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[Des Meagher] [Paul Meakin] [Peter Medhurst] [Thomas Meehan] [John Mehaffey] [Ron Mellowship] [Graham Melrose] [Peter Menaglio] [Mark Mercuri] [Kevin Merifield] [Leo Merrett] [Roger Merrett] [Thorold Merrett] [Harvey Merrigan] [Barry Metcalfe] [Jack Metherell] [Len Metherell] [Peter Meuret] [Chris Mew] [Stephen Michael] [Jim Michalanney] [George Michalczyk] [Mark Mickan] [Russell Middlemiss] [Geoff Miles] [Bill 'Darky' Miller] [Ian Miller] [Les Millis] [Kelvin Mills] [Leonard Mills] [Paddy Mills] [Ray Mills] [Ross Millson] [Herbert Milne] [William Milroy] [Stan Milton] [Graeme Minihan] [Dan Minogue] [Joe Misiti] [Alex Mitchell] [Barry Mitchell] [Hugh Mitchell] [Merv Mitchell] [Michael Mitchell] [Laurie Mithen] [Frank Mockridge] [Denis Modra] [Tony Modra] [Douglas Moffat] [Dave Moffatt] [Les Mogg] [Bill Mohr] [Stan Molan] [Max Mollar] [Derek Mollison] [Graham Molloy] [George 'Specka' Moloney] [Syd Moloney] [Brian Molony] [Michael Moncrieff] [Jack Monohan] [Bruce Monteath] [Allan Montgomery] [Ken Montgomery] [George Moodie] [Kelvin Moore] [Peter Moore] [Roy Moore] [Sonny Morey] [Harry Morgan] [Leo Morgan] [Dan Moriarty] [Jack Moriarty] [Terry Moriarty] [Bob Morrell] [Bill Morris] [Geoff Morris] [Mel Morris] [Peter Morris] [Alby Morrison] [Bruce Morrison] [George Morrissey] [Alan Morrow] [Bill Morrow] [Tom Morrow] [Len 'Mother' Mortimer] ['Bo' Morton] [Noel Morton] [Shane Morwood] [Tony Morwood] [William Mose] [Graham Moss] [Geof Motley] [Peter Motley] [Paul Mountain] [Ernest Mucklow] [Ray Mudie] [Jack Mueller] [Alan Muir] [Ken Mulhall] [Robin Mulholland] [Angie Muller] [Tom Mullooly] [Brian Mulvihill] [Les Mumme] [Joe Murdoch] [Max Murdy] [David Murphy] [Frank Murphy] [John Murphy] [John P. Murphy] [Leonard Murphy] [Bob Murray] [Kevin Murray]
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| Recruited
by Hawthorn
from Old Xaverians, Des Meagher made his VFL debut with
the Hawks in 1966, and at the end of the season he was widely acclaimed as one of
the best first year players in the competition. Tall and slender, he
could fill a variety of positions, but was best suited to the wing, which
was where he made his interstate debut in 1967. In the
game against South Australia in Adelaide his outpointing of future
champion Barrie Robran
was heavily instrumental in setting up the Big V's eventual 6 point win.
Noted for his swiftness off the mark as well as his long, raking left foot kicks, Des Meagher was one of Hawthorn's best in the 1971 grand final defeat of St Kilda. He enjoyed an excellent year in 1973 when he again made the state side, but after that his form fell away and he was only named as a reserve for the 1975 grand final, in which the Hawks went under to North Melbourne. Meagher retired a year later after 199 VFL games. He later coached Hawthorn's reserves. |
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by Murray Bird and Peter Blucher |
| A powerhouse Mayne ruckman who began a 200 game career as a sixteen year old, Paul Meakin short by ruck standards but was a most effective and fierce competitor, and a wonderful overhead mark. A dual premiership player in 1967 and 1973, he played 10 games for Queensland from 1968 to 1976, broken only by a one year stint at Coolamon in the Riverina. He was once lured to do a pre-season with Norths rugby league club but soon returned to Windsor Park. |
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Peter Medhurst (West Perth & Central District)
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| Peter
Medhurst was one of a batch of half a dozen or so talented recruits who
arrived at West Perth in 1958 as the club
began to rebuild towards its next serious tilt at the premiership.
Two years later, with Medhurst starring as first rover, that rebuilding
process was complete, and the Cardinals swept all before them in procuring
their first flag since 1951. For Medhurst, it was a stellar year, as
not only did he contribute a fine performance and a couple of goals to the
17.13 (115) to 12.11 (83) grand final defeat of East
Perth, he also won both the club's fairest and best award and its leading
goal kicker trophy (with 68 goals). He continued with the
Cardinals until 1963, by which time he had played a total of 95 senior
games. He also represented Western Australia 3 times.
The 1964 season saw him in South Australia, hoping to play for SANFL newcomer Central District, but clearance hassles delayed his debut for twelve months. He eventually played 30 senior games in two seasons for the Bulldogs, booting 34 goals. |
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Thomas Meehan (St Kilda, Fitzroy, Brighton)
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| Terry Meehan was a tough, no frills defender who joined St Kilda from St Kilda YMCA and gave the club solid service in 72 VFL games between 1947 and 1952. Most of those games were played at full back where he saw plenty of action in a team that had a woeful success rate of just 20.5% and finished last three times during his time with them. In 1953 he crossed to Fitzroy and added 19 games in two seasons. He finished his playing career with Brighton in the VFA. |
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| John Mehaffey was a dangerous forward for West Torrens who was the club's leading goal kicker in 1947 (39 goals), 1948 (62), 1949 (61) and 1950 (61). He was a South Australian interstate representative 4 times. Mehaffey was unfortunate in that he commenced his league career after Torrens won the 1945 premiership, and had retired by the time the side next went top in 1953. He did, however, take part in the losing grand finals of 1948 against Norwood and 1949 against North Adelaide. |
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Ron Mellowship (East Fremantle)
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| Ron Mellowship had a dream start to his league career with East Fremantle when he played in winning grand final teams in his first two seasons. Selected at full back in both the 1945 defeat of South Fremantle and the 1946 victory over West Perth, there was nothing flamboyant or spectacular about his play, but he could be relied on to do his job - which principally entailed keeping his direct opponent under close wraps - and do it well. Mellowship spent five seasons with Old Easts, during which time he played a total of 88 senior games. His last appearance for the club came in the 1949 1st semi final, when he was one of the best players on view in a narrow loss to arch rivals South Fremantle. |
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Graham Melrose (East Fremantle, North Melbourne, Swan Districts)
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| A
tough and talented rover particularly noted for his accurate foot passing,
Graham Melrose enjoyed a long and auspicious career at football's highest
level. He made his league debut with East
Fremantle in 1967 at a time when Western Australia's most successful
club was commencing a period of unprecedented under-achievement. The
cycle of failure was finally broken in 1974 under John
Todd, with Graham Melrose very much at the forefront of affairs as he
not only won his second fairest and best award in three years, but the Sandover
Medal to boot. He was also a key contributor to Old Easts'
memorable 22 point grand final victory over Perth.
Indisputably one of football's hottest properties at the time, the following season saw him embarking on a VFL career with North Melbourne, where, over the ensuing five years, he endured something of an emotional roller-coaster ride. The undoubted nadir came in his very first season when he was forced to miss the Kangaroos' breakthrough VFL premiership win with a hand injury. Tragically, he also missed participating in the club's follow up flag win against Collingwood two years later. His best season was probably 1976 when he performed consistently well, culminating in a fine display in the losing grand final against Hawthorn. The 1980 season saw Melrose back in his home state where he once again joined forces with his old mentor, John Todd, this time at Swan Districts. Before retiring three seasons later he had the satisfaction of not only helping Swans to their first grand final triumph since 1963, but of winning the Simpson Medal for best afield as well. Melrose played in the back lines in that 1982 premiership team, having migrated there under Todd's astute direction towards the end of what proved to be his final full season in football. Graham Melrose played a total of 327 senior games comprised of 140 with Old Easts, 111 at North, 67 for Swans, and 9 interstate appearances for Western Australia. At the turn of the century he was honoured with berths in both Swan Districts' official 'all time great team' and the official East Fremantle 'Team of the Twentieth Century'. In 1995 he embarked on a two year coaching stint with Swan Districts, steering his side to 8th and 5th place finishes. |
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| Recruited from Tuart Hill, Peter Menaglio made his West Perth debut in 1977 and went on to represent the club with great distinction in 234 senior games over more than a decade. Exceptionally fast and skilful, he was the sort of player who could single-handedly dominate a match. A triple club fairest and best winner, he was equally at home anywhere across centre or on a half forward flank. He represented Western Australia 4 times. When West Perth announced its official 'Team of the Century' during the 2000 season, Peter Menaglio was chosen at right centre wing. |
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| As a sublimely skilled half forward flanker or on-baller Mark Mercuri was a key factor in Essendon's success in both the early and late 1990s. Hailing originally from Keilor Park, the same club as team mate Joe Misiti, he made his league debut in 1992, and was a member of the 'Baby Bombers' team that won the 1993 premiership. In that year's grand final against Carlton he booted 3 goals from a half forward flank and was some people's choice as the best player afield, although the Norm Smith Medal went to Michael Long. His career continued on an upward spiral in 1994 when he made his state of origin debut with the 'Big V', but over the next four seasons he experienced a horror run with injury, limiting both his appearances, and his effectiveness when selected. In 1999 he recaptured his best form as the Bombers emerged as a force to be reckoned with once more. Mercuri polled 22 Brownlow Medal votes that year to run second behind Hawthorn's Shane Crawford. He also won Essendon's best and fairest award, and was chosen in the AFL All Australian team. His good form continued during a 2000 season that culminated in his having 22 disposals during the grand final defeat of Melbourne, and he also played in the grand final loss to Brisbane a year later. Recurring problems with injuries undermined his effectiveness after that, and it was no surprise when, after a frustrating 2004 season which saw him make just 9 league appearances, he elected to retire rather than struggle on. He had played a total of 207 games and kicked 242 goals during his thirteen season AFL career, and at his peak was one of the most exhilarating players to watch in the game. |
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| Kevin Merifield was a powerful, team-oriented player who could perform equally well in a variety of positions. He was Subiaco's top goal kicker in 1966 with 27 goals, but played some of his best and most consistent football across half back, where his strong high marking came to the fore. A Western Australian representative on 4 occasions, Merifield played 213 WANFL games for Subiaco between 1957 and 1968. He was club captain in 1963 and 1965. |
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| Wingman Leo Merrett made his league debut with Richmond as a twenty year old in 1940, and it was soon obvious that the Tigers had procured a footballer of rare quality. Boasting exhilarating pace and fine all round skills, he was a star performer throughout the war years and beyond, and had played a total of 178 VFL games and kicked 53 goals by the time he retired in 1949. In 1943 he was a key contributor to the Tigers' 5 point grand final victory over Essendon, having been arguably his side's best player in the previous season's loss against the same opposition. He also played in the losing grand final of 1944 against Fitzroy. Winner of Richmond's best and fairest award in 1942 and 1944, and a VFL interstate representative on 4 occasions, Merrett would presumably have been a strong contender for one of the wing positions in the Tigers' official 'Team of the Century', but the selectors, faced with an unenviable task in choosing between such an abundance of noteworthy players, plumped for Dick Clay and Francis Bourke. |
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Roger Merrett (Essendon & Brisbane)
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| Essendon
utility Roger Merrett joined Brisbane prior
to the start of the 1988 season, at the same time as flamboyant Sydney
full forward Warwick Capper. While most of the initial attention was
focused on Capper, who was a proven crowd pleaser, and who, in 1987, had
booted 103 goals for the year, it was to be Merrett who would go on to have
far and away the greater impact at the Bears. When he retired at the end of the 1996
season he held the club records for most games (164) and goals (285), and
had been skipper for seven straight seasons. However, it was for
attributes not readily submitting to statistical analysis that he is
probably best remembered. A quintessential, archetypal on field
leader, Merrett placed his body on the line for his team mates time and
time again, and seldom can the expression 'leading from the front' have
found a more appropriate or deserving target.
Merrett also gave good service to his first club, Essendon, but only after enduring an extended apprenticeship which saw him start 21 of his first 62 games for the club on the bench. Once he established himself, however, he became a fulcrum for a Bomber attack which, in 1984 and 1985, was arguably the most potent in the history of the game up to that point. Although not captain of his club, his leadership qualities were recognised in 1984 when he was chosen as captain of Victoria. Merrett's 149 VFL games in ten years at Essendon included the winning grand finals of 1984 (reviewed here) and 1985, both against Hawthorn, and gave him a career total of 313. He also played numerous VFL reserves games while at Windy Hill, and in 1982 secured the slightly dubious honour of winning the Gardiner Medal for the best and fairest player at that level. Most recipients of that award sink swiftly from public view without trace, but Merrett was the quintessential exception that proves the rule (see footnote 1). |
Footnotes1. Tony Liberatore was another who broke the Gardiner Medal 'curse' in emphatic fashion; after being named best and fairest in the reserves not once, but twice, he went on to add a senior best and fairest - the 1990 Brownlow - to his collection. Return to Main Text |
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| Emphatically belying the fact that he
looked rather more like an underfed schoolboy than a league footballer, Collingwood
rover and wingman Thorold Merrett amassed 179 VFL games, 7 interstate
appearances for the VFL, and two Copeland Trophies between 1950 and
1960. What the mere statistics do not reveal, however, is the verve,
aggression, courage, determination and, above all, consummate skill with
which those achievements were laced.
Aged just sixteen, Merrett made his Collingwood debut in 1950 against Footscray, and a couple of years later made the first of his Big V appearances. Standing just 168cm tall, and weighing barely 60kg, he was the smallest player on the field in virtually every game he played (as the above photograph starkly illustrates), and this, combined with his fearless attitude, made him extraordinarily susceptible to injury. Nevertheless, he knew no other way to play the game than with dynamic, wholehearted zeal and aggression, and there was a sense in which, during the 1950s, he personified the Collingwood spirit better than any other player. Renowned for his copybook kicking style, which was almost unfailingly accurate, Merrett was alleged to have spent hours as a youngster repeatedly stab passing a ball through an old car tire from various distances. Such perfectionism was evidenced in other facets of his play, even down to the impeccable way in which he was always turned out. A member of five Magpie grand final teams, the undoubted highlights of Merrett's career came in 1953 and 1958 when he helped his side to grand final victories over Geelong and Melbourne respectively. Listed high in the best players after the 1953 game, he was a widespread choice as best afield after a typically energetic and scintillating performance five years later. In 1960, aged twenty-seven, injury brought Merrett's career to an end after he broke his leg for the second time and it failed to knit cleanly. Thorold Merrett was selected on a wing in Collingwood's official 'Team of the Century'. |
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| There was nothing ostentatious or showy about Harvey Merrigan's football, but he was supremely effective and reliable. A full back for most of his 197 game VFL career he was regarded as one of the hardest players to beat one on one in the competition. He joined Fitzroy from Hampton Park and made his senior debut in 1969. A club best and fairest winner in 1974, he captained the Lions in 1978, and represented Victoria 3 times. Later in his career he was undermined by niggling injuries which eventually forced his retirement in 1981 when he was just 3 games adrift of the elusive 200 game benchmark. In February 2002 Harvey Merrigan was selected on the interchange bench in Fitzroy's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'. |
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Barry Metcalfe (Hawthorn, Mordialloc, Claremont)
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| Barry Metcalfe commenced his league career at Hawthorn, but could only manage 1 senior game for the club, in 1957. The following year saw him move to Mordialloc along with his former Hawks team mate Len Crane, who had assumed the coaching mantle at the club. As often seems to happen when a player is confronted with a fresh challenge, Metcalfe rose to the occasion superbly. Playing mainly as a wingman, he enjoyed a marvellous season, capped by selection to represent the VFA at the centenary Melbourne carnival. Metcalfe's form during the carnival was excellent, and he was rewarded with an All Australian blazer, the only Mordialloc player to be so honoured. After just one season with the Bloods Metcalfe headed west. He did not play top level football in 1959, but in 1960 he threw in his lot with Claremont, where he played a total of 55 WANFL games. He continued to perform consistently well, and was selected to represent Western Australia on 3 occasions. |
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Jack Metherell (Geelong, North Hobart, Cooee)
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| The name Jack Metherell continues to
resonate powerfully in the minds of Tasmanian football supporters of a
certain age four and
a half decades and more after his greatest exploits. Named in August
2000 as coach of North
Hobart's official 'Team of the Century', Metherell oversaw
premierships in 1938-9-40-41, 1945 and 1947, as well as state flags on
four occasions. Arguably his most auspicious achievement, however,
was masterminding, at Launceston in
1960, the first ever win by a Tasmanian state side against the
VFL. Metherell's achievement appears all the more noteworthy when
you consider that he had been away from coaching for several years prior
to the game.
Originally from Perth, Metherell played initially for Subiaco juniors before heading to Victoria in 1932 where he joined his brother Len at Geelong. Quick and agile despite his solid build - a Tasmanian journalist later remarked that he "handles his thirteen stone like an acrobat" - he gave the Cats excellent service, mainly as a half forward, in 65 VFL games over the next six seasons. During that time he topped Geelong's goal kicking list on three occasions, and amassed the impressive tally, for a half forward specialist, of 221 goals. His last game in the VFL was the 1937 grand final in which Geelong beat Collingwood, and in which Metherell, with 4 goals from a forward pocket, was one of the best players afield. In 1938, Metherell was appointed captain-coach of North Hobart, but despite the best efforts on his behalf of Albert Ogilvie, the then Tasmanian premier, Geelong refused to clear him, and he was forced to coach from the sidelines. As noted above, he did this with consummate success, and when he was able to take the field himself in 1939 the team's stocks rose still higher. With 61 goals for the season, Metherell topped the TANFL's goal kicking list in 1939, a feat he duplicated in 1940-41. The league went into mothballs because of the war in 1942, and when it resumed in 1945 it had been radically reorganised along district lines. North Hobart was still there, however, as was Jack Metherell, who continued as both player and coach. In 1946 he ventured north to take on the captain-coaching role at Cooee, but after just one season he was back 'home' at North Hobart, where he enjoyed one last year as a player before continuing as coach in an off-field capacity. The lack of activity clearly bothered Metherell, however, for after just one season as non-playing coach he resigned in order to resume playing, albeit at a lower level, in the Southern Districts Football Association. After that, and prior to his appointment as Tasmanian coach in 1960, he enjoyed a stint as a central umpire, which included officiating at several TANFL roster games. As coach of Tasmania, he oversaw a total of five games, including those at the 1961 Brisbane carnival, for just one win. However, it is doubtful if any win in the history of Tasmanian football has been so important, or so widely heralded, and as long as football is played the name of Jack Metherell should serve as a reminder that the most noteworthy exploits in the game do not uniquely manifest themselves at the so-called 'highest level'. |
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Len Metherell (Subiaco & Geelong)
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| The older brother, by four years, of Jack
Metherell, Len's senior football career began in 1927 with Subiaco.
Len was also 5cm taller than his brother, at 183cm, and on average about
12kg heavier, making him well suited physically to playing a supporting
role in the ruck, which he did to good effect to Tom Outridge at Subiaco,
and later to Arthur Coghlan at Geelong.
He was also a prolific goal kicker when resting up forward, and in his
debut season he topped the Maroons' goal kicking list with 49 goals.
He also captured the headlines, playing as a full forward for a West
Australian second team against Collingwood,
when he booted 9 of his side's 12 goals for the match
Almost awesomely physically aggressive, Len Metherell had an oft-noted partiality for crashing his way through packs of players, with scant heed for his own or anyone else's safety. Such a predilection made Metherell highly appealing in the eyes of a number of VFL clubs, and few people were surprised when, in 1930, after just 45 WAFL games, he joined the burgeoning ranks of West Australian émigrés to the perceived 'big time' of the VFL. In terms of player payments, compared to the WAFL the VFL truly was the 'big time', a factor that suddenly acquired enhanced importance as Australia, along with the rest of the Western world, was plunged into a dire economic depression. Len Metherell's new football home was Geelong, and he would give the Cats fine service for the next seven years, during which time he would play 110 senior games, kick 117 goals, help the side to a 20 point win over Richmond in the 1931 grand final, and represent the VFL in the interstate arena once. In addition to his renowned toughness, he was strong overhead, and was one of the first regular exponents of the drop punt (the kick which Jack Dyer is often wrongly purported to have 'invented') to play VFL football. |
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Peter Meuret (Woodville & West Adelaide)
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| After failing to make the grade at Woodville where he managed just 5 league games in three seasons, few could have predicted how successful Peter Meuret would become after transferring to West Adelaide. A classy forward in the Peter Daicos mould, he went on to play a total of 206 games with West between 1976 and 1986, kicking 303 goals which included totals of 36 in 1978 and 55 in 1986 to top the Bloods' list. Often at his best in big games, Meuret was among the most conspicuous players on view when West downed Sturt by 34 points in the 1983 grand final. Originally from Broken Hill, he played 3 games for South Australia. |
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| A solid, ultra-dependable defender who seldom lowered his colours, Chris Mew was a central figure in Hawthorn teams throughout the 1980s. Recruited from Rosebud, he made his VFL debut in 1980, and went on to play a total of 230 senior games over the next thirteen seasons. A member of Hawthorn premiership teams in 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991, Mew did everything cleanly and with a minimum of fuss, meaning that some of his best work went comparatively unnoticed. Nevertheless, his vital importance to the Hawk cause was officially recognised in 2003 when he was selected at centre half back in the club's 'Team of the Century'. |
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Stephen Michael (South Fremantle & Boulder City)
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| Stephen
Michael had all the attributes of the complete footballer. His
strength and prodigious springing ability meant that he could compete on
more than equal terms with opposition ruckman, while his pace, poise and
consummate ball skills enabled him to beat virtually any opponent at
ground level. Added to these attributes was an astonishing
consistency which saw him rarely fail to perform to standard.
Over eleven seasons with South Fremantle Stephen Michael played 243 games, and achieved virtually everything the game at the time had to offer. Sandover Medallist in 1980 and 1981 he also won a Tassie Medal and five club fairest and best awards. He was named in the 1983 All Australian team as captain, and was a prominent member of South Fremantle's 1980 premiership team. Not surprisingly, Michael received a large number of offers to move to other clubs, with Geelong's approaches being especially persistent. In an era when the concept of loyalty was increasingly being undermined by the influx into the game, for the first time, of appreciable sums of money, Michael stayed faithful to the Bulldogs throughout his career. An injury sustained in a shooting accident in October 1983 was to impede Michael over the remaining two seasons of his WAFL career, as well as his single season with Boulder City in 1986, and the odd game he played while coaching Collie side Mines Rovers during the early nineties. The best was over and, like another football great who resisted the overtures of VFL clubs, Barrie Robran, Michael's football career ended prematurely. For half a dozen seasons though, there were few who could match him. |
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| Norwood's Rostrevor recruit Jim Michalanney gave the Redlegs solid service in 211 SANFL games between 1974 and 1986, during which time he booted 342 goals, whilst showing that he could perform equally effectively in key positions at either end of the ground. Strong overhead, and a fine kick, he was at full back in Norwood's 1975, 1978 and 1982 premiership teams, and at centre half back in 1984. He also topped the club's goal kicking list, with 67 goals, in 1976. Michalanney, who boasted the unusual nickname of 'Piano' on account of his startlingly white teeth, played once for South Australia. Michalanney's impact at the Parade was considerable, and he was a worthy inaugural inclusion in Norwood's official Hall of Fame. |
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George Michalczyk (East Perth & West Perth)
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| East Perth recruited George Michalczyk from Naramebeen and, over the course of 154 league games between 1974 to 1981, he developed into a first rate link man. In 1982 he controversially crossed to West Perth but in a 54 game stint with the Falcons he was never able to recapture his best form more than fleetingly. George Michalczyk played one state game for Western Australia. |
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Mark Mickan (West Adelaide, Brisbane, Adelaide, Woodville-West Torrens, Glenelg)
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| Ruckman
Mark Mickan joined West Adelaide
from Renmark and made his SANFL debut in 1981. He was a powerful,
authoritative figure who won Bloods best and fairest awards in 1983, 1985
and 1986. In 1983 he suffered a major disappointment when a torn
posterior ligament in his right knee, sustained during the last minor
round game of the season, forced him to miss a finals series that
culminated in West's first premiership in twenty-two years.
Mickan was appointed West Adelaide skipper in 1986, but after only a year in the role he transferred to fledgling VFL club Brisbane, which ended up selecting him as its inaugural captain. He captained the Bears for three seasons, and ended up playing a total of 48 games for the club between 1987 and 1990. In 1991 he joined Adelaide, which like Brisbane four years earlier was making its competition debut, but after a fine start his form fell away, and he spent most of the 1993 season, his last as a contracted Crows player, back in the SANFL with West Adelaide, where he won a fourth club best and fairest award. Mickan played a total of 37 AFL games for Adelaide, and 187 for Westies, where he continued playing until 1994. He was a regular South Australian state of origin representative who achieved All Australian selection in 1988. In 1998, four seasons after his retirement as a player, Mark Mickan was appointed non-playing coach of Woodville-West Torrens. He spent two years in the post, steering the side to 6th and 3rd place finishes. In October 2005 Mark Mickan was appointed senior coach of Glenelg on a three year contract. |
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| Originally from Rokewood, Russell Middlemiss was a formidable defender who added a touch of steel to Geelong's scintillating 1951 and 1952 premiership combinations. He debuted for the Cats in 1949, missed the 1950 season, and then was a regular in the side from 1951 until early in the 1955 season, amassing a total of 74 senior VFL games. A half back flanker in the victorious 1951-2 grand final teams, his absence through injury from the 1953 play-off against Collingwood arguably contributed in some measure to Geelong's eventual 12 point loss. |
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Geoff Miles (Collingwood, Claremont, West Coast, Geelong)
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| Originally from Ivanhoe Amateurs, Geoff Miles was an adaptable footballer who combined a strong work ethic with exceptional defensive qualities, and who gave useful service to four league clubs. He commenced with Collingwood in 1982 and was widely considered hard done by when delisted two years later after playing 31 senior games and kicking 7 goals, mainly as either a half back flanker or wingman. In 1985 he crossed the country to Western Australia and joined Claremont, where he would go on to play a total of 73 games, culminating in the victorious grand final of 1991 against Subiaco. Between 1987 and 1990 his WAFL career ran in tandem with a V/AFL career with West Coast, for whom he played 71 games and kicked 33 goals, whilst greatly enhancing his reputation as a highly dependable, strong leaping rebound defender. At the end of a 1991 season in which he had been unable to break into the powerful Eagles line-up he was traded to Geelong where he promptly showed that he still had plenty to offer by giving the Cats some highly creditable service, playing 20 out of 26 matches in 1992, and booting 25 goals. His last game was the 1992 grand final, in which the Cats succumbed to Miles' former club, West Coast, by 28 points. During his time in Western Australia, Geoff Miles represented that state on 4 occasions. |
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| One of the best forwards in South Australia during the early years of the twentieth century, Miller, who gloried in the nickname 'Darky', took on 'Bos' Daly's mantle when that player was compelled, because of the newly introduced electorate rule, to move to South Adelaide. He went on to top Norwood's goal kicking list on seven consecutive occasions from his debut in 1899 to 1905. He retired after the 1910 season, having also topped the league's list of goal scorers in 1901 and 1904 with 44 and 35 goals respectively. In 1912 he resurfaced briefly with Sturt, where he added half a dozen league appearances to the unknown, but almost certainly three figure number he had managed with the Redlegs. 'Darky' Miller represented South Australia on 9 occasions, kicking 8 goals. |
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Ian Miller (Perth, Fitzroy, East Perth)
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| A
classy, powerful footballer who could play in numerous positions, Ian
Miller became one of the hottest properties in the game during 132 WANFL
games in seven seasons at Perth which included a Sandover
Medal in 1972, and All
Australian selection the same year. He was at centre half
forward when the Demons beat East Perth in
the 1968 WANFL grand final, and was among their better players on that
'one day' two years later when they lost to South
Fremantle. His status as one of Perth's favourite sons was
confirmed in 1999 when he was chosen on a half forward flank in the
club's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'.
In 1974, after well in excess of 100 WANFL games, Miller embraced a new challenge with Fitzroy in the VFL and, after a tentative start, went on to give the club fine service in 80 games over the next four seasons. Strong, tenacious, and a fine kick, he was not afraid of 'mixing it', but also boasted plenty of skill. After playing in numerous different positions for the Lions, he finally found his niche as a ruck-rover, in which position he was acknowledged as one of the best in the business. Returning home to Western Australia in 1978, Miller joined Perth's arch rivals, East Perth. As chance would have it, the two clubs ended up confronting one another in that year's grand final, with Miller capping a wonderful season by putting in a best afield performance to claim the Simpson Medal as the Royals edged home by 2 points (match reviewed here). He stayed at East Perth for another couple of seasons, playing a total of 64 games, before retiring. Undoubtedly one of the best all round players of his generation, Ian Miller's career record also included 15 interstate games for Western Australia. He was non-playing coach of Perth from 1982 until 1984. |
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| Pacy, highly skilled, and extraordinarily consistent, Les Millis was a tremendously popular figure at Fitzroy where he played 126 VFL games between 1903 and 1909. At his peak during the 'Roys back to back flag-winning years of 1904 and '05, he was among the best players afield as a wingman in the 1904 grand final defeat of Carlton, and as a rover a year later against Collingwood. He won Fitzroy's best and fairest award in both 1905 and 1906. |
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by Murray Bird and Peter Blucher |
| Kelvin Mills was a high-flying and strong-marking Kedron centre half back who won three club best and fairest awards in a short career at the top level. He won the 1970 Grogan Medal by eight votes, was runner-up in 1972, and folklore tells us he might have been a leading contender but for suspension in 1971 when the votes of players ineligible for the award were not disclosed. Mills left the QAFL at the height of his career and played in a premiership side with Palm Beach on the Gold Coast in 1973. He played 6 games for Queensland. |
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Leonard Mills (West Torrens, New Town, St Kilda, Hawthorn)
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| At 202cm (see footnote 1) Leonard Mills was far and away the tallest league footballer of his day, and indeed remains one of the tallest men ever to play the game at the highest level. Known as 'Booby' for the bulk of his career, which was spent with West Torrens, he was regarded as well nigh unbeatable in straight ruck contests, and was also a fine mark and good kick. He was a key contributor to Torrens' breakthrough premiership in 1924, having earlier that year represented South Australia at the Hobart carnival. All told, he represented his state on 6 occasions, kicking 5 goals. Mills spent the 1926 season playing for New Town in Tasmania, where his immense height created great stir. He then returned to West Torrens, but in 1929, aged thirty-one, and well past his best, he crossed to St Kilda in the VFL. Once again his arrival was greeted with great acclaim, but being constantly in the public spotlight adversely affected his confidence, and he managed just a couple of unimpressive senior games for the year. Known, with crass predictability, as 'Tiny' during his time in Victoria, Mills transferred to Hawthorn in 1930 and managed 8 games for the season, kicking 17 goals, before allegedly disappearing without trace. |
Footnotes1. This was Mills' height according to contemporary sources such as the 'SA Footballer' Other sources suggest heights varying between 200cm and 203cm. Return to Main Text |
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Paddy Mills (Melbourne & Carlton)
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| Paddy Mills gave excellent service to Melbourne, mainly across the half back line, in 80 VFL games between 1903 and 1909. He then spent two seasons playing in Bendigo before resuming his VFL career with Carlton in 1912, going on to play another 20 senior games in two years. In 1913, Mills played in the VFL for Carlton on Saturdays, and on Wednesday afternoons captain-coached Rochester in its debut season in the Goulburn Valley District Football Association. |
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[Click to enlarge] |
| Ray Mills was a livewire half forward flanker or wingman who in some ways was almost a prototype of the modern AFL footballer. Explosively quick - coach Mal Atwell regarded him as the fastest sprinter at the club - aggressive, assured and well balanced, he made a key contribution to Perth's premiership wins in 1966-7-8. His kicking was excellent, whether over long or short distances, and he was sufficiently accomplished overhead to hold down centre half forward on occasion. Between 1962 and 1969 he played a total of 110 league games. He also made 4 interstate match appearances for Western Australia. |
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| A skilful all round footballer, and more robust than his 180cm, 70.5kg frame would lead you to expect, Ross Millson was hampered to a fair extent by injury but still gave Perth commendable service in 103 league games between 1967 and 1974. At the end of his debut season he played on a half forward flank in the 18.12 (120) to 15.12 (102) grand final win over East Perth, and in the following year's play-off against the same opponent was among his side's best players as a wingman. Strong overhead, a useful right foot kick, and very elusive, Millson played 3 interstate games for Western Australia, and might well have played more had he not fallen foul of injury so often. |
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Herbert Milne (Fitzroy & South Melbourne)
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| Popularly known as 'Boxer', Herbert Milne was a champion follower renowned for his energy, athleticism and guile. He was at Fitzroy from 1902 to 1910, during which time he played 122 VFL games and kicked 69 goals, and was a dual winner of the club's best and fairest award. A VFL representative, he played in the inaugural Australasian championship series in Melbourne in 1908. Crossing to South Melbourne in 1911 he added a further 31 games and 14 goals, playing some of the finest football of his career until a knee injury, sustained against Essendon in the losing grand final of 1912, forced his retirement. |
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William Milroy (North Melbourne & Carlton)
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| Bill Milroy joined North Melbourne from Terang and made his senior VFL debut for the club in 1950. He struggled to establish himself, however, and early the following season was cleared to Carlton. Although never quite in the very top bracket as a player, he gave the Blues commendable service, mainly as a knock ruckman, in 90 league games over the better part of six seasons. His tally of 50 goals during that time affords evidence that he was a useful player while resting in the forward lines. A combination of immense determination, doggedness and energy helped compensate to a large extent for any skill deficiencies. |
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Stan Milton (Paddington, East Sydney, Eastern Suburbs)
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| Originally
from Victoria, Stan Milton developed into one of Sydney football's
greatest ever full forwards, a fact recognised in 2003 when he was chosen
as one of ten inaugural inductees into the Sydney AFL Hall of Fame.
Arriving in Sydney as a seventeen year old in 1919, Milton joined Paddington,
where he played for four years. In the premiership year of 1922
he topped the league's goal kicking list with 52 goals.
Paddington had also won flags in 1919 and 1920 during Milton's initial
time with the club. After spending the 1923 season with East
Sydney, he resumed with Paddington in 1924, topping the league goal
kicking ladder again that year (which yielded another premiership) and the
next. In 1926 Paddington and East Sydney combined to form the Eastern
Suburbs Football Club, and it is probable, although unlikely ever to
be confirmed because of incomplete records, that Stan Milton was the
league's leading goal kicker that year as well. He may also have
been the competition's top goal kicker in 1920, when once again records
were not meticulously maintained. He certainly headed the league
list in 1927 and 1933, and was indisputably the leading full forward in
the competition of his day.
In 26 games for New South Wales, Milton amassed the highly impressive tally of 151 goals at an average of 5.8 per game. He also managed the quite astounding feat of kicking 10 goals for Eastern Suburbs in a match against Geelong in 1927 when opposed by legendary full back 'Jocka' Todd. Towards the end of his playing career, Milton simultaneously served as Eastern Suburbs' secretary. |
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Graeme Minihan (St Kilda & Mordialloc)
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| Graeme (the spelling on the above illustration is incorrect) Minihan's VFL career with St Kilda was only brief (78 games and 38 goals from 1953-9), but for a brief time during the mid-1950s he was unquestionably one of the most exciting footballers in the land. Exhilarating to watch when in full flight, he played most of his football, both for the Saints and the VFL, on the wing. In 1960 he crossed to VFA side Mordialloc where he finished his senior career. |
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Dan Minogue (Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn, New Town, Carlton, St Kilda, Fitzroy)
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| Reviled
at Collingwood, and revered at Richmond,
Dan Minogue enjoyed, and at times enjoyed, one of the most colourfully
eventful VFL careers of the twentieth century.
Originally from Bendigo, Minogue joined Collingwood in 1911. During that year's grand final against Essendon he performed heroically after sustaining a broken collar bone in the opening minute, but he was unable to prevent the Magpies losing by a goal. When Collingwood next contested a grand final four years later, Minogue had consolidated his reputation as an inspirationally courageous player, and was in his second season as club skipper. Unfortunately for Minogue, the Woods lost on this occasion also, going under to Carlton by 33 points. Minogue skippered Collingwood again in 1916, after which he departed to Europe with the AIF. After returning from war service in 1919 Minogue stunned Collingwood club officials by requesting a clearance to Richmond for reasons which were never publicly disclosed, but are widely believed to have revolved around Minogue's dissatisfaction over Collingwood's treatment of his close friend Jim Sadler, who after a long and illustrious career had been struggling to get a senior game. Minogue eventually got his way, but he had to stand out of football for twelve months before doing so. While in London during the war, Minogue had participated in an exhibition match arranged by popular Richmond ruckman Hugh James, and the friendship which had arisen between the two men was undoubtedly instrumental in steering Minogue towards Punt Road. Once his clearance was ratified, Richmond promptly poured oil on the fire by appointing Minogue as its captain-coach for the season ahead; the intense loathing which exists between supporters of the Collingwood and Richmond Football Clubs almost certainly has its origins in this sequence of events. Always an inspirational character, Minogue also demonstrated a shrewdness and a tactical aptitude which made him an outstanding success as a coach. In his first two seasons in charge, he took the Tigers to consecutive flags, their first in the VFL. He led from the front too, fitting in wherever he was most needed, and almost invariably performing well. After six seasons as captain-coach of the Tigers, Minogue clambered onto a coaching merry-go-round which took in Hawthorn (1926-7), New Town (1928), Carlton (1929-34), St Kilda (1935-7) and Fitzroy (1940-42). He came closest to repeating his Richmond accomplishments with the Blues, whom he steered to the finals in five out of his six seasons at the helm, as well as to a highly creditable overall success rate of 72.6%, but the ultimate success of a premiership eluded him. In a VFL career which lasted more than three decades, Dan Minogue was involved in 448 games of football: 85 as a player with Collingwood; 94 as playing coach and 11 as non-playing coach (while injured) with Richmond; 1 as playing coach and 37 as non-playing coach of Hawthorn; and the remaining 220 as coach in a non-playing capacity with Carlton, St Kilda and Fitzroy. His feat in coaching five different VFL clubs remains a record. |
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| A prodigiously talented footballer whose foot passing in particular was a delight to behold, 'Smokin' Joe' Misiti was an integral component in the Essendon machine for well over a decade. Recruited from Keilor Park, he made his AFL debut in 1992, and the following year was a member of the 'Baby Bombers' team that thrashed Carlton in the grand final. He lost his way for a time after that, putting on a considerable amount of weight, and losing form, but he got the bit between his teeth again in 1995 and went on to put in a series of excellent seasons culminating in a fine display in the 2000 grand final win over Melbourne. At the end of the 2001 season it looked for a time as though salary cap restrictions would force the Dons to off-load their champion on-baller, but a way out of the dilemma was found, and he carried on at the club for a further three seasons. When he retired in 2004 he had played a total of 236 games, and booted 94 goals. His best season was probably 1997 when he ran second in the club's best and fairest award. |
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Alex Mitchell (South Melbourne)
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| Extremely solidly built at 180cm and 92.5kg, South Melbourne follower and forward Alex Mitchell was a formidable on-field presence. Described as brilliant overhead, as well as extremely courageous and determined, his kicking was substandard to begin with, but under the astute coaching of Roy Cazaly it improved considerably. Originally from Rosedale, Mitchell played 56 VFL games and kicked 34 goals for the southerners between 1936 and 1940 and in 1943. Away from football he was a useful wrestler. |
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Barry Mitchell (Sydney, Collingwood, Carlton, Box Hill)
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| Barry
Mitchell was an abundantly talented rover who made light of an apparent
lack of pace to be one of the highest possession gatherers in the
V/AFL. His ground skills were exceptional, and there were few
hardier players. His use of the ball, once he obtained it, was first
rate, and he was extremely dangerous near goal. Between 1984 and
1992 he played 170 games for Sydney,
kicking 214 goals. His best season was 1991 when he won the Swans'
best and fairest award and was selected in the AFL
All Australian team. In 1993 he was traded to Collingwood
in a big money deal, but failed to find his best form. After 13
games and 8 goals he was on the move again, this time to Carlton,
where from 1994 to 1996 he added a final 38 games and 25 goals, without
ever really recapturing the consistently high level of performance he had
shown with the Swans.
In October 2007 Barry Mitchell was appointed to the senior coaching post at VFL club Box Hill. |
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Hugh Mitchell (Essendon & Dandenong)
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| After arriving at
Essendon from Moonee
Imperials in 1953, Hugh Mitchell's auspicious form during a handful
of games for the Thirds saw him fast-tracked straight to the seniors,
where, other than when injured, he remained for the rest of his fourteen
and a half season VFL career. A clever, elusive ruck-rover, he
played a total of 224 games and kicked 301 goals for the Dons, and during
his peak years of 1959 to 1962 he was an automatic interstate selection
for the VFL, playing a total of half a dozen games and booting 13
goals. He won the Bombers' best and fairest award in 1959, while
tallies of 51 goals in 1955, 33 in 1961, and 32 in 1964 were good enough
to earn him the club's leading goal kicker trophies for those years.
After playing in the losing grand finals of 1957 and 1959, both against Melbourne,
he was close to best afield as the Bombers swept aside the challenge of Carlton
in the 1962 premiership decider. Three years later he was again a
noteworthy contributor as St Kilda was
vanquished on grand final day to the tune of 35 points.
Midway through the 1967 season Mitchell crossed to VFA club Dandenong which, with Mitchell starring in his customary role as a ruck-rover, ended up winning that year's 1st division flag courtesy of a tempestuous 25 point grand final defeat of Port Melbourne. Although he only spent a couple of seasons with the Redlegs, he was nevertheless accorded the honour of selection in the club's official 'Team of the Century'. After coaching Eltham to a premiership in 1969 Mitchell returned to Dandenong as non-playing coach in 1970, steering the side to a 1st division premiership in the second of his three season stint at the helm. He later served briefly as a junior coach back at Essendon, and was coach of Carlton reserves in 1976 and 1977. |
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Merv Mitchell (North Launceston)
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| Merv Mitchell enjoyed a comparatively brief but noteworthy playing career with North Launceston, playing 142 NTFA games between 1945 and 1953, including membership of five consecutive grand final teams. He joined the Robins from the Railway Football Club in the Patriotic Association, and quickly stamped himself as a centre half forward of the highest quality. A regular NTFA representative player, he played for Tasmania at the 1950 Brisbane carnival. His best season was probably 1947, when he won his club's best and fairest award, and topped the NTFA goal kicking list with 87 goals. He won a second best and fairest trophy in 1949, a season which also saw him boot 14 goals in a roster match against Longford. Never one to take a backward step, Mitchell was once suspended for six months after an altercation with former Carlton strongman Bob Chitty, who was then playing for Scottsdale. |
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Michael Mitchell (Claremont & Richmond)
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| Although diminutive in stature at just 173cm and 66kg, Michael Mitchell was probably renowned above all else for his spectacular aerial ability, a legacy of his prodigious leap and great timing. He also had blistering pace, particularly over the vital first five metres, and kicked many fine goals on the run. Originally from Carnarvon, he made his WAFL debut with Claremont in 1982, and two years later shared the Sandover Medal with team mate Steve Malaxos and East Perth's Peter Spencer. He made the first of an eventual 8 interstate appearances for Western Australia in 1983, and was named an All Australian in 1985 and 1986. In 1987, after 88 WAFL games, he crossed to Richmond where, over the next five seasons, he played 81 games and booted 103 goals, earning a reputation in the process as one of the most exhilarating players to watch in the VFL. A serious head injury sustained in a practice match in 1990 undermined his effectiveness thereafter and after struggling on for another couple of seasons he announced his retirement. |
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Laurie Mithen (Melbourne & Port Melbourne)
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| As resilient as he was skilful, Melbourne's Laurie Mithen had few peers as a centreman throughout his 153 game, 108 goal VFL career which began in 1954 and ended nine seasons later. Originally from Ormond, he won the J.N. Woodrow Medal as best and fairest in the VAFA's A Grade competition in 1953. During his time in the VFL with Melbourne time he won two club best and fairest awards, was a member of premiership teams in 1955-6-7 and 1959-60, and was a regular 'Big V' representative. Transferring to Port Melbourne as captain-coach in 1953 he added another 52 senior games in three seasons and, in 1964, led the side to a Division One grand final win over arch rival Williamstown. |
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| Frank Mockridge was a solid, unspectacular but eminently reliable footballer who occupied a number of different roles during the course of his seven season VFL career with Geelong. Best known as a defender, he also produced good football when thrown onto the ball, especially if a negating function was called for. He joined Geelong from Chilwell, and made his league debut as a twenty-one year old in the round 10 clash with South Melbourne at Corio Oval in 1925. Later that season, the Cats broke through for their first flag for thirty-nine years when they overcame Collingwood in the challenge final, but Mockridge had yet to fully establish himself, and failed to achieve selection. When Geelong next reached the decisive match of the season, against Richmond in 1931, Frank Mockridge's best days as a player were behind him, but despite having made just 7 senior appearances for the year he earned a place on the bench, and ended the afternoon as a premiership player despite never actually taking the field. It was the last time Mockridge ever wore a Cats jumper as he retired after the match, having played a total of 72 VFL games and kicked 2 goals. |
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| One of the quickest players of his time, wingman Denis Modra gave Norwood 142 games of sterling service between 1960 and 1970. His tally of games would have been much higher had he not been such a frequent victim of injury. A sure ball handler and a probing kick, Modra was perhaps unfortunate never to have been selected to represent South Australia. He was one of Norwood's best against West Adelaide in the losing grand final of 1961 (reviewed here). For a time during the mid-sixties, Modra combined with Peter Vertudaches to give the Redlegs arguably the best pair of wingmen in the SANFL. |
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Tony Modra (West Adelaide, Adelaide, Fremantle)
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| Arguably
no footballer of recent times has attracted a comparable level of
adulation to that enjoyed by Tony Modra during his stint with Adelaide
between 1992 and 1998. Blond-haired, good looking, and occupying the
glamour position of full forward, he was 'Godra' to thousands of Crows
supporters, particularly those of the younger generation for whom he was
often the primary reason for their interest in football.
Modra commenced his senior career with West Adelaide where he played 15 SANFL games and kicked 46 goals between 1988 and 1991. With the Crows he initially took a back seat to his fellow full forward Scott Hodges, but in 1993 he came into his own, playing an exhilarating and often spectacular brand of football that saw him amass 129 goals to head the league list. There is little doubt that had he elected to run for premier of South Australia at this point he would have won in a landslide. Over the next few seasons, Modra's achievements diminished somewhat, although he did head the Crows' goal kicking list every year from 1994 to 1997. In 1997, in fact, he won the Coleman Medal, and earned AFL All Australian selection for the second time (the first having been in 1993), but his season ended in heartache when, after injuring his knee during the preliminary final win over the Western Bulldogs, he was unable to recover in time for the following week's grand final against St Kilda, which the Crows won. All told, Modra played 118 AFL games during his career with the Crows, kicking 440 goals. From 1999 to 2001 Tony Modra played 47 games and kicked 148 goals for Fremantle in a much less highly publicised but nevertheless creditable concluding phase to his AFL career. At his best, he combined almost unmatched aerial ability with lightning reflexes at ground level, and was without doubt one of the most exciting players of his generation to watch. Unfortunately, however, Modra's best was produced too sporadically for him to be accorded a place among the genuinely great full forwards of history. |
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Douglas Moffat (South Adelaide & Perth)
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| Doug Moffat commenced his league career with a brief but impressive stint at South Adelaide, a club which was on the wane, before transferring to a fast improving Perth side in 1907. A highly adaptable, energetic and swift moving player, he was centreman in the Redlegs' inaugural premiership team in 1907. He could also play, with equal effectiveness, in the backlines, on a wing, or as a rover. In 1911, his final league season, he was still producing consistently high quality football, and was selected in Western Australia's squad for the Adelaide carnival. However, he ended up not playing a game. |
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| Dave
Moffatt was a kind of prototype Jack
Dyer, who thrilled Richmond supporters, and
terrorised opponents, in 95 VFL games between 1912 and 1920 (with a gap
for war service in 1918). Like Dyer, he was rough, tough, courageous
and relentless. However, unlike the greatest Tiger of them all,
Moffatt occasionally became so consumed by 'white line fever' that he
ceased to function in the best interests of the team. Opposition
fans delighted in venting their anger at him, and the press came to be
roundly critical of his unswervingly antagonistic approach. On one
occasion, Moffatt conceded three free kicks inside the opening four
minutes of a game, much to the delight of many spectators who believed
that umpires were sometimes remiss in penalising bad behaviour.
When the mood took him, Moffatt was capable of playing excellent football, and when he applied his 110 or so kilos of weight intelligently and legally he became an awesome influence. His last ever VFL game, the 1920 grand final, brought arguably his most effective and significant performance: partnering his captain Dan Minogue in the ruck, Moffatt used both fair means and foul to eradicate almost completely the impact of Collingwood's normally highly influential ruckman Les 'Flapper' Hughes. The Collingwood supporters were incensed, but Moffatt's contribution was crucial to his team's eventual 17 point win. Said to be thoroughly sick and tired of the constant harping criticism from the press, Dave Moffatt retired after the 1920 grand final. |
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| Lightly built but tenacious and fleet-footed, North Melbourne's Les Mogg was a key member of the powerful combination which topped the VFL ladder in 1949, and reached a grand final the following year. Recruited from St Pat's Ballarat, he played most of his 75 senior games between 1949 and 1954, including the aforementioned grand final, on a wing, but was also a useful crumbing forward, booting a total of 41 league goals. |
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| Recruited from Wagga as a half back flanker Bill Mohr was converted by his VFL club St Kilda into one of the greatest full forwards of the 1930s. The fact that he was selected to represent the VFL state team on 18 occasions during an era when his contemporaries in the position included such luminaries as Gordon Coventry (Collingwood), Bob Pratt (South Melbourne), Jack Titus (Richmond), Ron Todd (Collingwood) and Harry Vallence (Carlton) is perhaps his single most eloquent commendation. A sound mark as well as a lithe, skilful ground player the real secret of Mohr's success as a goalsneak lay in his kicking, which was almost unfailingly accurate from distances of up to 60 metres. Perhaps surprisingly, where possible he favoured the drop kick, of which he was arguably one of the |
