TASMANIAN TEAM OF THE 20TH CENTURY

1st Ruck

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Ruckman - Jack Rough (New Town/Glenorchy & Ulverstone)

Jack Rough was arguably Tasmanian football's greatest ever ruckman.  Renowned for the accuracy of his palming, Rough made his debut with New Town in 1945 and, apart from the 1951 season when he led Ulverstone to the NWFU premiership (winning a Wander Medal in the process), and allowing for the name change to Glenorchy in 1956, he spent his entire senior career at the club.

Never the most spectacular of players, Rough was nevertheless invaluable to his team both in terms of his quiet effectiveness as a knock ruckman - his palming skills were especially noteworthy - and in the level of encouragement he provided, particularly to his younger team mates.  As captain, captain-coach or coach he was responsible for helping steer the Magpies to 8 grand finals for 5 premierships.  He also led the side to the unofficial state championship title on 4 occasions. 

Six times a Tasmanian state representative, Rough participated in the 1950 Brisbane carnival, where he caught the eye of Victorian talent scouts.  However, like many of his generation he resisted the urge to try his luck on the mainland.

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Ruck-rover - John Leedham (North Hobart & North Launceston - vice-captain)

John Leedham was the epitome of the socks down, no holds barred style of footballer whose every gesture seems to make a tangible contribution to the team effort.  Known affectionately as 'John L.' Leedham represented Tasmania in the 1947, 1953 and 1958 Carnivals, performing particularly creditably at Adelaide in 1953 when, despite a disastrous winless series, he was chosen as the sole Tasmanian representative in the inaugural All Australian team.

Throughout his career Leedham tended to save his best performances for games against top class opposition or when the pressure was at its highest.  He captain-coached Tasmania to wins over both South Australia and Western Australia at the 1958 Melbourne Carnival, and invariably outplayed his direct opponent whenever Tasmania clashed with the 'Big V'.  Too outspoken to attract many votes from umpires, his contribution to his team was arguably more telling than that of many so called 'superstars'.  In the classic style of Ron Barassi, Mal Brown, Neil Kerley and Ted Whitten Leedham was a 'stirrer', pre-eminently capable of unsettling an opponent by the use of psychological as much as physical methods of intimidation.  Added to this he was a superbly gifted footballer who more than made up for what he lacked in grace and smoothness of movement with an innate, untutored knack of finding the ball and using it effectively. 

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Rover - Terry Cashion (New Town, South Melbourne, Clarence, Longford, Sandy Bay)

Playing almost exclusively as a rover Terry Cashion was arguably one of the greatest, and certainly one of the most decorated, footballers produced in Tasmania.

He began his career with New Town in 1939 where he played 2 seasons, finishing runner up in the Leitch Medal both years, before enlisting in the army.  While stationed in Melbourne he played half a dozen games with South Melbourne before a serious knee injury led to a temporary abeyance in his football career.

In 1946, having returned to Tasmania, he eased his way back into the fray (helped by the wizardry of masseur Artie James) with Southern Districts Association side Clarence, winning the club's best and fairest award, and playing in a premiership team.  The following year Clarence, along with New Norfolk, gained admission to the TANFL, and although the team struggled in this more elite company Cashion's own form was superb.  In addition to winning a 2nd club best and fairest trophy he was selected to represent Tasmania in section B of the Hobart Carnival, and a series of tenacious, effervescent performances earned him the T.G. Stancombe Medal as Tasmania's best player of the championships.

Cashion played with NTFA club Longford from 1948 to 1951, winning both the club and Association best and fairest awards 3 times.  At the very peak of his form in 1950 he went to the Brisbane Carnival as vice captain of a Tasmanian team which, despite winning only 1 match (against the VFA), performed creditably.  Cashion himself was once again Tasmania's star performer, not only winning another Stancombe Medal but going one better by becoming Tasmania's first and only Tassie Medallist, a feat which on its own would be sufficient to qualify him for any Tasmanian football Hall of Fame.

Terry Cashion's final 2 seasons in League football (1952-3) were spent with Sandy Bay where he won another 2 club best and fairest awards, adding, for good measure, the 1953 Leitch Medal, and involvement in both the Seagulls' 1952 premiership team and Tasmania's 1953 Adelaide Carnival squad.

[For details of Terry Cashion's 1950 Tassie Medal win, click here.]

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