Shai Bolton has become the first small forward to win Richmond’s leading goalkicker award since Tiger ‘Immortal’ Kevin Bartlett in 1983.
Bolton booted one goal in yesterday’s final match of the home-and-away season against Gold Coast at the MCG to finish with a total of 34 from the 22 games he played.
Bartlett with 37 goals, shared the Club’s goalkicking award in the ’83 season (the last of his magnificent 19-season League playing career) alongside star spearhead Michael Roach.
That was the fourth time Bartlett had topped the Tigers’ goalkicking table in a season.
He did so previously in 1974 with 47 goals, 1975 with 42 goals and 1977 with 55 goals.
Bolton’s goals’ tally this season was the second best of his eight-year AFL career at Punt Road.
The two-time premiership Tiger’s best goalkicking season was 43 in 2022.
Tenacious small forward Rhyan Mansell finished second to Bolton this season on Richmond’s goalkicking list with 21 goals from 21 games.
Mykelti Lefau, 14 goals from 10 games, and Liam Baker, 14 goals from 18 games, were equal third.
Bolton also became just the fourth player to win the Tigers’ goalkicking award in the past three decades apart from star key forwards Matthew Richardson, Jack Riewoldt and Tom Lynch.
Nick Daffy won it in 1995 with 45 goals, Matthew Rogers in 2000 with 37 and Mitch Morton in 2009 with 41.
