Axe Man
13-07-2022, 03:21 PM
WATCH CENTURIONS NOW: How Beasley went from WA 'lemon' to '80s great (https://www.afl.com.au/news/798594/watch-centurions-now-how-beasley-went-from-wa-lemon-to-80s-great)
Bulldogs hero Simon Beasley tells Damian Barrett about his brilliant career in the sixth episode of Centurions
https://i.postimg.cc/sg8cbwvv/beazer.webp (https://postimages.org/)
IT WAS a decade which included Gary Ablett, Jason Dunstall and Tony Lockett, and yet no one in the VFL during the 1980s kicked more goals than Footscray's Simon Beasley.
Beasley, who kicked 575 goals in a 154-game VFL/AFL career from 1982-89, is the latest guest on AFL.com.au's Centurions, which is highlighting the 21 living players to boot 100 goals in a VFL/AFL season.
Beasley's ton came in 1985, when the fifth of his seven goals in a semi-final against North Melbourne elevated him to the rare air. Only 28 VFL/AFL players have reached the three figures of goals in a single season, and those 28 did it a combined 57 times.
In keeping with his no-fuss playing style, Beasley played down his achievement.
"It's something I don't really dwell on, people say to me, 'you kicked a hundred goals', or, 'you kicked more goals in the 1980s than any other player', but look, I don't dwell on it, I move on from things," Beasley told Centurions.
"It's nice when people say it, that's great, I appreciate it. But I don't dwell on it."
Beasley is the Bulldogs' leading goalkicker, ahead of Brad Johnson (558), Chris Grant (554) and Kelvin Templeton (494).
Like Templeton, featured recently on Centurions, Beasley was "welcomed" to the VFL with a big hit from opponent, Essendon's Ronnie Andrews. Collingwood great Len Thompson hit Templeton in 1974.
"I asked Doug Hawkins a few questions about Ron, and Doug gave me a bit of advice and said, 'Stay out of his way'," Beasley said.
"So I did my best to stay out of his way. I don't think I touched the footy in the first half. I can vividly remember the third quarter getting the ball deep in the forward pocket at Windy Hill and turning very slowly and Ronnie coming in and bang, the arm was up, and he got me.
"He got me beautifully. It was a bad start to '82, and lot of Bulldogs supporters would have gone home thinking we got an absolute lemon from Swan Districts."
Bulldogs hero Simon Beasley tells Damian Barrett about his brilliant career in the sixth episode of Centurions
https://i.postimg.cc/sg8cbwvv/beazer.webp (https://postimages.org/)
IT WAS a decade which included Gary Ablett, Jason Dunstall and Tony Lockett, and yet no one in the VFL during the 1980s kicked more goals than Footscray's Simon Beasley.
Beasley, who kicked 575 goals in a 154-game VFL/AFL career from 1982-89, is the latest guest on AFL.com.au's Centurions, which is highlighting the 21 living players to boot 100 goals in a VFL/AFL season.
Beasley's ton came in 1985, when the fifth of his seven goals in a semi-final against North Melbourne elevated him to the rare air. Only 28 VFL/AFL players have reached the three figures of goals in a single season, and those 28 did it a combined 57 times.
In keeping with his no-fuss playing style, Beasley played down his achievement.
"It's something I don't really dwell on, people say to me, 'you kicked a hundred goals', or, 'you kicked more goals in the 1980s than any other player', but look, I don't dwell on it, I move on from things," Beasley told Centurions.
"It's nice when people say it, that's great, I appreciate it. But I don't dwell on it."
Beasley is the Bulldogs' leading goalkicker, ahead of Brad Johnson (558), Chris Grant (554) and Kelvin Templeton (494).
Like Templeton, featured recently on Centurions, Beasley was "welcomed" to the VFL with a big hit from opponent, Essendon's Ronnie Andrews. Collingwood great Len Thompson hit Templeton in 1974.
"I asked Doug Hawkins a few questions about Ron, and Doug gave me a bit of advice and said, 'Stay out of his way'," Beasley said.
"So I did my best to stay out of his way. I don't think I touched the footy in the first half. I can vividly remember the third quarter getting the ball deep in the forward pocket at Windy Hill and turning very slowly and Ronnie coming in and bang, the arm was up, and he got me.
"He got me beautifully. It was a bad start to '82, and lot of Bulldogs supporters would have gone home thinking we got an absolute lemon from Swan Districts."