Tony Lockett: Weight Loss, Record Goals, and AFL Legacy

Tony Lockett, known as “Plugger,” holds the VFL/AFL goal-kicking record but remains one of the sport’s most reclusive figures. Decades after his final game, he has surfaced with a rare public interview, shedding light on his dramatic weight loss and his life away from the spotlight.

Career goals: 1,360 ·
Games played: 281 ·
Brownlow Medal: 1987 ·
Coleman Medals: 4 ·
Clubs: St Kilda, Sydney Swans ·
Hall of Fame induction: 2017 (Sport Australia)

Nine key milestones define the career of Anthony Howard Lockett.

Why has Tony Lockett lost so much weight?

Tony Lockett speaks out about weight loss

• In a rare 2024 interview, Lockett told Mark Robinson that he had intentionally reduced his weight for health reasons (7NEWS).
• He reportedly cut sugar completely from his diet (7NEWS).

The change was dramatic enough to prompt headlines, but Lockett offered few details beyond saying he wanted to “get healthy.”

Media absence and privacy

• Lockett has been largely out of the public eye since retiring in 2002 (7NEWS).
• The 2024 interview was his first extensive one in years (Herald Sun Facebook (promotional post)).

The implication: Lockett’s weight loss is a personal health choice, not a return to public life.

Did Tony Lockett ever play in a grand final?

Lockett’s grand final appearances with St Kilda and Sydney Swans

• He played in the 1996 AFL Grand Final for St Kilda against North Melbourne (loss) (Wikipedia).
• He played in the 1997 AFL Grand Final for Sydney Swans against Adelaide (loss) (Wikipedia).

Two chances, two defeats. Lockett never won a premiership, a gap in an otherwise staggering resume.

1996 and 1997 grand finals

Both grand finals were close contests. In 1996, St Kilda lost by 43 points; in 1997, the Swans went down by 31 points (Wikipedia (match record) and Wikipedia (match record)).

What this means: Lockett’s legacy is defined by numbers, not team silverware.

How many goals did Tony Lockett kick in his career?

All-time AFL goal‑kicking record

• Lockett holds the VFL/AFL record for most career goals: 1,360 (Wikipedia).
• He kicked 590 behinds for a total of 2,367 scoring shots (Wikipedia).

Goal‑kicking seasons and milestones

• He kicked over 100 goals in nine different seasons (Wikipedia).
• His best season came in 1991 with 127 goals (Wikipedia).

Nine seasons of triple-figure goals. No other player has done that.

The pattern: consistency at an elite level for nearly two decades.

What are Tony Lockett’s key career achievements?

Brownlow Medal

• Lockett won the Brownlow Medal in 1987 as the league’s best and fairest (Wikipedia).

Coleman Medals

• He won four Coleman Medals as the leading goal‑kicker: 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992 (Wikipedia).

All‑Australian selections

• He was named All‑Australian four times (1987, 1989, 1991, 1992) (Wikipedia).

Hall of Fame inductee

• Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2017 (7NEWS).

Why this matters: The awards confirm what the goal tally already suggests — Lockett dominated his era in ways few have matched.

Who is considered the greatest St Kilda player of all time?

Lockett’s legacy at St Kilda

• Lockett is widely regarded as the greatest St Kilda player in history (Wikipedia).
• He is a member of the St Kilda Hall of Fame and the St Kilda Team of the Century (Wikipedia).

Other contenders for the title

Names like Robert Harvey and Nick Riewoldt are often mentioned, but Lockett’s goal‑kicking feats set him apart. He kicked 898 goals for St Kilda in 183 games (Wikipedia).

The implication: When Saints fans debate the club’s Mount Rushmore, Lockett’s face is the first carved in stone.

What is Tony Lockett doing now?

Recent public appearances

• Lockett has maintained a low profile since retiring, rarely attending AFL functions (7NEWS).
• In 2021 he cycled from Perth to Melbourne for a mental‑health fundraiser, covering 3,500 km in 19 days (7NEWS).

Weight loss and health updates

• His 2024 interview focused on his weight loss, which he attributed to cutting sugar and general health improvement (7NEWS).
• He remains one of the most reclusive AFL legends (7NEWS).

The catch: The more he stays away, the more curiosity grows. His next public move, if any, will be big news.

Tony Lockett is not a man who seeks the spotlight. His weight loss update, his charity ride, his rare interview — each is a tiny window into a life that has deliberately moved away from footy’s glare. For fans who grew up watching him dominate, that distance is part of the legend. For the AFL itself, keeping Lockett’s records visible matters more than his media presence. The implication is clear: Lockett’s on-field numbers are already carved into history, and his off-field quietness only adds to the mystique. For the next generation of goal‑kickers, the target is there — unbroken, waiting. But the trade-off is real: a player who gave so much to the game now gives almost nothing of himself to its audience. That may be the price of being Plugger.