Australian Football

Determined, pacy and an exceptional kick, Paddy Scanlan was a consistently fine performer for South Melbourne during a predominantly inauspicious era for the club. He made his VFL debut in 1920, and went on to play precisely 100 league games over the ensuing seven seasons, kicking a total of 49 goals in the process. From 1923 until 1926 he was South's captain, before moving to Footscray as captain-coach in 1927. His two seasons at the helm of the Tricolours elicited 10th and seventh place finishes, with the latter representing the club's best performance since entering the VFL in 1925. Scanlan added 33 games and 15 goals to his record while with Footscray; he also represented the VFL a total of four times during his career.

In 1930-31 he returned to South Melbourne as non-playing coach, steering the side to seventh position on the ladder in both years. His final VFL coaching stint was at North Melbourne between 1935 and 1937, but it was not an experience that Scanlan would look back upon with any great pleasure or pride, yielding as it did two wooden spoons and one near miss.

Author - John Devaney