Lindsay Head
Encyclopedia
Lindsay Hudson Head MBE is a former Australian rules football
er in the South Australian National Football League
(SANFL). His consummate skills were acknowledged by being awarded three Magarey Medal
s during his career.
n State team to play Victoria
. By the time he was nineteen he had won the first of his three Magarey Medals in only his third League season.
Head played for eighteen seasons at SANFL League level – all with his beloved West Torrens
Eagles. His list of achievements for his club was remarkable: he played the most games for the club (334); won the club best and fairest
award eight times; was club leading goalkicker twice; was captain-coach in 1959–1960 and captain in 1961; coached the club in 1981; and was club President for five years. He was the first SANFL player to play more than 300 games. During his playing career he won the Magarey Medal – the highest individual award in the league – in 1955, 1958 and 1963.
At State level he also had a phenomenal record, representing South Australia on 37 occasions. He captained the State side in 1960, and was named an All-Australian from the 1956 Perth Carnival
.
The Australian Football Hall of Fame
's description refers to his "magnificent skills on both sides of his body"http://new.afl.com.au/Season2007/Awards/HallofFame/Players/tabid/856/Default.aspx, which is unfortunate as Head never learned to kick with his left foot. Instead he developed a check-side punt for passing and goal-shooting which was very accurate. A versatile player, he mostly played either in the centre or across half-forward, displaying wonderful balance and ball winning abilities, strong marking and accurate passing.
Head played in a premiership side in only his second ever season, but thereafter his side made the finals barely a handful of times in his remaining 16 seasons. His loyalty to his Eagles was therefore remarkable, particularly given that he was pursued not only by other SANFL clubs, but also from the wealthier VFL
competition.
for South Australia as a Right-hand opening batsman (1957/58 – 1958/59). In nine matches he scored 425 runs at 28.33 average.
He was awarded the MBE
for services to football.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er in the South Australian National Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
(SANFL). His consummate skills were acknowledged by being awarded three Magarey Medal
Magarey Medal
For the biography award of the same name, see Magarey Medal for biography. For a list of winners, see List of Magarey Medallists.The Magarey Medal is an Australian rules football honour awarded annually since 1898 to the fairest and most brilliant player in the South Australian National Football...
s during his career.
SANFL
Lindsay Head seemed always to be destined to be a great footballer. His first experience of State representation came in 1947, when he played in a State schoolboys Carnival at the age of eleven. In 1953 he lined up in the senior South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n State team to play Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. By the time he was nineteen he had won the first of his three Magarey Medals in only his third League season.
Head played for eighteen seasons at SANFL League level – all with his beloved West Torrens
West Torrens Football Club
West Torrens Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1897 to 1990...
Eagles. His list of achievements for his club was remarkable: he played the most games for the club (334); won the club best and fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
award eight times; was club leading goalkicker twice; was captain-coach in 1959–1960 and captain in 1961; coached the club in 1981; and was club President for five years. He was the first SANFL player to play more than 300 games. During his playing career he won the Magarey Medal – the highest individual award in the league – in 1955, 1958 and 1963.
At State level he also had a phenomenal record, representing South Australia on 37 occasions. He captained the State side in 1960, and was named an All-Australian from the 1956 Perth Carnival
1956 Perth Carnival
The 1956 Perth Carnival was the 13th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It took place from 11 June to 23 June at Subiaco Oval, Perth....
.
The Australian Football Hall of Fame
Australian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
's description refers to his "magnificent skills on both sides of his body"http://new.afl.com.au/Season2007/Awards/HallofFame/Players/tabid/856/Default.aspx, which is unfortunate as Head never learned to kick with his left foot. Instead he developed a check-side punt for passing and goal-shooting which was very accurate. A versatile player, he mostly played either in the centre or across half-forward, displaying wonderful balance and ball winning abilities, strong marking and accurate passing.
Head played in a premiership side in only his second ever season, but thereafter his side made the finals barely a handful of times in his remaining 16 seasons. His loyalty to his Eagles was therefore remarkable, particularly given that he was pursued not only by other SANFL clubs, but also from the wealthier VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
competition.
Other
Head played cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for South Australia as a Right-hand opening batsman (1957/58 – 1958/59). In nine matches he scored 425 runs at 28.33 average.
He was awarded the MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to football.