Anthony Howard Lockett (born 9 March 1966) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the

St Kilda Football Club The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed the Saints, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier league. The club's name originates fr ...

and Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). Nicknamed "Plugger", he is considered one of the greatest full forwards and players in the game's history. Inducted into the

Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, co ...

in 2006 and upgraded to Legend status in 2015, he is the most prolific goal kicker in VFL/AFL history, breaking

Gordon Coventry Gordon Richard James Coventry (25 September 1901 – 7 November 1968) was a former Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Accorded "Legend" status in the Australian Footbal ...

's record in

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school s ...

and eventually finishing with 1,360 goals in 281 games. He became the first full-forward to be awarded the

Brownlow Medal The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as "Charlie"), is awarded to the "best and fairest" player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by ...

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airpor ...

, won the

Coleman Medal The Coleman Medal is an Australian rules football award given annually to the Australian Football League (AFL) player who kicks the most goals in the home-and-away season. It is named after Essendon full-forward John Coleman, one of the most ...

four times, and kicked more than 100 goals in a season on six occasions (an AFL record he shares with Jason Dunstall of Hawthorn). While Lockett's statistics and accolades justify his standing as a legend of Australian football, equally significant was his almost single-handed impact at both St Kilda and Sydney. He arrived at St Kilda when the club was in the doldrums and became the man on whose shoulders the club's fortunes depended. Similarly, when he moved to Sydney in 1995, the Swans were struggling both on and off the field; they had finished bottom of the ladder in

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson Ma ...

and were battling to stay relevant in the heart of rugby league territory. After kicking more than 100 goals three times in four seasons and famously booting a point to send Sydney into the

1996 AFL Grand Final The 1996 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the North Melbourne Football Club and the Sydney Swans, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 28 September 1996. It was the 100th annual Grand Fi ...

, Lockett helped to ensure Australian rules football would have a lasting future in the Harbour City. Lockett's achievements are all the more remarkable given the significant chunks of time he missed through injury and suspension. Besides suffering from chronic

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, c ...

, he struggled to maintain his weight (which ranged from 95 to 112 kg according to listings in

AFL Record The ''AFL Record'' is the official program available at Australian Football League (AFL) matches. The publication began as the ''Football Record'' in Melbourne, Australia in 1912, making it one of the oldest magazines in Australia. The publica ...

s over the years) and required painkillers to manage the ongoing effects of a torn groin muscle. Lockett was not afraid to use his size and strength to unsettle opponents, but his aggression also resulted in him being frequently reported for striking and rough conduct. He appeared before the Tribunal 16 times over his career and was suspended for 23 matches.

Early life

Born in the western Victorian town of

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. Within months of Vi ...

to Howard Lockett, a local football champion who would later be inducted in the

North Ballarat Football Club North Ballarat Football & Netball Club, nicknamed ''The Roosters'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based at Mars Stadium in Ballarat. The club currently fields senior, reserve and Under 19 sides in the Ballarat Football Lea ...

Hall of Fame, and Liz, Lockett is one of three siblings, with a brother (Neil) and a sister (Di). Lockett's passion for greyhound racing can be traced to his grandfather Charlie, who supplied pacemakers for the local greyhound racing club and was a club committeeman at North Ballarat. Lockett was educated at Ballarat Secondary College and Ballarat Grammar School, and began playing Australian football with the Under-12s team of his father's club, North Ballarat Football Club, in 1974. He played a total of 120 junior games with the club. He had played just five senior games as a 16-year-old in 1982 with North Ballarat before he was recruited by St Kilda, since Ballarat was part of the club's

recruiting zone In Australian rules football, zoning (originally called district football, or electorate football in South Australia) refers to a system whereby a given area, either region or lower-level football league, is reserved exclusively for one club. Zo ...

VFL/AFL Career

St Kilda: 1983–1994

The formative years: 1983–1986

When Lockett arrived at St Kilda in

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

, the club was going through a period of decline on and off the field; in his first four seasons at Moorabbin, the Saints would finish at the bottom of the ladder. As a teenager coming out of Ballarat for the first time, Lockett was constantly homesick in his early years and eventually St Kilda conceded to his desire to travel from home when required.
Lockett made his senior VFL debut in Round 4 against at

VFL Park Waverley Park (also and originally called VFL Park) was an Australian rules football stadium in Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia. For most of its history, its purpose was as a neutral venue and used by all Victorian-based Victorian Football L ...

. There was a high degree of controversy surrounding this game since the Saints, after seeking legal advice, decided to include 's

Paul Morwood Paul Morwood (born 2 March 1959) is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League. South Melbourne/Sydney He started his career with South Melbourne (like his younger brothers Tony Morwood and Shane Morwood). St Kilda ...

in their line-up without a clearance from the Swans or a permit from the League. According to the rules at the time, if the Saints had won, they would have risked forfeiting the premiership points. As it turned out, they went down in a spirited effort by 11 points. Lockett joined a special group of VFL/AFL players when he goaled with his first kick, but had an otherwise quiet debut with only five disposals and four marks.
Lockett was supposed to be understudy to the enigmatic

Mark Jackson Mark A. Jackson (born April 1, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player. A point guard from St. John's University, he played for the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah ...

, whom the Saints had brought in from on a three-year contract. But after Jackson was sacked mid-season, Lockett was given the role and finished the season with a modest return of 19 goals in 12 games. In the opening game of

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast As ...

, the Saints were up against the previous season's runner-up at Moorabbin. starting up at full forward, Lockett matched his Essendon counterpart

Paul Salmon Paul Salmon (born 20 January 1965) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League for Essendon and Hawthorn. Recruited from North Ringwood, Salmon had a prolific career, with many accolades such as b ...

goal for goal in an entertaining game which the Bombers won by 37 points after a tight first half. Both Lockett and Salmon would end up with seven goals. Lockett showed a glimpse of his explosive best in the third quarter when he kicked three goals in a four-minute spell, and beat a succession of opponents to be considered the Saints' best player. Lockett was now recognised as one of the VFL's star forwards, and teams were trying to find players who could physically match him. In St Kilda's opening game of the

1986 VFL season The 1986 VFL season was the 90th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 29 March until 27 September, and comprised a ...

against at

Western Oval Whitten Oval (also known as Victoria University Whitten Oval under a naming rights agreement) is a stadium in the inner-western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in Barkly Street, West Footscray. It is the training and administ ...

, Lockett was reported by four umpires for striking Bulldogs captain

Rick Kennedy Rick Kennedy (born 11 December 1960) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Footscray Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Kennedy was appointed captain of Footscray in 1986 after former captain Jim Edmo ...

during the third quarter. Lockett pleaded guilty to the charge, claiming he had been provoked, and was suspended for two matches.

1987–1990: Saints on the Rebound and A Superstar Emerges

St Kilda's fortunes were finally about to turn when premiership captain Darrel Baldock was appointed coach for

while still serving in the

Parliament of Tasmania The Parliament of Tasmania is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Tasmania. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and consists of the Governor of Tasmania, the Tasmanian House of Assembly (the lower house), and ...

. He appointed Danny Frawley captain, having identified leadership qualities in the then 23-year-old full back, gave regular game time to newcomers

Nathan Burke Nathan Burke (born 6 February 1970) is a former Australian rules footballer and current coach of the team in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW). A tough rover he is considered the most courageous footballers to play for the St Kilda Footba ...

and

Nicky Winmar Neil Elvis "Nicky" Winmar (born 25 September 1965) is a former Australian rules footballer, best known for his career for and the in the Australian Football League (AFL), as well as in the West Australian Football League. Growing up in ...

, who would become club stalwarts for the following decade, and set about improving the general skill level of the playing group. Under Baldock's guidance, Lockett had a career-best season, tying for the Brownlow Medal with John Platten.

1991–1992: The Superstar Becomes a Legend

In the first half of the pre-season match against in February 1991, Lockett was sprinting to contest for a loose ball when West Coast's Steve Malaxos, who was also running for the ball, collided with Lockett and made contact with his lower back, resulting in a cracked vertebra. Lockett limped off the ground gingerly and was sent to hospital for x-rays at half time. He was initially diagnosed as having suffered a "badly bruised back". According to champion Hawthorn full-forward Peter Hudson, who was St Kilda's club manager at the time, it was expected that Lockett would return for the following pre-season game. However, the misdiagnosed injury would sideline Lockett for the first six rounds of the 1991 AFL season.
In Round 7 the Saints played League newcomers at Moorabbin. At the time St Kilda was ninth on the ladder, having played five matches for two wins and one draw. Boosted by the return of Lockett and

(who was back after serving a 10-match suspension from the previous season), the signs were ominous early when, from the opening bounce, star midfielder Robert Harvey collected the ball out of the centre and found Lockett with a well-weighted pass. Lockett converted from the set shot, and thereafter, with a full-capacity crowd of over 25,000 spectators cheering them on, St Kilda went on a scoring rampage. Lockett added a further three goals for the quarter, and had nine to his name by half time. The Saints increased their lead at each change, eventually winning by 131 points and breaking the previous club record for greatest winning margin. Lockett finished the game with 12 goals, and the percentage-boosting win lifted St Kilda to fifth on the ladder.
Lockett backed up his spectacular return with ten goals the following week against (he had seven goals by half time) and another haul of 12 goals against (in which he kicked St Kilda's first five goals) to take his overall tally to a remarkable 34 goals in three games. In the Round 10 match against however, before the biggest home crowd at Moorabbin since

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major off ...

, St Kilda suffered stage fright, conceding a 44-point lead at quarter time and eventually losing by 28 points. Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy sacrificed an extra player in defence to cut off the supply to Lockett (who only managed four goals), while the Bombers' team pressure and discipline also contributed significantly to the win.
St Kilda rebounded strongly in Round 11, putting in a superb second-half display to beat at Princes Park for the first time at that venue since

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phil ...

. Lockett kicked seven goals for the game to again be among the Saints' best players, but was afterwards cited by video for two incidents – clashing heavily with Hawks ruckman

Stephen Lawrence Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

in the first quarter and later with

Greg Madigan Greg Madigan (born 24 January 1970) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the 1990s. Playing mostly at centre half-back, Madigan was a member of Hawthorn's 1989 VFL Grand Fi ...

. However, no further action was taken and Lockett was cleared to play.
In Round 23 St Kilda confirmed its place in the

1991 AFL finals series The 1991 Australian Football League AFL finals series, finals series was the 95th annual edition of the VFL/AFL final series, the Australian rules football play-off tournament staged to determine the winner of the 1991 AFL season, 1991 AFL Premie ...

with a 120-point thrashing of Brisbane at Moorabbin, marking the club's first finals appearance since

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

. Lockett sat out the game, having been ill with influenza and warned by the club's medical staff that playing could trigger an asthma attack.
In the Elimination final against Geelong, he kicked nine goals and five behinds, although the Saints were beaten by seven points. In

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engines ...

, he kicked the most goals that season, with 132 goals. He was described by dual Brownlow medallist Robert Harvey as the best player he had ever seen.

1993–1994: Difficult Final Years at St Kilda

After the highs of personal glory and reaching the finals in 1991 and 1992, there followed two difficult seasons, which would turn out to be Lockett's last ones at the Saints, marred by long absences due to injury and suspension. After kicking five goals in the loss to Hawthorn in the opening round of the

1994 AFL season The 1994 AFL season was the 98th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season featured fif ...

, Lockett started well against North Melbourne in the Round 2 clash at the MCG, kicking three quick goals, only to suffer a corked right calf muscle shortly afterward. With Lockett unable to return after quarter time, and

Stewart Loewe Stewart Loewe (born 23 May 1968) is a former Australian rules football player for the St Kilda Football Club. Nicknamed "Buckets" for his big hands and the way he was able to mark the ball with ease, Loewe debuted in 1986 for the St Kilda Foo ...

already absent with a groin injury, the Saints lacked a key target in attack and the Kangaroos won easily by 69 points. Lockett would end up missing the next four weeks, during which the Saints won only one game. Few games better encapsulated Lockett's enigmatic nature than his return in the Round 7 match against at the

Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and association fo ...

. In the first quarter, Swans defender Peter Caven was sprinting back to take an intercept mark when Lockett, who was charging towards the ball, appeared to hit him in the face with a raised elbow. Caven was knocked unconscious with a compound fracture of the nose and immediately taken to St Vincent's Hospital for surgery, ruling him out of action for 12 weeks. Lockett was subjected to abuse by Sydney supporters for the remainder of the game, but it appeared to have little effect on him. The Swans responded on the scoreboard, at one stage leading by 51 points in the third quarter; only Lockett's seven goals up to three-quarter time had kept an inept-looking St Kilda in the contest. The Saints still trailed by 41 points halfway through the final term before they finally clicked, kicking seven unanswered goals (Lockett kicking the last three in the final three minutes) to snatch a one-point win. After kicking his eleventh goal to put the Saints in front, Lockett responded to the taunts of the Sydney cheer squad with an "up yours" gesture.
Lockett was not reported by any umpires for his hit on Caven, but subsequent review of the video footage by AFL officials on the Tuesday following the game resulted in Lockett being charged not just for the incident with Caven, but also for kneeing

Daryn Cresswell Daryn Cresswell (born 22 May 1971) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League, and the former senior coach of the Tasmanian Devils Football Club that played in the Victorian Footb ...

in the head. In his appearance before the Tribunal, Lockett pleaded not guilty, stating that he was sorry for injuring Caven and had not done so intentionally. He added that he had only seen Caven a split second before impact, raising his elbow in self-defence. Nonetheless, Lockett was found guilty of striking and suspended for eight weeks. Lockett would not play again until Round 17 against North Melbourne at Waverley Park, a 61-point loss in which he was held to two goals by Mick Martyn, one of few full-backs capable of matching Lockett. By this stage of the season, the Saints were out of finals contention, sitting second-last on the ladder with the worst percentage in the League. Lockett did not take long to rediscover form, kicking 28 goals in a four-game stretch before being ruled out of the final game of the season against with a back injury. He ended the season with 56 goals, which was a slight improvement from his return the previous season.

Sydney: 1995–1999, 2002

In 1995, Lockett transferred to the Sydney Swans, where he played for another six seasons. He was an instant success with the Swans, helping the team into the 1996 finals series and subsequently into the

. With scores tied in the preliminary final game, Lockett kicked a point after the siren to give Sydney a one-point victory. Despite a groin injury, he played in the grand final, which the Swans lost to North Melbourne. It was the only grand final appearance of Lockett's career. Lockett's career-best goal-scoring performance came in Round 19, 1995, against Fitzroy at the

, when he scored 16 goals straight. Lockett became a cult figure in Sydney. He was a massive drawcard for the struggling Sydney Swans, who had previously found it difficult to attract large support in New South Wales's rugby league heartland. At the height of his popularity, the song "

One Tony Lockett "One Tony Lockett" is a song recorded by Australian musician James Freud as a tribute to St Kilda Football Club, St Kilda and Sydney Swans, Sydney Australian Football League, AFL player Tony Lockett, who booted his record-breaking 1300th goal s ...

" was released (sung to the tune of "

Guantanamera "Guantanamera" (; Spanish: (the woman) from Guantánamo) is perhaps the best-known Cuban song and that country's most-noted patriotic song, especially when using a poem by the Cuban poet José Martí for the lyrics. The official writing credi ...

"), performed by

James Freud James Randall Freud (born Colin Joseph McGlinchey; 29 June 1959 – 4 November 2010) was an Australian rock musician-songwriter. He was a member of Models during the 1980s and wrote their two most popular singles, " Barbados" and " Out of Mind, ...

. In 1996, Lockett was the subject of much hype in the clash between

Geelong Geelong ( ) ( Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the south eastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon ...

and Sydney in which

Gary Ablett Sr. Gary Ablett Sr. (born 1 October 1961), is a former professional Australian rules footballer who represented and in the Australian Football League (AFL). Nicknamed "God", Ablett is widely regarded as one of Australian football's greatest pla ...

was playing at the other end of the ground. The match was billed by the media as ''Plugger'' vs ''God'' and set a ground record attendance at the

. He broke the

record A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, ...

of 1,299 career goals (set by

) at the SCG in 1999 and sparked one of the biggest

pitch invasion A pitch invasion (known in North America as field storming or rushing the field) occurs when a person or a crowd of people spectating a sporting event run onto the competition area, usually to celebrate or protest an incident, or sometimes as ...

s seen in Australian rules football. Lockett retired at the end of 1999 but had a brief comeback in 2002, playing three games and adding three goals to his record for a grand total of 1,360 career goals.

State of Origin

Lockett played five

State of Origin A State of Origin competition is a type of sporting event between players representing their state or territory. State of Origin began in Australian rules football on 8 October 1977 between Western Australia (WA) and Victoria, at Subiaco O ...

games for Victoria, kicking 19 goals in those games. In his State of Origin debut in 1985 against

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...

, Lockett kicked one goal. He was selected in 1987 against

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, and again kicked one goal. In 1989, he kicked five goals in a notable game against South Australia at the MCG. He again kicked five goals against Western Australia in 1992. His final interstate match came in 1995 against South Australia, kicking seven goals and winning the

E. J. Whitten Medal The E.J. Whitten Medal is awarded to the best Victoria Australian rules football team, Victorian player in an Australian rules football State of Origin series, State of Origin football match. The award is named after Ted Whitten, also known as "Mr ...

. Lockett is known as a big supporter of State of Origin and said after he won the E. J. Whitten Medal that "to win this medal will probably go down as one of the happiest days of my life, and I'll treasure it forever".

Statistics

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, style="text-align:center;", , 14 , , 20 , , 77 , , 44 , , 146 , , 19 , , 165 , , 108 , , , , 3.9 , , 2.2 , , 7.3 , , 1.0 , , 8.3 , , 5.4 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 14 , , 21 , , 79 , , 22 , , 146 , , 32 , , 178 , , 112 , , , , 3.8 , , 1.0 , , 7.0 , , 1.5 , , 8.5 , , 5.3 , , , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 14 , , 18 , , 60 , , 29 , , 119 , , 36 , , 155 , , 85 , , , , 3.3 , , 1.6 , , 6.6 , , 2.0 , , 8.6 , , 4.7 , , , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 14 , , 22 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 117 , , 52 , , 226 , , 49 , , 275 , , 164 , , 16 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 5.3 , , 2.4 , , 10.3 , , 2.2 , , 12.5 , , 7.5 , , 0.7 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" , 1988 , style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 8 , , 35 , , 19 , , 65 , , 19 , , 84 , , 44 , , 6 , , 4.4 , , 2.4 , , 8.1 , , 2.4 , , 10.5 , , 5.5 , , 0.8 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker ru ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 11 , , 78 , , 24 , , 122 , , 18 , , 140 , , 92 , , 5 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 7.1 , , 2.2 , , 11.1 , , 1.6 , , 12.7 , , 8.4 , , 0.5 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 12 , , 65 , , 34 , , 112 , , 16 , , 128 , , 84 , , 11 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 5.4 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 2.8 , , 9.3 , , 1.3 , , 10.7 , , 7.0 , , 0.9 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 17 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 127 , , 51 , , 190 , , 33 , , 223 , , 140 , , 7 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 7.5 , , 3.0 , , 11.2 , , 1.9 , , 13.1 , , 8.2 , , 0.4 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 22 , , 132 , , 58 , , 214 , , 30 , , 244 , , 157 , , 12 , , 6.0 , , 2.6 , , 9.7 , , 1.4 , , 11.1 , , 7.1 , , 0.5 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 10 , , 53 , , 12 , , 85 , , 26 , , 111 , , 63 , , 7 , , 5.3 , , 1.2 , , 8.5 , , 2.6 , , 11.1 , , 6.3 , , 0.7 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

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1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake strike ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 19 , , 110 , , 44 , , 176 , , 42 , , 218 , , 139 , , 16 , , bgcolor="b7e718", 5.8 , , 2.3 , , 9.3 , , 2.2 , , 11.5 , , 7.3 , , 0.8 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone on b ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 22 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 121 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 63 , , 212 , , 45 , , 257 , , 168 , , 21 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 5.5 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 2.9 , , 9.6 , , 2.0 , , 11.7 , , 7.6 , , 1.0 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 12 , , 37 , , 21 , , 65 , , 23 , , 88 , , 50 , , 7 , , 3.1 , , 1.8 , , 5.4 , , 1.9 , , 7.3 , , 4.2 , , 0.6 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 23 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 109 , , 36 , , 167 , , 41 , , 208 , , 121 , , 9 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 4.7 , , 1.6 , , 7.3 , , 1.8 , , 9.0 , , 5.3 , , 0.4 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 4 , , 19 , , 82 , , 38 , , 141 , , 27 , , 168 , , 112 , , 15 , , bgcolor="DD6E81", 4.3 , , 2.0 , , 7.4 , , 1.4 , , 8.8 , , 5.9 , , 0.8 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains independence from Indonesia and ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 46 , , 3 , , 3 , , 0 , , 5 , , 2 , , 7 , , 1 , , 3 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.7 , , 0.7 , , 2.3 , , 0.3 , , 1.0 , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3, Career ! 281 ! 1360 ! 590 ! 2367 ! 500 ! 2867 ! 1760 ! 142 ! 4.8 ! 2.1 ! 8.4 ! 1.8 ! 10.2 ! 6.3 ! 0.7

Life outside Football

During his time at St Kilda, Lockett resented the attention that came with his superstar status in Victorian football, and was well known for his distrust of the media. In one particularly famous incident in 1988, he was at the

Mercy Private Hospital Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French ''merci'', from Medieval Latin ''merced-'', ''merces'', from Latin, "price paid, wages", from ''merc-'', ''merxi'' "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religi ...

with his father to receive treatment for the serious ankle injury he had sustained against , but had not been informed by St Kilda club officials that a media contingent, which included

Eddie McGuire Edward Joseph McGuire AM (born 29 October 1964) is an Australian television presenter, journalist and Australian Football League commentator. He is also an occasional ''Herald Sun'' newspaper columnist. He hosts Channel Nine’s Millionaire ...

as a reporter for

Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...

, would also be in attendance. Caught by surprise, Lockett angrily hurled both his crutches at the cameraman. After retiring, Lockett purchased a rural property near

Bowral Bowral () is the largest town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, about ninety minutes southwest of Sydney. It is the main business and entertainment precinct of the Wingecarribee Shire and Highlands. Bowral once served ...

in the Southern Highlands of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and moved there with his wife Vicki and four daughters. In a 2014 interview he dismissed the idea that he had become a recluse since retiring, stating that he was simply enjoying the quiet life of an ex-footballer. The move to Sydney, and the relative anonymity that came with it, appeared to soften Lockett. He even appeared in various television commercials, including Advanced Hair and Lowes Menswear (in Sydney). While at a taping session for a Lowes commercial, Lockett engaged in a friendly wrestling match with former amateur rugby player Adrian "Ace" Mueller, who was at the time working for Lowes corporate division. According to some reports, the friendly wrestle developed into something quite competitive, with Lockett pinning Mueller (an exponent of the Israeli self-defence system

Krav Maga Krav Maga ( ; , ; ) is an Israeli martial art. Developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), it is derived from a combination of techniques used in aikido, judo, karate, boxing, and wrestling. It is known for its focus on real-world situat ...

). Lockett appeared with

Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, ...

and Dave Lawson in a

Toyota Memorable Moments The Toyota Legendary Moments series is a series of television advertisements produced over several years for the Australian Football League by its major sponsor, Toyota. The advertisements feature comedians Stephen Curry and Dave Lawson and a f ...

advertisement which takes a lighthearted look at some moments in his career such as the piglet "Pluga", "

", "That Point" and his 1,300th goal (including the pitch invasion). Lockett End

Lockett is also well known for his interest in

greyhound racing Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around a track. There are two forms of greyhound racing, track racing (normally around an oval track) and coursing; the latter is now banned in most countries. Tra ...

. Lockett has competed in the gruelling Finke Desert Race in the open motorcycle class since 2008, and for the over-45s subcategory on many occasions between 2011 and 2019, riding in 2017, 2018, and 2019 by using his

KTM 500 EXC The KTM 500 EXC is one model in the series of 4-stroke enduro off-road motorcycle made by KTM. They are essentially the 400/450 EXCs with changes to the stroke to achieve larger displacements. The 520, 525, 530 and 500 are all in fact 510.4&nbs ...

. In 2017, Lockett made a surprise decision to return to the Sydney Swans as a part-time goal-kicking and forwards coach.

Nickname

Lockett's father, Howard, inherited the nickname "Plugger" from his own father who used to "plug around" in the garden. Howard Lockett, who himself played 500 games of country football, then saw it fit to pass down the nickname once more to his son, and it became synonymous with his large size. In Round 18, 1993, in a match at the

between St Kilda (then Lockett's club) and Sydney (his future club), a piglet (being a reference to Lockett's build) was released by a member of the Sydney crowd onto the ground (with the wrongly spelled nickname "Pluga" and Lockett's playing number of "4" spray-painted onto it) before being tackled to the ground and removed by Sydney Swans player Darren Holmes. The Channel Seven commentary of the incident had the famous exclamation of "There's a pig at

full-forward Full-forward is a position in Australian rules football and Gaelic football with a key focus on kicking goals. The Coleman Medal is awarded to the player, often a full-forward, who has kicked the most goals in an Australian Football League se ...

!" from commentator Sandy Roberts. Lockett was actually absent from the match due to injury.

Legacy

Lockett was inducted to both the St Kilda and Sydney Swans' Team of the Century in 2001 and 2003, respectively. In 2004, he was inducted into the North Ballarat Football Club hall of fame. On 22 June 2006, Lockett was inducted into the

. In 2015, he was elevated to "Legend" status. The southern goal end at

Docklands Stadium Docklands Stadium, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in October 1997 and was ...

was named after him as the "Lockett End", with the other end being named after the footballer whose goal record he broke,

. The

Ballarat Football League The Ballarat Football League (BFL) is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia. The competition formed in 1893 as the Ballarat Football Association and was renamed Ballarat Football ...

award for the leading goal-scorer for the home-and-away season is named after Lockett, as he played his junior football with Ballarat Football League club North Ballarat. On 19 July 2009, Lockett was inducted into the Sydney Swans Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was inducted into the St Kilda Football Club Hall of Fame; on 24 July 2010, he was elevated to "Legend" status. Lockett kicked over one hundred goals in a season on six occasions: at St Kilda in years 1987 (117), 1991 (127), and 1992 (132); and at Sydney in years 1995 (110), 1996 (121), and 1998 (109). This is a tied league

for the number of times a player has kicked over 100 goals in a separate season (which he shares with Jason Dunstall). The New South Wales Primary Schools Sports Association Australian Football competition is named the Tony Lockett Shield. In 2017, Lockett was inducted into the

Sport Australia Hall of Fame The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen. The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser t ...

. In March 2021, before the Round 2 match between and at

Marvel Stadium Docklands Stadium, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in October 1997 and was ...

set aside to honour the memory of former Saints captain and Fox Footy personality Danny Frawley and promote mental health awareness, Lockett made a surprise appearance, along with

Garry Lyon Garry Peter Lyon (born 13 September 1967) is a former professional Australian rules football player and was captain of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Since his retirement from football, he has been mai ...

and

, to pay tribute to his friend and captain.

References

Bibliography

External links

* *
AFL Hall of Fame – Legends
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lockett, Tony Trevor Barker Award winners All-Australians (AFL) Brownlow Medal winners Coleman Medal winners Leigh Matthews Trophy winners Bob Skilton Medal winners St Kilda Football Club players Sydney Swans players Australian autobiographers Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees Victorian State of Origin players North Ballarat Football Club players Australian rules footballers from Ballarat 1966 births Living people E. J. Whitten Medal winners Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees