Bateman backs Buddy for ton

Hawthorn midfielder Chance Bateman has backed superstar full-forward Lance 'Buddy' Franklin to become the first AFL player to kick 100 goals in a home and away season since Tony Lockett in 1998, but doubts he will achieve the feat this week against Richmond.

Franklin has kicked 91 goals for the season and holds a seven-goal lead over Carlton's 2006 Coleman Medallist Brendan Fevola as he bids to finish as the AFL's leading goalkicker for the first time, after finishing third last season with 63 goals in the home and away season behind Brisbane's Jonathan Brown (77) and Fremantle's Matthew Pavlich (72).

While Essendon's Matthew Lloyd (2000 and 2001) and St Kilda's Fraser Gehrig (2004) have booted a century of goals in a season since Lockett - the league's greatest ever goalkicker did it for the sixth time in 1998 - both men did not bring up the ton until the finals whereas Lockett achieved the feat in Round 21 in 1998.

After the Tigers, Franklin has matches against 15th-placed West Coast in Perth and then Carlton in the final round to kick the nine goals he needs to bring up three figures before the finals.

And Bateman is confident that Franklin will get there but not this week.

"It would be a bold man that would predict him kicking nine goals this week," he said.

"We would like to see him get to 100 (before the end of the season) but it will probably take him the next three games for him to get there."

Franklin will join two of the greatest names in both Hawthorn and AFL history if he can achieve the feat of booting 100 goals in a season.

Hawthorn's two greatest full-forwards, Peter Hudson and Jason Dunstall, each achieved the feat on five occasions with Hudson booting the ton in 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 (when he equalled Bob Pratt's record of 150 goals in a season) and 1977 while Dunstall achieved the feat in 1998, 1989, 1992, 1994 and 1996.

But considering he is just 21 years of age and playing just his fourth season, Franklin has plenty of time on his side to yet equal the feats of the legendary Hudson and Dunstall.