Congratulations Kelvin Templeton

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Templeton elevated into Australian Football Hall of Fame

The Western Bulldogs Football Club congratulates former Footscray captain Kelvin Templeton on his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday night.
www.westernbulldogs.com.au www.westernbulldogs.com.au

The Western Bulldogs Football Club congratulates former Footscray captain Kelvin Templeton on his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday night.

With 143 games to his name between 1974 and 1982, Templeton claimed a Brownlow Medal, two Coleman Medals and two Club best and fairest awards during his illustrious career.

The sharp shooter sits fourth in the Bulldogs’ all-time goalkicking standings, becoming the first forward in competition history to win a Brownlow Medal.
Templeton captained the Club during his final season and remains the centre-half forward in the Footscray-Western Bulldogs Team of the Century.

By career end with Melbourne, Templeton had managed 593 goals in 177 games, winning the Footscray goal-kicking award on five separate occasions.

A 15-goal outing in 1978 against St Kilda remains as one of the most incredible individual performances in Club history.


“We’re both incredibly thrilled and proud to see Kelvin’s incredible career recognised with his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame,” Bulldogs’ Chief Executive Ameet Bains said.

“As a much renowned goalkicker, Kelvin’s plethora of awards and achievements is a testament to his talent as a footballer, remaining one of the Club’s finest players amongst its 137-year history.

“From kicking 100 goals in a season as a 21-year-old to becoming the first forward to win the Brownlow Medal, elevation into the Hall of Fame cements Kelvin as a giant of our game.”

**

KELVIN TEMPLETON FOOTSCRAY HONOURS

Games: 143 (1974–82)
Goals: 494
Captain: 1982
Club Best and fairest: 1978, 1980
Club leading goalkicker: 1976–80
Coleman Medal: 1978–79
Brownlow Medal: 1980
Other honours: Footscray-Western Bulldogs Team of the Century (centre half-forward)
 
Great to see this KT was amazing
 

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Unbelievable talent. Devastated when he did his knee, in a bloody pre season match.
I’d go to training just to see his progress, hoping for a quick recovery. I’m sure he played with a massive brace on his knee when he first came back.
Will never forget the 15.9 performance, the terraces were rocking that day.
 
Watched most of KT’s career including the 15:9 (and at least 3 complete misses) and the 9 goals on Geoff Southby.
But the best game I saw him play was v Melbourne 1980 at Whitten oval in a scrappy, rainy, muddy, low scoring game where he kicked 5 from CHF.
 
Had no idea he wasn't already in, how could it possibly have taken this long?

KT was as good as Carey, he just didn't do it for as long.

100 goals as a 21yo in 78
93 goals playing CHF (!) in 79
Brownlow from CHF in 80.

What a player. His wrecked knee cost us what might have been one of the best of all time.
 
He was a bit before my time, but for those who saw him play, who would you liken him to?

From the stats, he’s kicked over 280 goals over 3 seasons, won a Brownlow in the last of those as a 23-24yo then got injured? Phenomenal areas. How good could he have been?

For a kpf, he seemed very tall for that era.
 

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Endless said:
Watched most of KT’s career including the 15:9 (and at least 3 complete misses) and the 9 goals on Geoff Southby.
But the best game I saw him play was v Melbourne 1980 at Whitten oval in a scrappy, rainy, muddy, low scoring game where he kicked 5 from CHF.
Click to expand...
Great memories.

I've got 3 favourites.

1. Before I was allowed to go to the footy, I remember my Dad's excitement after KTs first game. As a rake skinny 17 year old, he was thrown to the wolves vs Collingwood at Vic Park. We got pumped, he kicked 6.3.

2. The 15.9 game naturally.

3. The best I saw him play was vs St Kilda R20 1980. This was a massive game. Back then there was no draft, so wooden spooner meant only disgrace, no silver lining.

As at R20, we were last, St Kilda second last, half a game ahead. We just had to win.

KT was simply possessed that day, unbeatable. The stats sheet says 32 possessions, 19 marks at CHF on a windswept mudheap, but stats can't convey just how dominant he was at his peak.
 
Lex22 said:
He was a bit before my time, but for those who saw him play, who would you liken him to?

From the stats, he’s kicked over 280 goals over 3 seasons, won a Brownlow in the last of those as a 23-24yo then got injured? Phenomenal areas. How good could he have been?

For a kpf, he seemed very tall for that era.
Click to expand...
He would probably have kicked close to a 1000 career goals if he'd stayed sound. He only played 54 games in five seasons (133 goals) after the age of 24.

That's possibly one reason why he has been overlooked for so long. The other is that he was part of a largely unsuccessful Footscray side. In his 143 game career he played only one final, the 1976 EF which we lost by 7 points to Geelong at Waverley Park after leading by 13 at 3QT. KT kicked 4 that day.

The game is played differently today in a number of ways which I probably don't need to go into. 70 goals is the new 100. Only one player has kicked 100 this century (Buddy kicked 102 in 2008). Since 2010 only one player has kicked 80 (Kennedy kicked 80 in 2016). So it's impossible to compare the goalkicking numbers of the 70s, 80s and 90s with the current era.
 
Templeton was - as much as any other reason - why I started barracking for the dogs even though I grew up in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Doug Hawkins described Chris Grant as a Rolls Royce. For anyone too young to remember Templeton he was a Bentley in a team full of Datsun Sunnys. For me his Brownlow win was a glorious moment in what were several godawful seasons in the late 70's/early 80s. His brilliance highlights how mediocre most of the team was in those days. I guess the western suburbs and Gippsland were not the most lucrative recruiting zones.

Surprised to hear him say he was told he'd won before the Brownlow count. Can't remember any other winner from that era admitting that (aside from the leak the year Blight won).
 
Lex22 said:
He was a bit before my time, but for those who saw him play, who would you liken him to?

From the stats, he’s kicked over 280 goals over 3 seasons, won a Brownlow in the last of those as a 23-24yo then got injured? Phenomenal areas. How good could he have been?

For a kpf, he seemed very tall for that era.
Click to expand...
Comparing eras is impossible and I'm not sure how far you go back, but the 21st century player I'd say he's closest to is Matthew Lloyd. Same tall, thin physique, killer lead, deceptively strong in a contested situation.

I'm biased but I reckon Templeton would've had Lloyd covered at his peak. He had more to his game when the ball hit the deck.
 
For younger viewers of the highlights clips posted above, note how often Templeton easily switched to his left foot when required, one of the kicks running in he could have actually kicked right, but without missing a beat or appearing unbalanced, popped it through on his left. One of the goals in the last quarter of that 15-goal haul was on his left as well.

I saw Kelvin's first game. I remember the excitement in the car on the trip home. Even though we lost narrowly, the two adults in the front seat thought the "skinny kid" had promise!

(Many years later, watching Chris Grant's first game, I though back to seeing KT in his first. Both skinny 17yos with a ton of raw potential.)

I also saw Kelvin's last game in Footscray colours (we knew he was leaving, but it was r19 and didn't know he'd miss the last 3) , then attended every game he played for the Demons against us, courtesy of a Demons mate - we'd go to our respective games twice a year until well into the 1990s. In fact, one game at the MCG, I went to the post-match MFC meet and greet, and Kelvin was the featured player that week. I made sure I sat near the front in my Footscray jumper, arms folded, glowering. He almost did a double take when he was ushered in and saw RW&B in the front seats! 😄

The last game I saw him play was the second last of his career, at WO, when we pummelled the Dees by 120 points and Beasley kicked 12 (only ONE Brownlow vote!). Kelvin was yet to turn 29, but proppy and looked about 50. Felt sorry for him, struggled to kick 30-40 metres, and didn't register a goal. (Some of the WO faithful enjoyed both he and Brian Wilson's misery that day. But I was more interested in racking up a cricket score with a massive margin, especially as my Dees-supporting mate had brought along a friend who was a bit of a plonker so the raining goals in the second half shut him up completely! )

Anyway, fully deserved honour for a club champion, Brownlow medallist, 2 x VFL leading goalkicker (Coleman medal didn't exist in those days!🤪), club captain, and from what I've heard from another past player, all-round nice guy who is fully invested in the club again and the past player events he attends. There is even a photo of KT and Pieman together at one of these... and both smiling! 😀

images - 2024-06-19T115732.935.jpeg
 
First met KT when he came to the city from Traralgon(?). He worked as a shop assistant at Alexanders in Hopkins St Footscray. I worked part-time in another store close by. Little did we know that great times were ahead of him, and great they were.
A lot of trash talk around at the moment due to that idiot BT about the greatest Bulldog player. In my opinion, hard to split KT and the Hawk at the moment. In fact, if either if them were playing in this modern game today, neither would be beatable.
Last saw KT play for Melbourne at Waverly in 84. He was obviously on one leg but he still took us apart. Kicked a lazy 8 goals.
Anyway, congrats to KT on such a fantastic career and a much belated award.

KT 1978.jpg
This day, he had three defenders on him most of the time. Wiped all of their bums!
 
Last edited:
Next Waiting said:
Did the shorts really need to be that short in those days? It seems excessive.
Click to expand...

Training shorts NW, all the rage with the ladies of the era. 😉 I had access to the rooms on a semi-regular basis in those days, lots of players had game day shorts so tight you could... ah, never mind!

The worst part of the access was if my mate and I ended up sitting close to the showers. Very intimidating as primary schoolers watching your heroes parade back and forth with nothing but a towel over their shoulder. 😳

To go off on a slight tangent, Stewie Magee was notorious for parading around post-game sans apparel. There's a photo I've seen pop up many times over the years where Stewie (as fill in captain) is talking to recently retired EJ. Apart from a strategically placed towel, Stewie is starkers. Years later my dad (a post-war migrant who never really understood my obsession with footy and the glorious FFC/WBFC in particular) worked with Stewie, and said he was a really nice bloke. I didn't have the heart to tell him of one post-match years before where my mate and I were sitting on the bench between players bags, etc. Stewie came out of the showers, in his usual state, and in horror we realised we were sitting next to his gear. Frozen in fear, we couldn't move, so stared avidly in every other direction while Stewie slowly donned his various bits of garb literally right next to us. And he started chatting to us! The horror...!

Anyway all I said to my dad was "oh yeah, xxxx and I used to see him around the club years ago"!

Anyway, as this is the KT thread, I'll add I never saw Kelvin in anything less than at least his speedoes/game day jocks, but I do recall how skinny his legs looked pre-Hart era, and one day I the rooms he had a massive bruise on his back between his shoulder blades, but I can't recall who our opponents were.

The final thing I'll add is if you loom at the kick for Kelvin's 100th in 78 at Vic Park sailing through, note the reaction of Bluey Hampshire in the goal square. Sheer joy. He then runs as fast as he ever did to congratulate his young team mate. Hard to see in the first still but Bluey raises both arms, and in the second takes off towards Kelvin.

Screenshot_20240619-140622_YouTube.jpg Screenshot_20240619-140634_YouTube.jpg

Bluey was a fantastic people person, team mates and supporters loved him, as did fellow footy staff. I was in his vicinity a few times, he was a man mountain, but what sticks in my mind is him stepping past us once saying "how are ya boys". Just being acknowledged by Bluey was amazing.
Intimidating in size, but just a great bloke.
 

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Congratulations Kelvin Templeton

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