Australian Football

Although he never once topped the SANFL's goal kicking ladder for a season Malcolm Greenslade was, at the time of his retirement, the sixth-highest aggregate goal kicker in the league's history, testimony to his consistency over a long and illustrious career. That career began extremely quietly with just a couple of league appearances for Sturt in 1966 while the club's ranks were temporarily depleted during the Hobart carnival. The 1967 season saw him claim a regular place in the team, however, and he immediately proved his worth by winning the Double Blues' goalkicking award for the first of seven times. His finest hour probably came in the 1969 Grand Final when he kicked nine of Sturt's 24 goals against Glenelg.

A member of Sturt premiership teams in 1967, 1969 and 1970, Greenslade was sufficiently versatile to cope with the emergence of team mate Ken Whelan as the 'full forward of the moment' in 1973-4-5 by playing with equal effectiveness elsewhere, mainly across half forward. When Whelan's star dimmed, Greenslade enjoyed another couple of seasons at full forward.

After 215 games for Sturt, Greenslade spent the 1978 season in amateur football before resuming his league career at Glenelg in 1979. In three seasons with the Bays, during which he played mainly as a half back flanker, he added another 24 SANFL games to his tally. Earlier in his career he had represented South Australia four times, kicking 12 goals, while in 1971 he had played a couple of VFL games for Richmond during a National Service stint in Victoria.

Author - John Devaney