Brayden Noble kicks 100th goal for Swan Districts

Swan Districts forward Brayden Noble reached a significant milestone on Saturday at the WACA Ground by kicking the 100th goal of his 94-game WAFL career.

It might not have quite been a day to remember for Swan Districts with the eventual 78-point defeat at the hands of East Fremantle, but it didn’t take long for Noble to get on the board and to notch the 100th goal of his career.

It was just before half-time when Noble kicked his first of two goals for the afternoon which saw him bring up the 100th goal in his Swan Districts career as his 100th game milestone now approaches, and he will reach early in 2023.

Noble had been sitting on 99 goals for his career for a couple of weeks after his goal against Claremont back in Round 15.

However, he missed the Round 17 match up with West Coast with his wife giving birth to their new child, but the 30-year-old was back in the line-up on Saturday to take on East Fremantle at the WACA Ground.

He finished the afternoon kicking two goals from seven possessions and five marks to now give him 101 goals in his 94-game WAFL career so far, and 14 goals in his 14 matches to date in 2022.

Noble was a late starter to WAFL football when he joined Swan Districts back ahead of the 2017 WAFL season when he was signed from Trinity-Aquinas in the Perth Football League.

Virtually ever since he has been a mainstay in the Swans' forward-line providing a strong forward target who can create a contest, take a mark or bring it to ground, kick goals consistently and always give his all.

His consistency has been terrific with him kicking 22 goals in 2017, 29 in 2018, 10 in 2019, two (just six games) in 2020, 24 in 2021 and now 14 so far in 2022.

By reaching the 100-goal milestone, Noble becomes the 57th player in the history of the Swan Districts Football Club to achieve the feat.

Swans' all-time leading goalkicker remains Eric Gorman with 555 goals with Ted Holdsworth the only player to surpass the half century mark with 534.

The legendary Billy Walker kicked 462 goals in his 305 games with Tim Geappen (371), Don Holmes (322), Troy Ugle (311), Simon Beasley (295), Ash Hansen (286), Kevin Caton (272), Mark Olsen (268), Andy Holmes (268), Max George (250), Brent Hutton (236), Cyril Litterick (235) and Bob Lowry (230).

Garry Sidebottom is next with 228 goals ahead of Mike Richardson (220), Ralph Latham (211), Keith Slater (201), Tony Notte (190), Phil Narkle (178), Craig De Corsey (176), Bob Beecroft (164), Keith Narkle (162), Tony Nesbit (159), Nigel Gorn (144), Clem Rosewarne (142) and Fred Sweetapple (137).

Next up is Ricky Cary with 137 goals in front of Greg Walker (136), Adam Lange (136), John Turnbull (129), Brenard Carney (128), Ryan Davis (127), Peter Sartori (119), Chris Peel (117), Tom Mullooly (117), Ian Williams (116), Peter Manning (114), Peter Hodyl (113) and John Park (112).

Then there is Haydn Bunton on 112 goals ahead of David Ogg (111), Shane Beros (111), George King (109), Ed Blackaby (109), Justin Simpson (106), Brian Close (105), Matthew Rogers (104), Mick Hastie (104), Scott Cummings (104), Jason Ball (102), Roy Arthur (102), Noble (101), Leon Baker (101), Stan Nowotny (100) and Robbie McVee (100).