Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Robert McGhie

Known as
Robert McGhie

Nickname
Bones

Born
18 August 1951 (age 72)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 17y 307d
Last game: 29y 222d

Height and weight
Height: 192 cm
Weight: 86 kg

Senior clubs
Footscray; Richmond; South Melbourne

Jumper numbers
Footscray: 40, 5, 24
Richmond: 12
South Melbourne: 1, 4

Recruited from
Footscray (1973); Richmond (1979); Footscray (1980)

Family links
Joe McGhie (Brother)

Robert McGhie

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
FootscrayV/AFL1969-1972, 19794960.1247%9.532.023.185
RichmondV/AFL1973-19788100.0064%7.362.982.569
South MelbourneV/AFL1980-19811610.0650%7.812.692.192
V/AFL1969-198114670.0557%8.142.622.7316
Total1969-198114670.0557%8.142.622.7316

AFL: 8,184th player to appear, 1,392nd most games played, 5,696th most goals kickedFootscray: 579th player to appear, 261st most games played, 468th most goals kickedRichmond: 750th player to appear, 206th most games played, 1,119th most goals kickedSouth Melbourne: 1,081st player to appear, 668th most games played, 978th most goals kicked

A tall, left footed defender, Robert McGhie was a more than serviceable player for Footscray from 1969 to 1972, before being sacked for disciplinary reasons. Richmond snapped him up and he gave the Tigers probably the best football of his career, including playing at centre half back in the grand final-winning teams of 1973 and 1974. He was one of the team’s best players in the latter match.

Midway through the 1978 season, after 81 VFL games (and no goals) for Richmond, McGhie crossed to Brunswick in the VFA first division where he saw out the year.

The 1979 season saw McGhie back at Footscray where he took his final tally of games played with the club to 49, and the number of goals kicked to six. He then finished his playing career at South Melbourne in 1980 and 1981, where he played a final 16 VFL games and kicked one goal.

Unusually for players of his era Robert McGhie boasted tattoos. He also liked a smoke, and famously lit up just after the siren in the 1973 grand final havinvg been handed a cigarette by team boot-studder, Kevin McAvoy.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Publications

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.