1995 Tony Lockett's first season for Sydney

[langers1971]

Guys

Season 1995 saw the arrival of the great Tony Lockett from St Kilda. In what turned out to be a pretty good year for Sydney, after a couple of very poor seasons 1993 and 1994, Sydney would finish 12th, winning 8 games, 4 more wins than in 1994.

Tony Lockett would kick a century of goals for Sydney, finishing on 110 for the season.

Perhaps his greatest day though, came in round 19, playing Fitzroy on a Sunday at the Western Oval, in front of just 7426 people, Lockett would kick 16.0, on the way to a massive victory for the Swans, 27.8.170 to 6.8.44.

Lockett even spent 9 minutes on the bench before half time, in a communication mishap with the runner, perhaps, without this time on the bench, he may have equalled the great Fred Fannings all time record of 18 goals in a single game.

What are peoples recollections of this day? Was anyone on here, present that day at the Western Oval???

[Bloods05]

I was. I remember Fitzroy moving Mark Zanotti onto Plugger and Zanotti trying to rough him up. Plugger responded by putting him in a headlock and almost suffocating him. (Some rules relating to headlocks were changed after that.)

My kids and I (and many others) followed Plugger from one end to the other at the start of each quarter. He just couldn't miss that day. It's a bit sad he didn't kick 18 or 19, as he is a far greater figure in the game's history than Fanning.

[troyjones2525]

I was there and actually held up the banner with the cheer squad as a younger fella! I was sitting on the wing with the Swans cheer squad. I remember that the crowd with move up each end where plugger was to watch the great man in action. Fitzroy tried everything that day to stop him, legally and illegally but didn't stand a chance!

[Plugger46]

I was there as a youngster. I think he had 10 at half-time and he was kicking them from all angles.

Game wasn't televised which is a massive shame.

[liz]

I was at this game too. I think it might have been my first ever away game - my first game ever wasn't until round 8 or 9 of that season so I suspect I hadn't travelled down to Melbourne for a game before this one. I don't recall a huge amount, but I do remember following the crowd from end to end the change of each quarter. And I think he played on a young - and hapless - Jarrod Molloy for much of the game.

[chammond]

I was at this game too. I think it might have been my first ever away game - my first game ever wasn't until round 8 or 9 of that season so I suspect I hadn't travelled down to Melbourne for a game before this one. I don't recall a huge amount, but I do remember following the crowd from end to end the change of each quarter. And I think he played on a young - and hapless - Jarrod Molloy for much of the game.

Yeah, I was there with my kids. They double-teamed Lockett most of the day. First Zanotti, then Zanotti and Molloy, then Molloy and another (Mellington?). Plugger was so strong that day that I reckon they could've played all three on him and it still would have made no difference. It was only a small crowd, and they moved end every quarter just to watch the champ. Nobody ever came up with a plausible explanation as to why he was benched.

[chammond]

I've just remembered why this game stuck in my memory. It's not just because Plugger kicked 16 goals.

Half way thru the third quarter, my eldest daughter, who was 8 years old at the time, asks me "Who's that big man in the middle there?".

I told her it was Tony Lockett - "He's pretty good, isn't he?", I said.

"He's kind of cute, Dad," she replied.

"Is he married?"

[langers1971]

i have obtained this game in full on dvd, if anyone is interested in a copy, let me know!

[KTigers]

The week before that game he kicked 6.1, and the week after it he kicked 6.0. So a total of 28.1 in the space of three weeks.
We went down to Melbourne in 1996 hoping for a repeat performance at the Western Oval. It was a bit disappointing though,
he only kicked nine that day.

[Thunder Shaker]

Guys

Season 1995 saw the arrival of the great Tony Lockett from St Kilda. In what turned out to be a pretty good year for Sydney, after a couple of very poor seasons 1993 and 1994, Sydney would finish 12th, winning 8 games, 4 more wins than in 1994.

1995 was the first season since 1989 when the Swans finished with a percentage over 100. We have done that in every season since except in 2009. We got our percentage over 100 in the final round by beating Collingwood by 23 points to keep them out of the finals.

Plugger crossing to Sydney in 1995 was particularly interesting after he got 8 weeks in 1994 for turning Peter Caven's nose into a pizza.

[bloodsbigot]

1995 was the first season since 1989 when the Swans finished with a percentage over 100. We have done that in every season since except in 2009. We got our percentage over 100 in the final round by beating Collingwood by 23 points to keep them out of the finals.

Plugger crossing to Sydney in 1995 was particularly interesting after he got 8 weeks in 1994 for turning Peter Caven's nose into a pizza.

That moment was one of my best swans memories.