kilda’s best forward Josh Bruce (#34 on the Saints top 100 all time goal scorers) kicked only four goals and played ust three games for the year.
Most of the heavy lifting was left to Tim Membrey who finished the year only three places and seven goals short of equalling Bruce’s goals total in the top 100.
Able support in the goal kicking department was provided by Jake Gresham who broke into the top 100 during the year and Jack Billings who did likewise.
Two other Jacks (Newnes and Lonie) showed potential to be future members of the top 100 goal scorers club. Jack Steven did his bit and climbed ten positions up the list whilst David Armitage climbed six in a fairly disappointing year.
After discarding Dan Hannebery and Gary Rohan, Sydney still have an impressive eight top 100 goal scorers on their list, led of course by the exciting Lance Franklin.
New entrants in 2018 were Tom Papley and Isaac Heeney, both still outside the Swans’ top 80 but expected to climb rapidly through the ranks.
Isaac Heeney. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
West Coast’s fire power was a major reason for their close grand final win. At the end of the year they boasted the Number 1 (Josh Kennedy), 3 (Mark Le Cras) and 5 (Jack Darling) all time goal kickers at the club.
Le Cras has since retired, but the Eagles still have another 11 Top 100 goal kickers with Will Schofield knocking on the door to join this elite group and this should keep them near the top of the tree next season.
Jake Stringer, Blake Griffin, Missy Higgins, Cosmo Crameri, James Jones and now Luke Dahlhaus – these are all names that appear on the Western Bulldogs’ top 100 goal kickers who this year and were playing at other league clubs.
Who does it leave to provide goal scoring fire power for the Dogs? Not much.
Tory Dickson is the only one in the Top 50, and he played 8 games for 8 goals in 2018. Liam Picken – no games and no goals in 2018.
Marcus Bontempelli and new top 100 entrant Mitch Wallis along with first-year player Billy Gowers were the only three players to score 20 plus goals for the club and the highest total was 26 goals.
When you contrast this with the number of similar goal kickers at other clubs it goes a long way to explaining the form of the Bulldogs this year.
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