AFL Legend- - Tony Lockett

[stevie]

Greatest player I will ever see and yes im biased but I don't care. Because we have never won a flag in my time he has given me the best moments in footy. The Carlton game at Moorabbin was one of the best ive ever seen. The Swans game at the SCG was the silliest win ever in footy. Made our WB win this year look easy. We were 48 points down with only 9.50 left on the clock. He won that game off his own boot. There were many others as well. I think he way have kicked 15 or so against the Swans. Even the 8 against the Footscray to get 100 goals in 1987 sticks in my mind. And who can forget his first 3 games in 1991. Coming back from injury and totally unfit he started the year with 12, 10 and 12 goals. Even in the forth game Sheedy played about 3 guys on him and he kicked 4 goals and one of the Essendon backman got BOG that day. If you kick 4 now you are the best. He was a freak. I know it shouldn't be said but even his 16 against Ftizroy when playing for the swans was another great moment for me in footy as was that point against Essendon to get into the GF.

Plugger you are a legend. You were a legend before last night. You are my hero.

Exact words I would have written except I only saw him play live twice for the Saints - the first 2 games of 1994 when I was in Melbourne on hols. Was living in Cairns when the machine kicked into gear in 1987. My diaries have extensive details of Saints matches and how many goals he kicked. Later I would keep a running career and season total of him and Dunstall. Unreal memories of the goal kicking displays from 1987 till 1992.

When he went to Sydney I was initially disappointed but got over it as I realised he needed to start afresh and as long as Plugger was happy, I was happy. Religiously followed his Swans exploits and we got heaps of live games on TV . Went to Sydney in 1999 just after he broke the record and got a great pic of him in the goal square v the Lions.

Quite simply the best player I've ever seen.

[#gosaintas]

Pretty much same for me as Plugger66 wrote. Viewed all those great games from the Animal Enclosure and then was lucky/unlucky enough to move to Syd for work, the year before Plugger's move so got to watch him up there too. Was at the Syd/StK come back game and the game against Ess when he kicked the point.
The only time I had as much fun at the footy since then was that 2010 GF when I really thought we were going to finally win one.

[jonesy]

Was my childhood hero. He's all I ever wanted to be,before school,during school,after school,I wanted to be Lockett. In junior footy they used to play me at Full Forward every week as I used to mimic all of his moves, and I was one of the shortest in the team (and no good)...

Growing up in the 80's when only 2-3 games were televised a weekend, saints fans were starved of any media spotlight. Lockett was the only thing that would ever draw us into the news,or the replays,he made us relevant,he gave us hope, he dragged us out of the 80's single handedly. A freak of nature, who probably at the end of his career achieved about the minimum of what he could of. A professional club and fit Lockett in his prime would of made a mockery of every goal kicking tally ever recorded.

I remember several occasions at Moorabbin when he was destroying the opposition when they would literally stand two men on him side by side,and he would still beat them both with ease. No one could stop him, he towelled up everyone. Silvagni got the better of him once, and any other tally under 3 goals were due to injury or the flu.

There were so many games of domination,but the one that stands out in my mind was that second quarter of carnage in the 91 elimination final against Geelong. The first finals appearance in 18 years,the first of my life. The atmosphere was like something I had never experienced to that point. When Macadam kicked that first goal this blood curdling angry roar was deafing,i was shocked at the noise,I'd never heard anything like that to that point in my life. Plugger was spraying them early,1.4 in the first i think he kicked. He made a mends in the second though kicking 5 goals, those 20 or so minutes were our moment in the sun finally. All those hardships in the 80's,being constantly bagged at primary school because of my team, we had waited for plugger to take us to the promise land, something that seemed impossible, when he shrugged those tackles and snapped his 5th it was pandamonium in the stands, it was our moment. Moments later he kicked his 6th, on the tv telecast Macavaney said it all "This is a celebration!!!!".

Those days at Moorabbin watching the number 14,then number 4 run out onto the ground will always be my best memories of football,only ever to beaten by a stkilda premiership .it was a privlidge to grow up watching plugger,it was something else that can't be ever replicated

[saynta]

Another big thank you to the AFL for getting him to Sydney.

You can thank Mike Sheahan for helping drive him out of Melbourne. Tony appears to have forgiven him though.

[terry smith rules]

Another big thank you to the AFL for getting him to Sydney.

Do you want some lego.. seriously.

Even Plugger says that it was the best thing for him to move at that time, he was playing angrier and angrier at St Kilda and the Caven incident was a warning of that.

Plugger continued to be a great player and guess what 2 years later St.K played in a GF it was a win/win

[saintbrat]

Onya Spud

Finally finishes the speach from 2010, Saints Hall of Fame which he couldn't finish

Saints.com.au - video

[paulski]

Best player I've ever seen, favourite memory was 91 final at Waverley when he went on a goal scoring spree in the 2nd quarter.

[saintspremiers]

Why did it take this long for the AFL to make him legend status?
Are they a bit slow??

[plugger66]

Why did it take this long for the AFL to make him legend status?
Are they a bit slow??

Do you even understand the rules? Whinge again though.

[prwilkinson]

Greatest player I will ever see and yes im biased but I don't care. Because we have never won a flag in my time he has given me the best moments in footy. The Carlton game at Moorabbin was one of the best ive ever seen. The Swans game at the SCG was the silliest win ever in footy. Made our WB win this year look easy. We were 48 points down with only 9.50 left on the clock. He won that game off his own boot. There were many others as well. I think he way have kicked 15 or so against the Swans. Even the 8 against the Footscray to get 100 goals in 1987 sticks in my mind. And who can forget his first 3 games in 1991. Coming back from injury and totally unfit he started the year with 12, 10 and 12 goals. Even in the forth game Sheedy played about 3 guys on him and he kicked 4 goals and one of the Essendon backman got BOG that day. If you kick 4 now you are the best. He was a freak. I know it shouldn't be said but even his 16 against Ftizroy when playing for the swans was another great moment for me in footy as was that point against Essendon to get into the GF.

Plugger you are a legend. You were a legend before last night. You are my hero.

Love it Plugger. Tony is still my hero .Has anyone ever had a presence on the footy field like Lockett? The crowd went crazy whenever the footy went close to him. I was devastated he went to Sydney but forever thankful he didn't go to Collingwood.

[prwilkinson]

Best player I've ever seen, favourite memory was 91 final at Waverley when he went on a goal scoring spree in the 2nd quarter.

I was there. Watch the game again in full if you can. One of the most brutal games Brownless played awesome that day.

What about the game against the crows at moorrabbin when he kicked 9 in the first half?

[prwilkinson]

Was my childhood hero. He's all I ever wanted to be,before school,during school,after school,I wanted to be Lockett. In junior footy they used to play me at Full Forward every week as I used to mimic all of his moves, and I was one of the shortest in the team (and no good)...

Growing up in the 80's when only 2-3 games were televised a weekend, saints fans were starved of any media spotlight. Lockett was the only thing that would ever draw us into the news,or the replays,he made us relevant,he gave us hope, he dragged us out of the 80's single handedly. A freak of nature, who probably at the end of his career achieved about the minimum of what he could of. A professional club and fit Lockett in his prime would of made a mockery of every goal kicking tally ever recorded.

I remember several occasions at Moorabbin when he was destroying the opposition when they would literally stand two men on him side by side,and he would still beat them both with ease. No one could stop him, he towelled up everyone. Silvagni got the better of him once, and any other tally under 3 goals were due to injury or the flu.

There were so many games of domination,but the one that stands out in my mind was that second quarter of carnage in the 91 elimination final against Geelong. The first finals appearance in 18 years,the first of my life. The atmosphere was like something I had never experienced to that point. When Macadam kicked that first goal this blood curdling angry roar was deafing,i was shocked at the noise,I'd never heard anything like that to that point in my life. Plugger was spraying them early,1.4 in the first i think he kicked. He made a mends in the second though kicking 5 goals, those 20 or so minutes were our moment in the sun finally. All those hardships in the 80's,being constantly bagged at primary school because of my team, we had waited for plugger to take us to the promise land, something that seemed impossible, when he shrugged those tackles and snapped his 5th it was pandamonium in the stands, it was our moment. Moments later he kicked his 6th, on the tv telecast Macavaney said it all "This is a celebration!!!!".

Those days at Moorabbin watching the number 14,then number 4 run out onto the ground will always be my best memories of football,only ever to beaten by a stkilda premiership .it was a privlidge to grow up watching plugger,it was something else that can't be ever replicated

Love it. I loved tony so much as a young boy. I remember the first time I met him and got him to sign his biography... I was shaking like a leaf I was so nervous.

[Sobraz]

People, fans and the media alike, go on and on about Franklin & Cameron, the Bulldogs pay Boyd 1 million a year, we spend our number 1 pick on a player we hope can average 2.5 goals a game over his career.

What was Lockett compared to these modern day hero's? 10 times the player of all of them combined. He would honestly be worth $3 million a season today or 5 seasons of consecutive number 1 draft picks.

Just a force of nature, and I'm confident we will never ever see a player of his ability again. Without question the greatest player of all time.

[plugger66]

People, fans and the media alike, go on and on about Franklin & Cameron, the Bulldogs pay Boyd 1 million a year, we spend our number 1 pick on a player we hope can average 2.5 goals a game over his career.

What was Lockett compared to these modern day hero's? 10 times the player of all of them combined. He would honestly be worth $3 million a season today or 5 seasons of consecutive number 1 draft picks.

Just a force of nature, and I'm confident we will never ever see a player of his ability again. Without question the greatest player of all time.

To be fair to the current day players there is no way those forwards back in the 80's could average anywhere near what they averaged back then. And if Plugger played today he would be a FF in the VFL at best unless he played completely different. Times and footy have changed so much.

[Mr Magic]

Truly deserved Legendary status bestowed on the second best Saint I have seen. (IMHO only behind Doc)

The excitement and anticipation I felt going to games knowing Plugger was almost surely going to 'turn it on' against some hapless defenders.

I had occasion to speak with SOS about his playing days and he rated Plugger as the best/toughest opponent he played against.
The look on his face when he described that performance at Moorabbin is indelibly etched on my mind.

[SaintPav]

I will always remember a goal he kicked against the filth at Moorabbin in 1987. It was the same game when he broke the point post.

Plugger gathered the ball 60 metres out and off one step kicked it through. It sailed over my head and I think the ball hit the old doughnut van parked in Linton St.

[saynta]

People, fans and the media alike, go on and on about Franklin & Cameron, the Bulldogs pay Boyd 1 million a year, we spend our number 1 pick on a player we hope can average 2.5 goals a game over his career.

What was Lockett compared to these modern day hero's? 10 times the player of all of them combined. He would honestly be worth $3 million a season today or 5 seasons of consecutive number 1 draft picks.

Just a force of nature, and I'm confident we will never ever see a player of his ability again. Without question the greatest player of all time.

To be fair to the current day players there is no way those forwards back in the 80's could average anywhere near what they averaged back then. And if Plugger played today he would be a FF in the VFL at best unless he played completely different. Times and footy have changed so much.

Plugger would still kick over a hundred a year today., just from free kicks.

[plugger66]

I will always remember a goal he kicked against the filth at Moorabbin in 1987. It was the same game when he broke the point post.

Plugger gathered the ball 60 metres out and off one step kicked it through. It sailed over my head and I think the ball hit the old doughnut van parked in Linton St.

That was the windiest day ever. It was a hot northerly. I actually have the game on video. It was filmed by Russell holmesby and Murray Abblitt. Its great to watch. That day Peter Freeman kicked the longest goal I have ever seen. It was from CHB in the reserves.

[philtee]

The man, talking this morning -

[Sainternist]

It was an absolute privilege to watch his career, particularly as a young lad back in the Moorabbin days. He really did keep our club afloat. Spud Frawley's analogy of him bringing us hope like Phar Lap brought hope to the people during The Great Depression seems pretty close to the mark.

Congratulations, Plugger! And thank you so much.

[Junction Oval]

There was always excitement at the ground when Plugger was playing. He gave hope and great enjoyment to lots and lots of Saints fans at a low time in our history.

I was very lucky to have seen so much of this great Saints player. Always was a Legend in my mind.

[Toy Saint]

Greatest player I will ever see and yes im biased but I don't care. Because we have never won a flag in my time he has given me the best moments in footy. The Carlton game at Moorabbin was one of the best ive ever seen. The Swans game at the SCG was the silliest win ever in footy. Made our WB win this year look easy. We were 48 points down with only 9.50 left on the clock. He won that game off his own boot. There were many others as well. I think he way have kicked 15 or so against the Swans. Even the 8 against the Footscray to get 100 goals in 1987 sticks in my mind. And who can forget his first 3 games in 1991. Coming back from injury and totally unfit he started the year with 12, 10 and 12 goals. Even in the forth game Sheedy played about 3 guys on him and he kicked 4 goals and one of the Essendon backman got BOG that day. If you kick 4 now you are the best. He was a freak. I know it shouldn't be said but even his 16 against Ftizroy when playing for the swans was another great moment for me in footy as was that point against Essendon to get into the GF.

Plugger you are a legend. You were a legend before last night. You are my hero.

Easily the greatest player I will ever see, and I saw the majority of his St Kilda games. Also my hero.

And I don't consider myself biased. And I reckon there's daylight to the 2nd best player of all time......who could that be?

[Freebird]

And so it should be

Talk of Blight over the games greatest FF is just embarrassing.

Jon Anderson what an arsewipe.

Totally agree...his knowledge of all things not Geelong is poorer than poor

[8856brother]

Quite simply the greatest footballer ever. Argue all you like, I don't care. No one comes close.

[6621104]

Saynta hit it in one, if plugger played today with the rules as they are he would easily kick 150! Much as everyone here, and it is easy to say and harder to back up, except for plugger , whose stats and career speak ! He is the best I have ever seen, and the only full forward ever to win the Brownlow, and in a struggling team. Comparison to any of the other greats is laughable, given he was always double and triple teamed- not just tagged mind you, but with guys hanging off him like kids on a Hills Hoist.