Malcolm Blight
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Jack Blight AM
(born 16 February 1950) is a former champion Australian rules football
player and coach, and current television commentator. During the 1970s and 1980s Blight played for the Woodville Football Club
in the South Australian National Football League
and the North Melbourne Football Club
in the Victorian Football League
. He coached North Melbourne
, Geelong
, Adelaide (with whom he won two Premierships) and St. Kilda
. Blight was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame
in 1996. The name Blight is of Cornish
origin.
in the South Australian National Football League
(SANFL). He won the Best and Fairest
award with Woodville in 1972 and the Magarey Medal
the same year as the league's "fairest and most brilliant".
After his stint in the VFL, Blight finished his playing career in the SANFL, as playing coach of Woodville Football Club
from 1983 to 1985. He was club best and fairest in 1983 and in his last season of playing football (1985) topped the league goalkicking list with 126 goals.
He was the first player to win both the Magarey Medal
and Brownlow Medal
s, the only player to top both the SANFL and VFL goalkicking lists, and the only player to captain both Victorian and South Australian representative sides.
and, although he was reluctant to join at first, he went on to play 178 games for the club between 1974 and 1982. He was a member of the Kangaroos' premiership sides in 1975 and 1977, and in 1978 won both the Brownlow Medal
and the Syd Barker Medal
for being the best and fairest
player in the VFL and for North Melbourne respectively.
Blight was consistently one of the most brilliant players in the VFL during the 1970s. Besides taking spectacular marks
, he was also a prolific goalkicker, renowned for his ability to kick the torpedo punt
and high flying marks. In 1982, Blight won the Coleman Medal
for leading the VFL
in goalkicking, and led the Kangaroos' goalkicking four times during his career.
against Carlton
. After kicking two goals in time-on in the last quarter, Blight marked
an estimated 80 metres from the goals. North Melbourne
were still trailing by one point – only a goal would win the game. Many assumed Blight's effort would be futile and spectators were already entering the playing arena. However, Blight unleashed one of the biggest-ever torpedo punt
s winning an improbable victory for North Melbourne. This moment was the focus of a recent television commercial, Toyota's Memorable Moments
, which featured Blight.
Blight infamously ran past an open goal to mistakenly kick a behind, not realizing he had made a mistake.
Another infamous moment was against Hawthorn
, when he kicked a behind to draw North to within 1 point of the Hawks at the siren, but was then offered another kick for an infringement, whereby a goal would win the match. Blight kicked the ball out on the full, giving Hawthorn
the win. Although the difficult conditions of Arden street oval, (muddy and wet), he failed to notice the man on the mark moved from left to right, hence Blight's error was his lining up the shot: as he was not looking at the goal, but focussed on where the man on the mark was. Thus the combination of wet, muddy conditions and his miscalculation, resulted in missing the goals and points altogether.
Blight was indirectly involved in another infamous football incident during the 1980 Escort Cup Grand Final against Collingwood, held at VFL Park, Waverley. Blight kicked the ball to Kerry Good
as the siren sounded. However, the umpire did not hear the siren and awarded the mark to Goode who kicked the winning goal to win in controversial circumstances.
coach
, leading teams for at least part of 16 seasons. Blight became known for employing unorthodox coaching methods to motivate his players.
North Melbourne Football Club
Playing coach in 1981, sacked as coach after 6 consecutive losses. The following week he rebounded with a club-record 11 goal haul against Footscray
, at the Western Oval. Once again, Blight's inaccurate kicking for goal may have prevented him from kicking a club record of a possible 16 to 17 goals. Blight's total as playing coach (Wayne Schimmelbusch
was captain) was 16 games (6 wins, 10 losses) and the last of the playing Coachs in the VFL.
Woodville Football Club
Playing coach 1983 to 1985, continued as non-playing coach to 1987. His tenure as coach concided with the clubs most successful season (1986) in the entire history of the Woodville Football Club, when they reached the Preliminary Final.
Geelong Football Club
Senior coach from 1989 to 1994, highlighted by Grand Final appearances in 1989, 1992, 1994. Total of 145 games, 89 wins, 56 losses. One of the strangest incidents as a coach of Geelong was his extroverted decision to stand on a metal box to watch the game against the West Coast Eagles in Perth. His excitement of "seeing the game at ground level", was an attempt to get back to basics and some nostalgia.
Adelaide Crows
Blight's arrival at the Crows at the end of the 1996 season was marked with dramatic effect, with the delisting of four ageing club stalwarts Tony McGuinness, Chris McDermott
, Andrew Jarman
, and Greg Anderson
. This attracted great criticism at the time, but Blight was vindicated by winning the AFL premiership in 1997, and again in 1998. He retired as coach at the end of the 1999 season after an unsuccessful year finishing 13th . His total record as adelaide coach was 74 games, 41 wins, 33 losses with 2 premierships (1997,1998)
St Kilda Football Club, AFL
After being signed for $1 million AUD as senior coach for 2001, Blight was sacked after Round 15 (3 wins, 12 losses). His famous humiliation of the players by making them stay on the ground (Telstra Dome) highlighted the worsening relation between the coach, players and club supporters. Some years later CEO Butterss questioned Blights commitment to the club during his tenure. Blight responded memorably from his position as media commentator with Channel Ten, saying:
Gold Coast Football Club, AFL
Blight recently joined the upcoming 17th AFL team the Gold Coast Football Club, as a board member.
's television coverage after previously being a commentator with Channel Seven
in 1995 and 1996. In 2006 Blight appeared in a Toyota Legendary moment ad recreating his pearler after the siren against Carlton.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 16 February 1950) is a former champion Australian rules 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...
player and coach, and current television commentator. During the 1970s and 1980s Blight played for the Woodville Football Club
Woodville Football Club
Woodville Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1964 to 1990, when it merged with the West Torrens Football Club to form the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles....
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....
and the North Melbourne Football Club
Kangaroos Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. He coached North Melbourne
Kangaroos Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
, Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
, Adelaide (with whom he won two Premierships) and St. Kilda
St. Kilda Football Club
The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League, the sport's premier league....
. Blight was inducted into 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...
in 1996. The name Blight is of Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
origin.
Woodville Football Club, SANFL
Malcolm Blight began his career in 1968 at the Woodville Football ClubWoodville Football Club
Woodville Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1964 to 1990, when it merged with the West Torrens Football Club to form the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles....
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). He won the 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 with Woodville in 1972 and the 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...
the same year as the league's "fairest and most brilliant".
After his stint in the VFL, Blight finished his playing career in the SANFL, as playing coach of Woodville Football Club
Woodville Football Club
Woodville Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1964 to 1990, when it merged with the West Torrens Football Club to form the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles....
from 1983 to 1985. He was club best and fairest in 1983 and in his last season of playing football (1985) topped the league goalkicking list with 126 goals.
He was the first player to win both the 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...
and Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
s, the only player to top both the SANFL and VFL goalkicking lists, and the only player to captain both Victorian and South Australian representative sides.
North Melbourne Football Club, VFL
Blight was recruited by the KangaroosNorth Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
and, although he was reluctant to join at first, he went on to play 178 games for the club between 1974 and 1982. He was a member of the Kangaroos' premiership sides in 1975 and 1977, and in 1978 won both the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
and the Syd Barker Medal
Syd Barker Medal
The Syd Barker Medal is awarded to the North Melbourne Football Club player who has been judged the best and fairest of the footy season. The award has been given out continuously since 1937. Before then it was known as the Syd Barker Memorial Trophy....
for being the 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...
player in the VFL and for North Melbourne respectively.
Blight was consistently one of the most brilliant players in the VFL during the 1970s. Besides taking spectacular marks
Mark (Australian football)
A mark is a skill in Australian rules football where a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it or the ball hitting the ground....
, he was also a prolific goalkicker, renowned for his ability to kick the torpedo punt
Torpedo punt
The torpedo punt, similar to a punt in American Football, is a kicking technique implemented in Rugby League, Rugby Union and Australian rules football to enhance the distance the ball is kicked....
and high flying marks. In 1982, Blight won the Coleman Medal
Coleman Medal
The Coleman Medal is awarded yearly to the Australian Football League player who kicks the most goals in regular-season matches in that year...
for leading the 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...
in goalkicking, and led the Kangaroos' goalkicking four times during his career.
80m goal after the siren
In a moment that has since passed into Australian Rules folklore in 1976 Blight kicked a famous goal after the sirenAfter the siren kicks in Australian rules football
In Australian rules football, if a player takes a mark or is awarded a free kick before or as the siren sounds, the player is allowed to take the kick...
against Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
. After kicking two goals in time-on in the last quarter, Blight marked
Mark (Australian football)
A mark is a skill in Australian rules football where a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it or the ball hitting the ground....
an estimated 80 metres from the goals. North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
were still trailing by one point – only a goal would win the game. Many assumed Blight's effort would be futile and spectators were already entering the playing arena. However, Blight unleashed one of the biggest-ever torpedo punt
Torpedo punt
The torpedo punt, similar to a punt in American Football, is a kicking technique implemented in Rugby League, Rugby Union and Australian rules football to enhance the distance the ball is kicked....
s winning an improbable victory for North Melbourne. This moment was the focus of a recent television commercial, Toyota's Memorable Moments
Toyota Memorable Moments
The Toyota Memorable Moments series is a series of television advertisements produced over several years for the Australian Football League by its major sponsor, Toyota....
, which featured Blight.
Infamous Moments
On one occasion, against RichmondRichmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
Blight infamously ran past an open goal to mistakenly kick a behind, not realizing he had made a mistake.
Another infamous moment was against Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
, when he kicked a behind to draw North to within 1 point of the Hawks at the siren, but was then offered another kick for an infringement, whereby a goal would win the match. Blight kicked the ball out on the full, giving Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
the win. Although the difficult conditions of Arden street oval, (muddy and wet), he failed to notice the man on the mark moved from left to right, hence Blight's error was his lining up the shot: as he was not looking at the goal, but focussed on where the man on the mark was. Thus the combination of wet, muddy conditions and his miscalculation, resulted in missing the goals and points altogether.
Blight was indirectly involved in another infamous football incident during the 1980 Escort Cup Grand Final against Collingwood, held at VFL Park, Waverley. Blight kicked the ball to Kerry Good
Kerry Good
Kerry Good is a former Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the VFL during the late 1970s and early 1980s....
as the siren sounded. However, the umpire did not hear the siren and awarded the mark to Goode who kicked the winning goal to win in controversial circumstances.
Coaching and after coaching
Blight later became a successful senior Australian rules footballAustralian 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...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, leading teams for at least part of 16 seasons. Blight became known for employing unorthodox coaching methods to motivate his players.
North Melbourne Football ClubNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
, VFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
Playing coach in 1981, sacked as coach after 6 consecutive losses. The following week he rebounded with a club-record 11 goal haul against FootscrayWestern Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
, at the Western Oval. Once again, Blight's inaccurate kicking for goal may have prevented him from kicking a club record of a possible 16 to 17 goals. Blight's total as playing coach (Wayne Schimmelbusch
Wayne Schimmelbusch
Wayne Schimmelbusch is a former Australian Rules Footballer in the Victorian Football League .A courageous wingman and inspirational speedster who seemingly never knew when to give up, Schimmelbusch played in 306 games, including 29 finals games, for the North Melbourne Football Club...
was captain) was 16 games (6 wins, 10 losses) and the last of the playing Coachs in the VFL.
Woodville Football ClubWoodville Football ClubWoodville Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1964 to 1990, when it merged with the West Torrens Football Club to form the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles....
, SANFLSouth Australian National Football LeagueThe 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....
Playing coach 1983 to 1985, continued as non-playing coach to 1987. His tenure as coach concided with the clubs most successful season (1986) in the entire history of the Woodville Football Club, when they reached the Preliminary Final.Geelong Football ClubGeelong Football ClubThe Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
, AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
Senior coach from 1989 to 1994, highlighted by Grand Final appearances in 1989, 1992, 1994. Total of 145 games, 89 wins, 56 losses. One of the strangest incidents as a coach of Geelong was his extroverted decision to stand on a metal box to watch the game against the West Coast Eagles in Perth. His excitement of "seeing the game at ground level", was an attempt to get back to basics and some nostalgia.Adelaide CrowsAdelaide CrowsThe Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....
, AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
Blight's arrival at the Crows at the end of the 1996 season was marked with dramatic effect, with the delisting of four ageing club stalwarts Tony McGuinness, Chris McDermottChris McDermott
Chris McDermott is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League.Chris McDermott was the inaugural captain of the Adelaide Crows. He was initially signed by Fitzroy in 1981 but chose to stay loyal to the Glenelg Football Club and reap the rewards of the South...
, Andrew Jarman
Andrew Jarman
Andrew Newton Jarman is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Adelaide in the Australian Football League...
, and Greg Anderson
Greg Anderson (footballer)
Greg Anderson is a former Australian rules football player who played for Port Adelaide in the SANFL as well as and in the VFL/AFL.-Playing Career:...
. This attracted great criticism at the time, but Blight was vindicated by winning the AFL premiership in 1997, and again in 1998. He retired as coach at the end of the 1999 season after an unsuccessful year finishing 13th . His total record as adelaide coach was 74 games, 41 wins, 33 losses with 2 premierships (1997,1998)
St Kilda Football Club, AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
After being signed for $1 million AUD as senior coach for 2001, Blight was sacked after Round 15 (3 wins, 12 losses). His famous humiliation of the players by making them stay on the ground (Telstra Dome) highlighted the worsening relation between the coach, players and club supporters. Some years later CEO Butterss questioned Blights commitment to the club during his tenure. Blight responded memorably from his position as media commentator with Channel Ten, saying:"I couldn't give a rat's tossbag whether he thought I could coach or whether anyone thinks I can coach or can play. I'm happy with what I did. So an Adelaide or a Geelong, two very young teams, came from nowhere to play in grand finals? Come on, that's a wank!"
Gold Coast Football Club, AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
Blight recently joined the upcoming 17th AFL team the Gold Coast Football Club, as a board member.Media
Blight is currently an expert commentator on Channel TenNetwork Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
's television coverage after previously being a commentator with Channel Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
in 1995 and 1996. In 2006 Blight appeared in a Toyota Legendary moment ad recreating his pearler after the siren against Carlton.
Honours
- Life membership at the Woodville Football ClubWoodville Football ClubWoodville Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1964 to 1990, when it merged with the West Torrens Football Club to form the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles....
(1987) - Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of FameAustralian Football Hall of FameThe 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...
(1996) - Adelaide Football Club's best-and-fairest award named after him – the Malcolm Blight MedalMalcolm Blight MedalThe Malcolm Blight Medal is a post-season award given to the best and fairest player in the Adelaide Crows Football Club. The medal was named after former Adelaide Crows coach, Malcolm Blight and was first awarded in 1991.-Recipients:-Multiple Recipients:...
- Inducted into North Melbourne's Hall of Fame (2003).
- Named on the half-forward flank of North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
's Team of the Century - Life Governor of the Woodville-West Torrens Football ClubWoodville-West Torrens Football ClubWoodville-West Torrens Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the South Australian National Football League . It was formed in 1990 from an amalgamation of the neighbouring Woodville and West Torrens football clubs and played its inaugural game in 1991...
along with other South Australian greats Lindsay HeadLindsay HeadLindsay Hudson Head MBE is a former Australian rules footballer in the South Australian National Football League . His consummate skills were acknowledged by being awarded three Magarey Medals during his career.- SANFL :...
, Bob HankBob HankRobert W. "Bob" Hank is a former Australian rules footballer in the South Australian National Football League .Hank actually began his senior playing career with the wartime combination of West Torrens-Port Adelaide in 1944. He stepped smoothly in the West Torrens senior side next year when the...
, Andrew PayzeAndrew PayzeAndrew Payze is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Adelaide in the Australian Football League during the early 1990s...
, Fred Bills and Andrew RogersAndrew Rogers (footballer)Andrew Rogers is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon and Geelong in the VFL/AFL.Originally from South Australian National Football League club Woodville, Rogers was recruited by Essendon with pick six in the 1987 VFL Draft...
. - Named as North Melbourne's best player of the 1970s at The North Story (2005)
See also
- After the siren kicks in Australian rules footballAfter the siren kicks in Australian rules footballIn Australian rules football, if a player takes a mark or is awarded a free kick before or as the siren sounds, the player is allowed to take the kick...
- Malcolm Blight's profile on kangaroos.com.au