GSFL 2025: Railways gun forward Hayden Parker chasing history as he stares down 100 goals in league decider

Railways spearhead Hayden Parker is out to become the first player since 2010 to reach the cherished 100-goal mark when he lines up in Saturday’s 2025 Great Southern Football League grand final. Parker will play a key role in the Tigers’ premiership hopes on their home ground but the subplot will be if the powerful forward can reach an individual ton. A brilliant bag of 12 goals in the qualifying final lifted Parker to 97 majors after he finished the regular season with 85. Royals star Craig Bolton Jr was the last player to kick 100 goals in the GSFL, sitting on 93 at the end of the normal season before reaching triple figures in the preliminary final and going on to finish with 102. The winner of this year’s Sean Plaisted trophy as the league’s leading goal kicker, Parker kicked goals in each of the 14 games he played in the home-and-away season. He kicked a bag of 10, two 11-goal hauls, and a 12 in the final round of the season before 12 majors in a wonderful qualifying final performance. Against grand final opponents Albany, Parker has kicked 11 goals this season. Five were in round five, four in the Tigers’ only loss of the season in round 10, and two after being matched up on Cam Jones in round 15. The key forward spent the past two seasons playing for Brunswick in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, kicking 76 goals last year in the division two competition, and he is the son of Railways’ 2005 Kleemann medallist and dual Sean Plaisted trophy winner Bill. Tigers playing-coach Bodhi Stubber said it would be fitting if their front half gun could reach the ton in front of a big crowd on grand final day. “Oh, I definitely think so, I suppose if you go on his last performance (he can reach 100),” Stubber said. “We’d definitely like to see a performance like that again. “It’s definitely hard in a final but I believe that he’s got it in him to do it, which would be really good to see but at the same time he’s really focused on just getting the team across the line as well.” Parker’s story will cap what is expected to be a huge day at Keep The Sheep Stadium, with thousands expected to flock to the venue to watch the four grand finals.