Fox Footy commentator Dwayne Russell dropped a little ‘zinger’ on Saturday, light-heartedly suggesting SUNS defensive powerhouse Sam Collins might be feeling a little “dizzy” after a rare venture into the front half.

And fair enough, it’s not often the vice-captain ventures from the backline into the rarified air forward of centre.

But what Russell inadvertently did during commentary on the SUNS’ win over Melbourne at People First Stadium was draw attention to the fact that Collins is sneaking up on one of the long-time and more obscure AFL records. And may already have claimed another one.

It was Collins’ 141st AFL game without a goal. He’s seventh on the all-time list headed by Collingwood fullback Ted Potter, who played 182 games from 1963-72 without a goal.

Others ahead of Collins among 34 who went 100-games without a major are Geelong’s Gary Malarkey (172), Essendon’s Les Gardiner (166), Jamie Shanahan of St Kilda and Melbourne (162), St Kilda’s Ian Synman (154), Western Bulldogs’ Jim Gallagher (151) and Richmond’s Bill Perkins (148).

Among current players, GWS’ Connor Idun is the only other player beyond 100 - he’s at 109.

But Collins’ record is more definitive. He’s such a confirmed member of the defender’s union that he’s never even never ever registered a behind. He’s had 1029 kicks in AFL football for 83 inside 50s. And Saturday’s searing pass wasn’t one of them.

Given that AFL records for behinds were not kept prior to 1965, it’s entirely possible that Collins’ 141 games without a score is #1 among league records.

Of those ahead of him on the ‘no goals’ list, Gardiner (1943-53), Gallagher (1951-60) and Perkins (1940-49) played entirely in the pre-statistics era.

Malarkey, who played from 1977-86, is credited with two behinds in his 83^rd and 140^th games, and Shanahan, who played from 1992-99, kicked five behinds in games 83, 102, 112, 120 and 123.

Potter played from 1963-72 so he had two years and 33 games when he could have jagged a behind.

And Synman, a 154-gamer from 1958-69, played 75 games over six years when he may have hit the scoreboard.

In the world of weird and wonderful statistical trivia, that leaves… Collins! Possibly.

What is definite is that only five current players have gone 50 games without a goal – Collins, Idun, Adelaide’s Jordan Butts (83 games), Port’s Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (82) and West Coast’s Harry Edwards (51).

Idun has kicked four behinds and Zerk-Thatcher two behinds, which leaves Collins at 141 ahead of Butts and Edwards on the ‘no score’ list, with Adelaide’s Josh Worrell (45), Fremantle’s Josh Draper (31) and North’s Jackson Archer (26) the only other current players beyond 20 games.

In SUNS history, Matthew Warnock went 32 games without a goal and Henry Schade 20 games, but each kicked one behind. Equal second to Collins’ 127 games with the SUNS without a score are Tom Murphy (18) and Jack Hombsch (18). No other player has gone more than six games.