West Coast and Essendon fans may not want to hear this, but the defensive woes of the two clubs last season were good for the league.

Why? Well, for the first time in two decades, there were serious bags of goals, to the point there were seven hauls of eight goals or more. This was a dramatic jump, for not one player kicked eight or more in 2022, while there was only one in 2021. And the Eagles and Bombers were largely to thank for the turnaround.

Big day out: Charlie Curnow feasted on struggling West Coast last season. What has he in store this season?Credit: Getty Images

In a season when West Coast coach Adam Simpson was lucky to avoid the axe, the bottom-placed and injury-hit Eagles four times conceded eight goals or more to an individual opponent.

The Bombers, 16th for points conceded last year, twice allowed an opposition player to fill his boots. No wonder they were desperate to secure North Melbourne full-back Ben McKay.

Not since 2004 when there were hauls of eight or more goals seven times, due largely to St Kilda’s rolling “G Train” – Fraser Gehrig – who contributed four, have individual goalkicking outbursts been so prevalent.

In 2023, star Blue Charlie Curnow tormented the Eagles with bags of 10 and nine, while Crows veteran Taylor Walker also twice had his way against Simpson’s men, with returns of 10 and nine. Giants’ forward Jesse Hogan and Geelong’s future Hall of Famer Tom Hawkins feasted on the Bombers with hauls of nine and eight respectively. North Melbourne forward Nick Larkey had a day out against Gold Coast with nine in round 24.

Since 2015, there had been only one other season – 2019 – when more than one bag of eight had been kicked. Reinforcing last season’s breakout, there were also four hauls of seven: two by Jeremy Cameron, one from Charlie Cameron and another by Walker.

It may not quite be the glory days of Dunstall, Lockett, Carey, Kernahan and, dare I say, Capper, but power/athletic forwards feasting on their opponents is a welcome sight for fans and broadcasters.