Jim Main's 100 greatest: Graham Arthur
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How could Hawthorn fans ever forget Graham Arthur? He played a record 237 games for the Hawks and led them to their first premiership. He is revered at Glenferrie Road because of this and is always welcome at official club functions.
Arthur was recruited from Bendigo club Sandhurst in 1955 while still only 18. And that year he won Hawthorn's best and fairest trophy. It was an incredible performance, and a remarkable coincidence followed Few footballers win club best and fairest trophies in their first season. However, Carlton full back Geoff Southby did the same when he joined the Blues. And Southey was also recruited from Sandhurst.
Arthur started his career on the half forward flank and was an immediate success. He could mark well, kick well and was extremely dangerous near goal. He had an uncanny knack of reading the ball off packs, and was always ready to swoop.
When Arthur joined the Hawks in 1955 they were on the way up under Jack Hale's coaching and John Kennedy as captain. Two years later they were in the finals for the first time in the club’s history. They finished third, crashing badly to Melbourne in the preliminary final. However, Melbourne did go on to thrash Essendon in the grand final.
Hawthorn slipped out of the four the following year, and did not bounce back until 1961. Arthur had been appointed captain the year before when they finished fifth, out of the finals on percentage behind Collingwood. They finished on top of the ladder in 1961, six match points ahead of Melbourne. The Hawks proved their position was no fluke by defeating Melbourne by seven points in the second semi final to go into the club’s first grand final. They came upon a young keen Footscray side that day, but were miles too good. They whipped the Bulldogs by 43 points to snatch their first premiership.
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Arthur, the brilliant half forward and ruck rover, went on to captain Hawthorn for another seven years. He retired after the 1968 season in which Hawthorn finished sixth. Soon after, in 1971, they won another flag, with David Parkin as skipper. When Arthur retired he had served the Hawks for 13 years, nine of them as captain.
He was appointed playing coach of Bendigo League club Echuca, leading them to a grand final victory in 1970. When Hawthorn supporters talk about the great Hawks, they always talk of Arthur, one of the gamest men to play for the club. He was club skipper longer than any other man in the club’s history, and led them into the promised land of premierships. No player had done more for Hawthorn.
Footnotes
This is an excerpt from Australian Rules 100 Greatest Players, by Jim Main, published by the K.G. Murray Publishing Company in 1978. Click here to read Jim Main's 2013 article, in which he revisited and revised his 100 greatest players.
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