Tarkyn Lockyer’s career-best 2007 was just one of the many remarkable stories in Collingwood’s memorable season.
Three consecutive top-five finishes in the best-and-fairest from 2000-2002, including a second-placing in 2000, was proof of Lockyer’s considerable talents, however his promising career was hijacked by two horror seasons ruined by injury (2003 and 2004).
Lockyer worked tirelessly to work back to full fitness, and the result was two strong seasons in 2005 and 2006, playing as a versatile small who could play sparingly in the midfield and in attack, and also take on a key opposition small forward.
But at 27, it was debatable whether Lockyer could develop his game further, however his stellar 2007 showed anyone who wrote him off was vastly off the mark.
Lockyer moved permanently into the midfield and his consistency across the season was highlighted by the fact he polled votes form the coaches in 16 of the first 18 games, an astonishing achievement. That included three-vote performances in rounds six and nine against Adelaide and Brisbane respectively.
He was acknowledged for other excellent performances with two votes against Richmond (round three), St Kilda (round 14), Essendon (round 16) and Carlton (round 18), before a quieter three weeks between rounds 19-21 were overshadowed by another two-vote effort in the final round of the season. That meant he led the Copeland at the conclusion of the home-and-away rounds.
He was unable to poll votes in the elimination final and the semi-final triumph at Subiaco, even though he was one of many midfielders to shine against the Eagles, but finished the season strongly with a vote for his preliminary final performance.
Ultimately, though, he fell one vote short of Copeland Trophy winner Travis Cloke, and was beaten for second on countback by Scott Pendlebury, but to finish third in a year when the side performed so strongly was a credit to a player who has been a magnificent Collingwood servant for many seasons, and hopefully many more.
* All single-game vote tallies mentioned in the above article do not include the automatic one vote each player who is part of the playing 22 receives.
COPELAND TROPHY VOTING SYSTEM
1. Each player is allocated one vote for each game in which he is selected to represent the Collingwood Football Club.
2. Up to 20 votes per game can be allocated to the best players as judged by the Collingwood Match Committee. Votes are awarded based on the average vote of all four members of the Match Committee.
3. The maximum number of votes per match a player can receive is 6.
Three consecutive top-five finishes in the best-and-fairest from 2000-2002, including a second-placing in 2000, was proof of Lockyer’s considerable talents, however his promising career was hijacked by two horror seasons ruined by injury (2003 and 2004).
Lockyer worked tirelessly to work back to full fitness, and the result was two strong seasons in 2005 and 2006, playing as a versatile small who could play sparingly in the midfield and in attack, and also take on a key opposition small forward.
But at 27, it was debatable whether Lockyer could develop his game further, however his stellar 2007 showed anyone who wrote him off was vastly off the mark.
Lockyer moved permanently into the midfield and his consistency across the season was highlighted by the fact he polled votes form the coaches in 16 of the first 18 games, an astonishing achievement. That included three-vote performances in rounds six and nine against Adelaide and Brisbane respectively.
He was acknowledged for other excellent performances with two votes against Richmond (round three), St Kilda (round 14), Essendon (round 16) and Carlton (round 18), before a quieter three weeks between rounds 19-21 were overshadowed by another two-vote effort in the final round of the season. That meant he led the Copeland at the conclusion of the home-and-away rounds.
He was unable to poll votes in the elimination final and the semi-final triumph at Subiaco, even though he was one of many midfielders to shine against the Eagles, but finished the season strongly with a vote for his preliminary final performance.
Ultimately, though, he fell one vote short of Copeland Trophy winner Travis Cloke, and was beaten for second on countback by Scott Pendlebury, but to finish third in a year when the side performed so strongly was a credit to a player who has been a magnificent Collingwood servant for many seasons, and hopefully many more.
* All single-game vote tallies mentioned in the above article do not include the automatic one vote each player who is part of the playing 22 receives.
COPELAND TROPHY VOTING SYSTEM
1. Each player is allocated one vote for each game in which he is selected to represent the Collingwood Football Club.
2. Up to 20 votes per game can be allocated to the best players as judged by the Collingwood Match Committee. Votes are awarded based on the average vote of all four members of the Match Committee.
3. The maximum number of votes per match a player can receive is 6.
