Australian Football

A superb, terrier-like rover, Ian Law played a handful of games for Hawthorn in 1960 before making a pronounced impression the following year, when he not only won his club's best and fairest award, but ran third in the Brownlow, and was close to best afield in the Hawks' inaugural VFL premiership win.

Recruited from VAFA side Old Scotch Collegians, with whom he had won the 1959 Woodrow Medal, and whom he later coached, Law's amateur sensibilities only lasted one game at Hawthorn. During the course of his debut, he was spectacularly out-marked by an opponent, whereupon, in true amateur fashion, he burst into sincere applause, a gesture which earned a fiery rebuke from Hawk coach John Kennedy. Needless to say, the misdemeanour was never repeated.

Fleet of foot, tough, courageous and highly skilled, Law continued to exhibit superb form for the next three seasons, winning further club champion awards in 1963-4. Thereafter, a combination of commitments overseas and niggling injuries undermined his impact, and he seldom recaptured the form of his early career. He retired in 1969 after 106 VFL games.

In later years, the Ian Law style of roving was maintained at Hawthorn courtesy of the likes of Peter Crimmins and Johnny Platten.

Author - John Devaney