Australian Football

Full forwards do not need to be eye-catchingly brilliant in order to be effective. Some, of course, such as Pratt, Coleman, Robertson, McKenna, Rait, Ablett and Lloyd, were, but the fact that brilliance is by no means an index of effectiveness is emphatically demonstrated by the fact that many of the most prolific goalkickers in the history of the game, including the likes of Farmer, Coventry, Naylor, Hudson, Lockett, Dunstall and Evans, could scarcely be described as easy on the eye.

If Douglas Graeme Wade clearly belonged in this latter category, this is not to imply that his goal-kicking exploits for Geelong and North Melbourne were not immensely crowd pleasing in their way. Capable, if the need arose, of flying high for big marks, he was much more in his element in the sort of one-on-one physical contests on which most league full backs thrived. Moreover, his trade mark screw punts could realise maximum reward from virtually any distance up to about 60 metres (on one occasion, Wade won the Craven Filter 'Champion Kick of Australia').

A statistical summary of Doug Wade's most noteworthy achievements makes impressive reading:

• In 267 VFL games between 1961 and 1975 he booted 1,057 goals at the remarkable average of 3.96 per game.
• Geelong's leading goalkicker every year from 1961 to 1972, except for the injury-ruined 1965 season; he also topped North Melbourne's list in his final three league seasons.
• Despite sterling opposition from the likes of Hudson, McKenna and Jesaulenko, he was the VFL's top goal kicker on four occasions.
• Wade twice 'topped the ton', booting 127 goals with Geelong in 1969, and 103 with North in 1974.
• He played seven times for the VFL, booting 31 goals.

When Geelong's 'Team of the Century' was chosen in 2001, arguably the easiest decision of all must have been placing Doug Wade at the goal-front.

Author - John Devaney