Australian Football

Despite the comparative brevity of his career Geelong’s Geoff ‘Stiffy’ Mahon achieved virtually everything elite football could offer. Originally from North Geelong, he was a formidable ruckman who gloried in smashing his way through packs and yet paradoxically exuded an air of strange calmness. He was also a beatiful kick and sound mark.

His VFL career with Geelong saw him play 82 games and kick 35 goals from 1936 to 1940 and in 1946. He was on the bench for the 1937 grand final in which the Cats downed Collingwood. His final season was the most eventful of his career in that he represented Victoria for the first time and won the Cats’ best and fairest award - a rare achievement in that he sustained a career-ending knee injury in round twelve.

In 1941 Mahon controversially crossed to Prahran without a clearance, as a fair number of top VFL players were doing at the time. All was eventually forgiven, however, and he always remained a Geelong man at heart.

Author - John Devaney