'I want to see a new record set': Collins on Grenfell's pursuit of LVFNL benchmark

Panthers' power forward Grenfell needs just three more to equal, and four to surpass, the Loddon Valley's home and away record of 140 goals in a season that was set by Bridgewater's Peter Collins in 1982.

Grenfell - who has re-signed with Marong already for next year - gets his chance at history on Saturday in the Panthers' final game of the home and away season when they host Calivil United at Malone Park.

Given Grenfell's average of 9.1 goals per game this year, the 29-year-old would seemingly be short odds to kick the four needed against the competition's bottom side to set a new record on Saturday.

40 years on since he set the league benchmark, Collins is certainly ready to see his 1982 exploits for the Mean Machine exceeded.

"It's fantastic that it is a chance of happening and, as they say, records are always there to be broken," Collins, who is now living in Emerald, said this week.

"I'm just so happy to see that a player has come out this year and kicked 100 goals again."

Collins' 1982 record season came in a year in which it must have been a nightmare being a defender in the Loddon Valley league.

Collins was one of three players who kicked the ton that 1982 season.

As well as Collins' 140 home and away goals, Korong Vale superboot Alan Jackson kicked 114 and Calivil United's Mick Murphy booted 102 - the trio combining for 356.

Remarkably, Collins spent part of his record 1982 season playing across half-back before playing permanently forward and unleashing a barrage of goals.

According to weekly Loddon Valley match details printed in the Bendigo Advertiser in 1982, Collins kicked just 14 goals across the first six rounds of the season.

Then came 126 over the following 12 rounds, including five double-figure bags.

There was 14 against Yarrawalla (round 8) in a game that was delayed by 30 minutes as Yarrawalla players dressed in their playing gear had to rush 3kms to save team-mate Murray James' house from fire, 10 against Korong Vale (round 10), 17 against Yarrawalla (round 15), 19 against Calivil (round 16) and 15 against Korong Vale (round 17).

Then 24-years-old, Collins brought up his century in the dying stages of the round 15 game against Yarrawalla when he kicked his 17th goal having started the day on 83.

The Mean Machine won that game 30.34 (214) to 4.2 (26) and Collins had a remarkable 39 shots at goal, kicking 17.18 and four out of bounds on the full.

"I remember that day at Bridgy; it was pretty windy and I think I got a bit of stage fright getting closer to the 100," Collins said.

"I got very nervous and think I kicked 12 or 13 points in a row, but managed to get the goal I needed to get to the 100 in the last 15 seconds or so."

A fortnight later with his bag of 15 against Korong Vale that took him to 134 after 17 rounds Collins broke the league's record that he had established two years earlier in 1980 when he kicked 126.

Following his home and away goalkicking spree of 140, Collins then added a further 22 goals in the Mean Machine's three finals - nine in the second semi-final loss to Bears Lagoon-Serpentine, seven in the preliminary final win over Mitiamo and six in the one-point grand final loss to the Bears - giving him a final tally of 162 for the year.

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