Australian Football

Jack Leith (sometimes mis-spelt 'Leath') began his senior football career in the VFA with Geelong, but it was only after transferring to Melbourne that he really rose to prominence. In the first season of the VFL he was widely regarded as the most brilliant forward in the league, but some observers questioned his attitude, suggesting that he sometimes failed to give a hundred per cent. There could be no doubting his talent, however, and when within range of goal he was deadly, with his place kicks from set shots being renowned for their unwavering accuracy. In one match against St Kilda in 1902, Leith kicked five goals, all from place kicks. He topped Melbourne's goal kicking list on four occasions, and was at centre half forward in the 1900 flag-winning team.

At the end of the 1908 season Leith retired, but three years later he made a comeback. This time around he played mainly in the backlines, with his extensive prior experience as a forward helping him to anticipate and stymie his opponents' endeavours. After two final seasons with the Redlegs, bringing his total of VFL games to 133 and goals kicked to 162, Leith retired for good.

Author - John Devaney