Australian Football

Sean Wight was born in Glasgow, moved with his family to Ireland, and was the second Gaelic footballer (after Paul Earley) to be brought to Australia by Melbourne's Barry Richardson and Ron Barassi as part of that club's 'Irish experiment' of the early 1980s.

Although it would be Dubliner Jim Stynes who would garner most of the accolades Sean Wight's career in Australian football was also highly commendable. In 150 games with Melbourne between 1985 and 1995, mainly as a defender, Wight established a reputation for the spectacular and the unexpected. Because he had not been brought up within the traditions of Australian football he frequently performed actions which appeared idiosyncratic: for instance, he often spoiled opponents' attempts to mark by coming in from the side, tapping the ball back over his head rather than forwards.

While it would probably be fair to say that Wight's spectacular marking ability was the most memorable feature of his game, he was also a stern, resolute defender who rarely conceded an easy possession.

And Wight's own evaluation of his stint in the game? "If I had played any other sport, my body would have been a lot better, but this has been a lot of fun," he told Glen Quartermain during his final season. "This is one of the best games in the world."¹

Wight died at the tragically young age of 47 in 2011 after a short battle with lung cancer.

Author - John Devaney, with updates by Andrew Gigacz