Weeks aims to reach century as Golden Square takes on Castlemaine at Camp Reserve

By Luke West
Updated November 7 2012 - 2:24am, first published July 2 2010 - 12:40pm

GOLDEN Square full-forward Grant Weeks needs eight goals today to become the first player in a VCFL league this year to reach the century.Weeks is having a briliant debut season in the Bendigo Football League with the Bulldogs, having kicked 92 goals from just 11 games.It’s remarkable to think that with today being just round 12 of the season the 21-year-old is a strong chance of reaching the century against bottom side Castlemaine at Camp Reserve.However, should he get the eight goals today that he needs to reach 100, it wouldn’t be the BFL’s fastest century.In 1992 Castlemaine’s Steven Oliver got to the 100-goal mark in just round 12.Although, it actually only took Oliver – then 21 – 11 games to get to the 100 after the Magpies had a bye in round four.Oliver’s 100 goals in his first 11 games of 1992 came from bags of 12, 17, 9, 6, 5, 8, 6, 10, 10, 8 and 14, before he ended the home and away season with 136 in what proved to be a premiership year for the Magpies.This year Weeks has booted hauls of 9, 5, 8, 9, 11, 11, 2, 10, 12, 11 and 4 in his first 11 games.The most prolific season by a BFL forward was 1933 when Eaglehawk’s Frank Crapper booted 154 goals in the home and away rounds, and a further nine in the finals for a total of 163.It took Crapper until round 16 to pass the 100-goal mark, which gives an indication of just how dominant Weeks has been this year.Weeks’ 92 goals is the most kicked by a player in a VCFL competition this year.The next best behind Weeks is Bairnsdale’s Matthew Davidson, who has kicked 86.Although, in the Riddell District Football League, which is classed as a metropolitan competition, Kilmore’s Aaron James – who kicked 130 goals for North Bendigo in the Heathcote District Football League last year – has also kicked 92 goals, but from just 10 games.The Weeks’ 100-goal factor adds plenty of interest today to what shapes as a one-sided clash between top and bottom on the ladder.“Weeksy obviously has it in his sights, and a few people have asked me this week if it’s a distraction,’’ Golden Square coach Nick Carter said yesterday.“It’s not a distraction; Weeksy has had a tremendous season so far and deserves to kick 100 goals.“But I’m sure he would prefer to kick bags of goals in the latter part of the season come finals.’’Golden Square enters today’s game on the back of a 17-point loss to South Bendigo last week.The defeat ended the Bulldogs’ 20-game winning streak, with it their first loss since June 27, last year.“We spent a short time reviewing the game against South Bendigo, and then moved very quickly on to what we can do this week against Castlemaine,’’ Carter said.“We won’t change our approach or our game plan in a general sense, but we will focus in on a couple of areas that we believe we need to work on.’’Golden Square will be missing two of its key playmakers today in assistant coach Simon Rosa and Adam Baird.Carter says both are out with “general soreness’’.While the Bulldogs sit 10-1 at the top of the ladder, Castlemaine is still winless after losing to Kyneton by 25 points last week.

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