Images of the crowd sprinting to the man of the hour and celebrating his achievement become timeless.
You won’t see 50,000 running onto a security lined arena in the Goulburn Valley, but if these men have anything to say about it, you will see a moment etched into time before the season ends.
Here are your locals who are in the hunt for the magic ton.
Murray Football League:
Josh Mellington (Echuca United seniors)
Goals: 84
Best performance: 13 (Katandra, round 7).
Mellington has proved to be the perfect addition to Echuca United’s side this year.
The Eagles are the highest scoring side in the competition, sitting pretty on top of the ladder, in large part due to the Herculean effort of their key forward.
Every time the ball goes in his direction it seems to stick in his mitts, but he’s not out of it when he doesn’t take the grab, with his coach Guy Campbell regularly praising his work at ground level and his multiple efforts.
He was held to two goals in his debut — an average day for the Eagles against Deniliquin in round one — but has kicked at least three on every occasion since, averaging close to seven per game.
With Finley and a home fixture against Katandra in the next three rounds of football, Mellington could be at the ton within weeks.
Anthony McMahon (Echuca United reserves):
Goals: 83.
Best performance: 13 (Katandra, round 7; Congupna, round 11).
Two centuries at one club is just about unheard of. But in ‘The Midday Show’, McMahon is in hot pursuit of the magic milestone.
Three times he has kicked more than 10 goals, including two bags of 13, but unlike his senior counterpart, McMahon was held goalless in round two against Rumbalara.
A three-goal showing against Moama on Good Friday was his worst since, with the key forward kicking at least five in every match-up since.
He sits on 83 from his 12 games, going at a tick under seven a match.
Numurkah in round 18 is going to be a fill your boots day for McMahon, but in the meantime, he will have to chip away against good sides.
Harley Reid (Tongala U14s) Goals: 97
Best performance: 20 (Congupna, round 5).
What is more impressive — a player sitting on 97 goals after playing 13 matches, or a player who booted 20 in a match.
Harley Reid has done both. And it’s a near certainty if he runs out for the Blues on Saturday against Congupna, he will be our first centurion of the season.
Two performances of two goals and one single major showing are his lowest, with four showings of more than ten.
And of course, a 20-goal performance.
It’s only been enough to get the Blues into fifth in the competition, but with Reid in form, they will be dangerous come finals.
And with his old friends Congupna on Saturday, his tally for the year may end up astronomical.
