RED & WHITE ARCHIVES: THE BRILLIANCE OF BERNIE NAYLOR

The goal-kicking career of Bernie Naylor is the stuff of legend. In 1953, he produced one of the most astonishing performances in WAFL history, kicking 23 goals against Subiaco — including an incredible 12 in a single quarter.

Naylor’s feats were breathtaking, and his consistency was equally remarkable. Over the course of 194 games, he kicked 1,034 goals, averaging an impressive 5.3 goals per match.

He topped the goal-kicking tally for South Fremantle ten times and was the League’s leading goalkicker on six occasions. Naylor also won the prestigious Walker Medal (Best & Fairest) and played in six premierships with the Bulldogs.

His final game for South Fremantle came in an exhibition match against Carlton at Subiaco Oval. He kicked four goals in a rugged encounter, helping the Bulldogs defeat the famous Blues from Victoria.

Across ten seasons with South Fremantle, Naylor kicked 1,034 goals, and added another 45 goals in 16 appearances for Western Australia. He was South’s leading goalkicker in every season he played and surpassed the 100-goal mark on five occasions. Remarkably, he was only held goalless in four matches throughout his career.

Naylor’s success came from his booming torpedo punts and lightning-quick leads into space. Unlike his successor John Gerovich, he wasn’t known for soaring marks, but he possessed a safe pair of hands and used his 86-kilogram frame to great effect.

Since 1996, the leading goalkicker in the West Australian Football League each season has been awarded the Bernie Naylor Medal, a fitting tribute to one of the game’s all-time greats.