Jamie Maclaren has won the A-League Men's golden boot for a record fourth consecutive year, bringing his total to five overall as he continues to dominate the domestic league.
The Socceroo has brought a blend of ruthlessness and consistency to Melbourne City once more, as the side picked up their third Premiership in a row.
But the goalscoring form spreads beyond a campaign in which he netted the second-most goals by an individual in a single A-League Men season; his record of 24 is beaten only by himself in 2020/21 (25).
Maclaren has scored over 20 goals in five seasons in the competition; only Besart Berisha has done so more than once.
His outstanding scoring form has been amplified since his return to Melbourne City, as Maclaren has found the back of the net 93 times since joining the Victorian club.
Maclaren has scored at an astonishing rate of 0.93 per game at City, almost guaranteeing the side a goal a game purely off his striking efforts.
Three of his five 20 goal-haul seasons have come in the last four, amplifying his outstanding consistency and finishing ability.
Maclaren’s ability to play at the focal point of the attack and finish chances for City has been vital; over the course of the season, the Socceroo has scored 36.36% of his side’s goals.
Over the last four seasons, he’s made up 37.29% of City’s total goals, demonstrating his immense consistency and importance to what has been Australia’s dominant side in recent times.
A significant part of Maclaren’s game has been his movement in and around the box, which has allowed the scintillating sharpshooter to net at such a proficient rate.
This season, Maclaren obtained an expected goals of 26.12 - by far the highest in the league, outlining City’s efficient chance creation, but also the Socceroo’s high-quality movement to get on the end of different ranges of passes.
Maclaren has had 183 touches in the opposition box in the league this season, 19 more than any other player in the competition, further exemplifying his explosive, precise and coordinated movement in the 18-yard box.
His 56 shots on target (14 more than any other player) represents his ability within the area and his potent, poacher instinct upon receiving the ball, demonstrating his quality as a goalscoring number nine.
Maclaren’s movement, combined with his finishing quality and instinct, has seen him achieve a major milestone this campaign, overtaking Besart Berisha’s tally of 142 - 50 ahead of now third place.
The Socceroos star’s scoring ascendancy has also seen him edge closer to Damien Mori’s unthinkable record of 240 goals at the top flight of Australian football.
However, if Maclaren continues at the rate he’s been on at Melbourne City - an average of 22 per season across the last four campaigns - he would catch up in just over four seasons.
At still 29 years of age, that record could be in Maclaren’s to break.
*All statistics prior to the A-League Men 2023 Grand Final