The Macedonian Marvel kicked 549 goals in his storied 250 game career.

For years, debate has raged over which of his goals were the very best.

As we all know, there are a few gold nuggets to choose from.

For the first time, Collingwood fan Damian Balassone has compiled his definitive list of Peter Daicos' top 35 goals.

This list, filed in chronological order, is a must read. A big thank you to Damian and the Footy Almanac team for allowing Collingwood Media to reproduce his work.

35 from 35: Peter Daicos' Greatest Goals

1. 1981 Round 10 v Richmond, Victoria Park

After showing promise as a centreman, Tom Hafey swung Daicos forward in 1981. The results were phenomenal: 76 goals, including a bag of nine against the reigning premiers on this occasion at Victoria Park. In this memorable passage of play, he utterly embarrasses two charging Richmond defenders by presenting them the ball – comically, they take the bait and crash into each other, while Daicos spins around and kicks truly.

2. 1981 1^st Semi Final v Fitzroy, MCG

Pure poetry in motion, Daicos gathers the ball, evades a tackle, bounces while running in the opposite direction of the goal, perhaps pretending to get back onto his right, before swinging around towards the big sticks onto his left foot and kicking a goal.

3. 1981 1^st Semi Final v Fitzroy, MCG

Daicos gathers the ball from Rene Kink about 30 metres out and wheels around on to his right foot. He seems to levitate in midair as he drops it on to his right boot, snapping a wonderful across-the-body goal. Later on, with the Pies 10 points down late in the final quarter (after surrendering a 40 point half-time lead) a set shot from Daicos closes the gap to four points.  A minute later Ross Brewer goals. The Pies win by a point.

4. 1981 Preliminary Final v Geelong, VFL Park

Late in the final term Geelong leads by five points. Daicos takes a mark on the lead about 65 metres out, marginally in front of Ian Nankervis. What can he do? He handballs the ball over the head of Nankervis, outsprints him to the ball, gathers it back, and, as a desperate Nankervis trips over, Daicos straightens up and kicks the goal that sends the Pies into the Grand Final.

5. 1981 Grand Final v Carlton, MCG

A bullet like handball from Tony Shaw is tapped, almost caressed by Daicos’ right hand, with Ken Hunter very close by, before Daicos curls it around on his left foot for a goal.

6. 1982 Round 5 v North Melbourne, Arden Street

Daicos booted six goals in the third quarter of this game, the first of which was most unusual. With the ball in Collingwood’s forward line, team mate Mark Weideman’s stray handball bounced off the field umpire straight into the hands of the ultimate opportunist Daicos who screwed it around on his left foot for goal. Later on in the season, after the great Tom Hafey is sacked, Daicos is moved back into the centre by caretaker coach Mick Irwin. Daicos wins the Copeland and spends the best part of the 80s as a brilliant centreman, dodging and weaving, belly-dancing through packs, pinpointing teammates with precise passes.

7. 1984 Round 1 v Melbourne, Victoria Park

With the Woods 27 points down midway through the final term, Daicos unleashes a 65 metre torp from the boundary in front of the Rush Stand. It splits the sticks and triggers off seven unanswered goals.

8. 1984 1^st Semi Final v Carlton, VFL Park

A rare finals win for the Pies against the Blues and on this occasion Daicos booted seven goals, none better than his first. The ball is bouncing in the forward line – in between a pack of four or five players – when Daicos gathers it one-handed facing goal, somehow managing to evade Wayne Harmes and Wayne Blackwell. The ball then slips behind his back, and his mouthguard almost pops out, before Daicos steadies, straightens and kicks a left foot goal.

9. 1984 1^st Semi Final v Carlton, VFL Park

Daicos receives a short pass from Neville Shaw and proceeds to dance in front of his opponent Bruce Reid (father of Ben) before curling the ball around his body for a goal.

10. 1990 Round 2 v Carlton, VFL Park

After overcoming a serious knee injury (1985) and severe stress fractures of the feet (1987) Daicos wins a second Copeland Trophy as a centreman in 1988. Leigh Matthews moves him forward again in 1990. This time the move delivers Collingwood a premiership with Daicos booting 97 goals – a record number of goals by a non full-forward (ironically eclipsing Lethal’s record).  On this particular occasion Daicos paddles the ball to the boundary line with the long-haired Tom Alvin half a yard behind him.  Just before the ball crosses the line, Daicos gathers it and throws it on to his left boot, dribbling it through for his seventh goal of the afternoon.

11. 1990 Round 8 v Fitzroy, Princes Park

Daicos launches a monster torpedo from close to the centre circle of Princes Park. Yes, there was a breeze but still the ball must have travelled 75-80 metres. The Pies come from behind to win and begin a nine game winning streak.

12. 1990 Round 9 v North Melbourne, Victoria Park

Just before he is tackled, Daicos executes a lazy low-trajectory banana kick from the right pocket, in front of the Bob Rose Stand.

13. 1990 Round 10 v Melbourne, VFL Park

A dismal day at Waverley, Daicos shrugs off nemesis Steve Newport and drags in a one hander, before launching a 55 metre torpedo at the main scoreboard end.

14. 1990 Round 12 v Geelong, VFL Park

A rushed kick by Doug Barwick is paddled by Daicos towards the left boundary, in much the same way as the ‘Tom Alvin’ goal above, but this time Daicos changes direction and kicks around the corner on his right foot a split second before the hapless Steve Hocking can smother.

15. 1990 Round 14 v West Coast Eagles, Victoria Park

Under pressure from an Eagles defender, Daicos handballs the ball to his right, regathers and snaps around the corner for a goal at the Yarra Falls end.

16. 1990 Round 15 v Carlton, VFL Park

A dismal day at Waverley, Daicos marks in front of Wayne Blackwell before launching a 55 metre torpedo at the small scoreboard end.

17. 1990 Round 18 v St Kilda, Victoria Park

Daicos launches a 65 metre torpedo from just inside the boundary at the Yarra Falls end. The ball sails through at post height.

18. 1990 Qualifying Final v West Coast Eagles, VFL Park

A low trajectory torpedo from 53 metres. His 400^th career goal.

19. 1990 Qualifying Final v West Coast Eagles, VFL Park

His most celebrated goal. Late in the final term the Pies lead by two points. A bone-crunching Darren Millane bump on John Worsfold allows Gavin Brown to gather the ball on the boundary and outfox Chris Mainwaring before handballing to Millane who has made some space on the boundary but is not facing goal. Millane is under pressure and has no choice but to handball (with a broken thumb) over his head to Daicos who is hard up against the left boundary with little time to act. Daicos elects to kick a reverse banana kick which bounces over the goal line almost hitting the goal umpire as it rockets through.

20. 1990 Qualifying Final Replay v West Coast Eagles, VFL Park

John Worsfold lands a bump on a Collingwood player, thereby allowing his direct opponent Daicos the half-second he needs to gather the loose ball and snap truly.

21. 1990 2^nd Semi Final v Essendon, MCG

Daicos plucks the ball out from a pack and screws it over his shoulder with his left foot.

22. 1990 Grand Final v Essendon, MCG

The goal that sparks the Pies. A great knock on by Craig Starcevich allows Daicos to gather the ball close to the right boundary with his left hand, with Peter Cransberg hot in pursuit. Daicos then veers right and executes the straightest of drop punts which splits the sticks like a bullet.

23. 1990 Grand Final v Essendon, MCG

A cruel bounce over Bomber Thompson’s head allows Daicos to gather and execute a banana kick from the right point post.

24. 1991 Round 9 v Geelong, Victoria Park

Steve Hocking does everything right here. He works the ball to the left boundary with Daicos half a yard behind him. A little shove by Daicos causes Hocking to fall to ground and suddenly Daicos has the ball hard up against the left boundary line. He produces a flat hard kick that bounces once in front of the left goal post before going through for a goal.

25. 1991 Round 20 v Brisbane Bears, Carrara

This is the night when Daicos kicks 13 goals. On one occasion he is well tackled by Johnny Gastev beside the right point post.  While being slung by Gastev, Daicos somehow gets boot to ball and executes a banana kick in mid air. Gastev watches in horror as the ball squeezes through the sticks. Daicos later apologises to Gastev.

26. 1991 Round 21 v Melbourne, MCG

The ball is kicked towards Daicos on the half-forward line, where Melbourne’s Andrew Obst does well to get a fist to the ball to prevent a Daicos mark, but the ball loops up in the air and Daicos manages to keep his feet just for long enough to gather the ball on its way down, he then slam it on his right foot for another one of those famous dribbling goals.

27. 1991 Round 23 v Richmond, Victoria Park

The Terry Keays special. Daicos turns former teammate Keays inside out on the right boundary at the Sherrin Stand end before splitting the sticks with a drop punt, despite being flattened by Keays just as he kicks. Keays did everything he possibly could to prevent the goal. James Manson and Shane Morwood shake their heads with disbelief.

28. 1991 Round 24 v Geelong, Kardinia Park

Another one to break the heart of Steve Hocking. The ball is kicked to Daicos and Hocking about 15 metres out from goal.  Both go to ground. With both men lying on the turf, Daicos manages to steady the ball with left hand, before soccering it through with his right foot for a goal.

29. 1992 Round 5 v Melbourne, MCG

Daicos streams down the half-forward line boundary, receives a handball from Shane Watson and kicks a customary left-footer from just inside the 50 metre arc.

30. 1992 Round 6 1992 v Hawthorn, VFL Park

Daicos unloads arguably his biggest torpedo ever from 75-80 metres out. What a way to bring up his 500^th career goal. Gary Ayres claims to touch the ball on the line.

31. 1992 Round 8 v Carlton, MCG

The Centenary Game. A lovely goal from a set shot on the left boundary where the Southern and Ponsford Stands meet.

32. 1992 Round 10 v Geelong, VFL Park

The ball spills towards the right boundary line, about 10 metres out. Daicos does not have time to gather the ball and is under immediate pressure from a charging Tim McGrath. Thus Daicos elects to soccer the bouncing ball of the ground in mid air. It travels through the big sticks on the full, somehow managing to miss all four posts in the process.

33. 1992 Round 19 v Essendon, MCG

The ball is bouncing towards an Essendon player in the goal square, but Daicos running with the flight of the ball, steals it from his midst, swerving to the left before stepping back towards the goal line and kicking what is seemingly the easiest of goals

34. 1992 Round 23 v Carlton, VFL Park

The ball is kicked to the leading Sav Rocca who can’t quite reach it, despite being at full stretch. The ball then slips through the legs of Daicos, which seems to surprise his tight-checking opponent, Steve Silvagni. Daicos, being in front, is first to react and turns around and hopefully soccers the ball from about 15 metres out from a tight angle. Goal.

35. 1993 Round 2 v Geelong, Victoria Park

This was the last great performance by Daicos. It is also remembered as the shoot out between Daicos and Gary Ablett Senior. Ablett booted seven goals, while Daicos booted 8, the best of these coming in the last quarter when he had two bounces along the boundary next to the Rush Stand before slotting a left foot goal.