The concept of "luck" has no place in football

Cam · Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2021 7:41 pm

Stephen Milne would disagree with the OP, as would Barry Breen to balance it.

Damien · Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:04 pm

Geek · geek Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Location: Jacana

Rd10.1998_11.1#36 · Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 4:40 am

Ronnie McKeowns boots · Ronnie Mckeowns boots Joined: 27 Jul 2020

Pies4shaw · pies4shaw Joined: 08 Oct 2007

And so to goals (11 of the top 20 performances were in Grand Final years):

McKenna 143 (1970)
Coventry 124 (1929)
Todd 121 (1939)
Todd 120 (1938)
Coventry 118 (1930)
Daicos 97 (1990)
Coventry 97 (1927)
Coventry 89 (1928)
Davis 88 (1979)
Coventry 88 (1935)
Coventry 83 (1926)

Notably, amongst the top 20, only Taylor (100, 1986) and Sav (93, 1995) achieved their feats in non-GF seasons but did not also have a "top 20" season in a GF year.

As R10.1998 observes, there have been some special seasons, too, by players who didn't have a "top 20" goal-kicking season. Apart from the Daicos/Brown 1990 effort that yielded 146 goals (and note that Barwick kicked a further 36 - easily the second-best return of his career and his best at Collingwood - and Manson 33, his career-best - so that the team kicked 404 for the season), others that come to my mind are Moore (76), Anderson (46) and Carman (41) (supported by Kink, 34, Maxy Richradson 31 and Twiggy 27) in 1977 (all either career highs or nearly so - and the team kicked 409 goals for the season) and 1981 (Daicos 76, Davis 55, both playing mostly off the HF flanks - and the team kicked 403 goals for the season). There are probably many others - but those are the ones that occur to me.

npalm · Joined: 01 May 2005

^^ Shouldn't you be looking at 'average per game' rather than 'total for the season' figures?
In Grand Final years the the totals are going to be high because players played more games. Typically 25 or 26 games in a GF year compared to 22 games in a non-finals year.

The Marks figures for Tarrant in 2003 and 2004 are exceptional. And coincides with my memory of him as having the stickiest hands I've ever seen. I think people forget what a great talent he was.

Pies4shaw · pies4shaw Joined: 08 Oct 2007

^ Well, you can look at it it any way you want. Tarrant was an exceptional footballer - one of a handful who carried us to the 2002 and 2003 Grand Finals. He got a gong on the previous page - he has the season record for most marks ever by a Collingwood player for his 2003.

My way of looking at it is just intended as a surrogate to identify players who had standout seasons in Grand Final years.

npalm · Joined: 01 May 2005

^^ and there is also the fact that it's easier to play well and gather extra stats when you're in a really good side. And inversely it's harder to play well in a bad side. Especially for forwards.
Even the great McKenna would struggle to get a kick in our 2021 line up.

Pies4shaw · pies4shaw Joined: 08 Oct 2007

^ But you wouldn't call that "bad luck" would you?

Also, Pete's nearly 75, so I doubt he'd be quite as sharp on the lead as he was.

Cam · Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 1:11 pm

Pies4shaw · pies4shaw Joined: 08 Oct 2007

So, apart from Grundy (all the usual haters will be delighted to know that his 2021 - already and without him playing any further games this season - is number 19 for hit-outs, just shading Jolly's 2011), who do you think could have a "top 20" season in 2021? I'd have thought no-one because our team is largely awful in most positions.