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Buddy's 1,000: You'll never see anything like it again ... guaranteed

"I swear you'll never see anything like this ever again!"

They're the words of legendary football commentator Martin Tyler who captured one of the most magical moments in English Premier League history in 2012.

These 10 words send shivers down the spines of Manchester City fans across the globe, and they are words that ring equally true Down Under nearly 10 years on from Sergio Aguero's miraculous stoppage time winner to clinch the EPL title and send the Etihad Stadium into raptures.

Sure, Lance Franklin's solitary 1,000th AFL goal might not have been as spine-tingling in the moment to some, but the feat is perhaps more astonishing.

Just think about it for a second. One. Thousand. Goals. It's another accolade Buddy can add to a long list of achievements, and one that has only been enjoyed by five others before him in VFL/AFL history.

Two premierships, eight All-Australian blazers, four Coleman Medals, and now 1,000 goals epitomises the incredible influence Buddy has had on the game of Australian Rules.

And is the achievement really surprising? These aren't 1,000 'Joe the gooses' in the square, many are just outrageous moments of individual brilliance only one man can produce regularly. It's like Winx coming around the home bend at The Valley, the end result when Buddy wheels onto his left boot from 55m out is inevitable.

From the powerful forward's first goal against Richmond as a scrawny teenager back in 2005 to his 1,000th against Geelong on Friday night, we have witnessed a generational talent of unparalleled proportions grace the field for 16 seasons (and counting). And as footy lovers, we must be grateful.

Franklin joins Gordon Coventry (1920-1937, 1299 goals), Doug Wade (1961-1975, 1057), Gary Ablett Snr. (1982-1996, 1031), Jason Dunstall (1985-1998, 1254) and Tony Lockett (1983-2002, 1360) in the illustrious 1,000 career goal club. Not taking anything away from the other members, but Franklin's achievement is arguably the most impressive.

Think about the natural evolution of AFL football. We've seen a dramatic decrease in one-on-one contests and the impact of team zones has made scoring more difficult.

Buddy has played almost his entire career in a defensive era, so to speak. The vast majority of modern-day AFL coaches are obsessed with implementing team defence strategies and reducing an opposition chances of scoring. Players are now much better equipped at closing down space and restricting ball movement, which limits the opportunities presented to key forwards.

Let's look at Lockett and Ablett -- before Buddy the most recent graduates to the 1,000 goal club -- as an example. According to Champion Data, the average score per game from 1983-2002, Lockett's career, was 98.7 points. Compare that to the 87.9 points from 2005 onwards during Buddy's time. That figure is trending even lower, with the competition average for points per game at 79.7 in 2021, the lowest it's been since 1967.

Teams in 2021 scored a goal from 22% of inside 50 entries, which is 5% lower than 15 years ago and the fourth-lowest percentage ever recorded in a season (the other three being 2018, 2019 and 2020).

There's also a glaring new reliance on goalkicking midfielders which seems to have come to the fore in recent seasons, with clubs opting to utilise the strength of hybrid players in the mould of Dustin Martin to play almost as a makeshift 'Plugger' out of the square.

This all reduces the reliance on a key forward and the opportunities they get in the modern game, once again making his 1,000 goal achievement mind-boggling.

Richmond co-captain Dylan Grimes recently highlighted the difficulty of matching up against the 319-game champion.

"The toughest thing about playing on Buddy is it's really hard to find a weakness and a part of him that you can exploit," Grimes told ESPN. "In the contest he's obviously so good -- he's big, he's fast, he can kick the ball almost better than anyone else at goal -- and you look at that complete package and it's really hard to find a way to beat him.

"It's rare to find a player that's as well rounded as what Buddy Franklin is."

When you think back on Buddy's career, you'll think of his elimination final heroics as a 20-year-old in 2007, or the time he booted his 100th goal of the 2008 season, his break away run down the wing against Essendon (x2) in 2010 to win goal of the year, or the time he booted 13.4 to dismantle North down in Tassie.

But always remember his ascend to the Chiliad, an untouchable milestone now reached by only six men in 125 years, and one that may never be reached again in our lifetime.

So watch it, drink it in, and continue to celebrate 'the greatest showman' who is forging one of the finest careers we have ever seen, or will ever see.