Malcolm Blight

Born on February 16, 1950, in Adelaide, South Australia, Malcolm Blight embarked on his football journey with Woodville in the SANFL in 1968. He quickly distinguished himself, earning the club’s Best and Fairest award and the prestigious Magarey Medal in 1972. His performance led to his recruitment by the North Melbourne Football Club in 1974, where he played 178 games until 1982. During his time in the VFL, Blight was a key player in North Melbourne’s premiership teams in 1975 and 1977. He further cemented his reputation in 1978 by winning both the Brownlow Medal, for the VFL’s best and fairest player, and the Syd Barker Medal, for North Melbourne’s best and fairest. Blight was also a prolific goal-kicker, leading the VFL in 1982 as a Coleman Medallist with 103 goals, marking him as the only player to kick 100 goals in a season in both the VFL and SANFL.

Following his VFL career, Blight returned to Woodville, serving as Captain-Coach from 1983 to 1985 and as non-playing coach in subsequent years. He received another club Best and Fairest award in 1983 and topped the league goalkicking with 126 goals in his final playing season of 1985, securing the Ken Farmer Medal. His coaching career saw significant achievements, including leading Geelong to three Grand Finals and securing dual premierships with the Adelaide Crows in 1997 and 1998. He also had coaching roles with North Melbourne and St Kilda. Blight’s profound influence on the sport was recognized with his induction into the AFL Hall of Fame in 1996 and the SANFL Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2017, he was elevated to ‘Legend’ status in the AFL Hall of Fame, acknowledging his enduring legacy as both a player and coach.