READ this slowly, to absorb its magnitude. Peter Hudson averaged 5.64 goals a match. That's 1.41 goals a quarter.
No one in VFL/AFL history has matched Hudson's strike rate, which was sustained over 129 matches and despite debilitating knee injuries, and which saw him finish his grand career with 727 goals.
Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend Hudson is the latest guest on AFL.com.au's Centurions, which is highlighting the 21 living players to boot 100 goals in a VFL/AFL season.
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The first of Hudson's five tons came in 1968. Fifteen VFL seasons had passed without a player reaching a hundred goals, with fellow Legend John Coleman last managing it in 1952.
"John Coleman was without doubt the greatest," Hudson said on Centurions. "He was the name on everyone's lips as a youngster and in Tasmania when I'd be doing kick-to-kick and that sort of stuff, I would be John Coleman, and then I met him prior to coming to Hawthorn, and I thought he was a very striking sort of man.
"It was a privilege to meet him and probably my only regret in footy is I never saw him play."
Only 28 VFL/AFL players have reached the three figures of goals in a single season, and those 28 did it a combined 57 times, with Hudson getting there on five occasions. Tony Lockett and Jason Dunstall each did it six times.
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Hudson followed up his inaugural ton with more centuries in 1969, 1970 and 1971. Before half-time of the opening round of 1972, he had booted eight goals, only for his knee to badly give way. He did not play again until late 1973, then the opening two matches of 1974. He wasn't seen in the VFL in 1975 and 1976, then in 1977 he flew in weekly from Tasmania to again play for the Hawks, where he extraordinarily again kicked a ton.
