NOT much fuss was made in Round 4, 1983, when a 17-year-old kid wearing the number 37 for St Kilda scored a goal with his first kick at league level in an 11-point loss to Geelong at Waverley Park.

But a big deal was made 16 years later when that same kid, filling out the number 4 guernsey for the Sydney Swans, booted his 1300th goal to become the league’s greatest ever goalkicker.

From the late 1980s onwards, Tony 'Plugger' Lockett always seemed destined to challenge Gordon Coventry’s record of 1299 goals, which had stood since 1937. His tilt at the record gathered new pace when he moved from St Kilda to Sydney at the end of 1994, as he found himself suited to the confines of the SCG.

The Swans were playing at home on June 6, 1999 against Coventry’s club Collingwood – the same club that ruled out trading for him when he decided to leave the Saints.

Needing three goals to reach 1300, Lockett booted two majors early in the first quarter before shrugging off opponent Mal Michael late in the term to lead out and take a chest mark from Sydney captain Paul Kelly.

An ugly punt completely out of character for Lockett squeezed through the middle of the posts as thousands of fans swarmed the ground to pay tribute to the game’s newest record-holder.

Lockett booted nine goals straight that day as the Swans cruised to a 51-point win.

Lockett retired at the end of the season on 1357 goals, but made a brief comeback in 2002 where he added three more goals from three games.