High-volume goal-kicking is one of the more entertaining parts of footy, with it arguably being the main draw toward the game for fans since the AFL's conception. But how many out there have stayed in form long enough to get to that historic margin of 500 goals?
With Richmond forward Tom Lynch just three goals away from becoming the 66th player to join the 500-goal club in the AFL's history (and the benchmark might be reached on Friday night) I decided to take a look at the best from players who played around the same time in the 21st century to see if he'd made the cut.
The criteria for the list is based on whether the player got to the 500-goal mark during any year from 2000 onwards.
Some notable players that missed out were Matthew Richardson, Brendan Fevola, Jarryd Roughead and Brad Johnson.
1Lance Franklin (1066 Goals)
Notable accolades; 2x premiership player, 8x All-Australian, 4x Coleman medal, 3x Brett Kirk Medal, 6x Hawthorn leading goalkicker, 7x Sydney leading goalkicker
Lance ‘Buddy' Franklin has got to be one of the most dynamic and imposing players the game has ever seen. Buddy is one of the only six players to have tallied 1000 goals and did so on his way to playing a crucial part in two premierships during Hawthorn's dynasty.
His powering kicking strength and thundering speed made him a nightmare match-up for anyone near his atmosphere, with his athleticism being a staple characteristic of his game that few have replicated in the game's history.
