In Australian rules football, a player can score a goal by kicking the oval ball between the two central goal posts. 298 players are recognised to have scored a goal with their first kick in the sport's premier competition, the Australian Football League (AFL), known before 1990 as the Victorian Football League (VFL). These players are often said to have joined an "elite" and "exclusive" club.[1][2]
Rarer still are players who have scored goals from their first two kicks – a mere 40 of these players have been recorded. Of these players, just ten have also scored a goal with their third kick. Clen Denning (debuted 1935), Richard Lounder (1989) and Daniel Metropolis (1992) are the only VFL/AFL players documented to have scored four goals from as many kicks. Denning followed up with goals from his fifth and sixth kicks, an effort that remains unmatched.
On occasion, players have mistakenly been omitted from – and included in – the AFL's official records of the accomplishment. For example, Melbourne's Dave McGlashan scored a goal with his first kick during the 1981 VFL season. However, his achievement was not recognised until 2010, when he was prompted to come forward after the club's website published an article examining Melbourne players who accomplished the feat.[3] In a contrasting event in 2002, Essendon's Shane Harvey was briefly recognised to have scored goals with his first two kicks, before an Essendon fan pointed out Harvey had in fact kicked a clearing ball just a few seconds into his debut, prior to his first goal.[4]
Goal with first kick
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| Rd. | The round in which the player scored his first goal |
|---|---|
| (n) | Player scored goals with his first n kicks. |
| † | Player has not recorded another kick in his career. |
| # | Player did not record a kick in his first match. |
| ## | Player did not record a kick in his first two matches. |
| ☆ | Player is a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame. |
| ★ | Player is a Legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame. |
Multiple goals with first kicks
Notes
- 1 2 All entries up to the end of 2018 are sourced to the AFL Record Season Guide 2019.[5] Entries from 2019 onwards are individually referenced. Players' Hall of Fame membership and Legend status are sourced to AFL.com.au.[6][7]
- ↑ Hafey was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach.[8]
References
- 1 2 McMurtry, Andrew (27 July 2020). "Geelong Cats debutant Brad Close joins first kick first goal club against Fremantle Dockers". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Ryan, Peter (21 July 2020). "Snap Shot: First kick, first goal a Weightman tradition". The Age. Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ Carroll, Linda (13 December 2010). "McGlashan recognised for first kick goal". melbournefc.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ↑ McClure, Geoff (9 May 2002). "Sporting Life". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ Lovett, Michael, ed. (10 February 2019). AFL Record Season 2019. Melbourne: Crocmedia. pp. 784–785. ISBN 978-0-6484651-0-2.
- ↑ "Australian Football Hall of Fame – Players". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ↑ "Australian Football Hall of Fame – Legends". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ↑ "Australian Football Hall of Fame – Coaches". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ↑ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5.
- ↑ Rhett Bartlett, Official Richmond FC Historian. https://twitter.com/rhettrospective/status/1481867378967584768
- ↑ King, Travis (13 August 2016). "Five talking points: Hawthorn v North Melbourne". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ Greenberg, Tony (24 March 2019). "Balta enters exclusive Tiger goal club". richmondfc.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ Fair, Alex (25 March 2019). "Chayce Jones starts life as an Adelaide Crow with a bang". The Examiner. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ O'Connor, Tim (17 June 2019). "St Kilda's Nick Hind reflects on AFL debut against Gold Coast Suns". The Courier. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ Turner, Matt (31 August 2020). "Irving Mosquito went from remote WA to Essendon's new cult hero". The Australian. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ "Geelong clinches AFL top-four spot with win over Sydney Swans ahead of finals". ABC News. Australian Associated Press. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ Woods, Dan (22 March 2021). "Powell's magical moment". nmfc.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ Caffrey, Oliver (26 March 2021). "Geelong hold off Lions in AFL thriller". Bendigo Advertiser. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ Ryan, Peter (10 April 2021). "Undermanned Giants upset shambolic Collingwood". The Age. Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ Healey, Catherine (10 April 2021). "West Coast draftee Isiah Winder slots goal with first kick in AFL after replacing injured Shannon Hurn". The West Australian. Seven West Media. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ↑ "I loved it: Carroll right where he needs to be". carltonfc.com.au. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ↑ Barrett, Jackson (6 May 2022). "Fremantle Dockers draftee Jye Amiss kicks maiden AFL goal with first kick against North Melbourne". The West Australian. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ↑ McMurtry, Andrew (9 June 2022). "'Red wine's everywhere': Rookie's family go nuts at debut double". News.com.au. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ↑ Whiting, Michael (3 July 2022). "Cruel late injury sours Pies' season-defining win over Suns". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ↑ Whiting, Michael (23 July 2022). "Lions overpower Suns in QClash to enhance top-four chances". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- ↑ Blucher, Peter (27 March 2023). "Samson Ryan: 3 kicks – 3 goals". AFL Queensland. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ↑ Twomey, Callum (14 April 2023). "Happy Paps: Six-goal hero leads Swans past injury-hit Tigers". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 22 April 2023.