FOOTBALL

NORTH GIPPSLAND

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

TWO games spare before finals even arrives, and Cowwarr’s Keenan Hughes has already brought up the ton.

The star Saints forward kicked his 100th goal for the season during Round 15 of the North Gippsland Football-Netball League against Rosedale at the weekend.

Into the third quarter, with three in his bag putting him to 99, Hughes was laced out by Shannen Lange just shy of the 50 metre arch, lining up as comfortable as ever.

Right near the boundary in front of an excited Cowwarr bunch, Hughes punched through an enormous goal from beyond 50 to etch his name into the history books.

Teammates mauled him as the goal umpire signalled clearly, with the occasion marked even greater as other supporters rushed the field to honour their hero.

You’d expect that the aftermath of such a milestone would drain him a little bit, but Hughes went even better over the final quarter-and-a-half, with another four goals to his name to finish with eight on the day.

By the end of the weekend, Hughes now sits as the leader across the entirety of Victoria for the most goals with 103, ahead of Kiewa Sandy Creek’s Guy Telford with 102.

Getting Hughes to this point was made significantly easier given that he produced a career-best 18 goals the week before in a 300-point win over Traralgon Tyers United.

Hughes also has four other performances with 10 or more to his name this season, including 15 goals against Gormandale in Round 9.

Only 11 players have eclipsed 100 goals in the North Gippsland FNL, most recently achieved by current Sale City coach Jacob Schuback in 2011.

Heyfield’s Bill Higgins holds the league record after completing a monster season in 1976 with 164 to his name before finals (finished with 174).

Both of the aforementioned players won the premiership in their respective years, which is seeming more and more likely for Hughes and Cowwarr in 2026.

Joining the Saints in 2024, Hughes was a force of nature as the standout player on the Saints’ list, sending home 75 goals last season despite being circled every week.

This year, the entire team has taken it up a notch due to some added artillery, as Cowwarr readies for a big final race to the premiership, losing just one match from 14 to date.

The 28-year-old has been a star of the North Gippsland and Mid Gippsland competitions, dating back to his time with Yallourn Yallourn North.

Hughes secured two flags with the Bombers/Jets in 2019 and 2022, the latter including an almighty best-on-ground performance of nine goals in the grand final over TTU.

In each premiership year for YYN, Hughes booted 84 and 85 goals respectively.

There’s no saying why Hughes can’t add another premiership medallion and possibly a second North Gippsland grand final best-on-ground medal by season’s end.

Hughes began his time in the game for Sale City Junior Football Club, making his senior debut for the Bulldogs as a 16-year-old, before moving on to Gippsland Power.

After a season spent at Cranbourne in the now Southern Football-Netball League in his first year out of juniors, Hughes joined YYN in 2018.

What’s even more special than anything is that Hughes brought up the ton doing so in the red, white and black colours, given he’s a devoted St Kilda supporter.

His father, Richard, said in a post online that since he was three-years-old, the son would tell him he would kick 100 goals for the Saints.

Keenan fulfilled his dreams.