Australian Football

As gutsy and tenacious as he was talented, Steve Malaxos achieved virtually everything the game had to offer, but the V/AFL portion of his career ended in extreme disappointment. Originally from Dalkeith-Nedlands he was recruited by Claremont and made his league debut in 1979, rapidly developing into one of the best centremen in Western Australia. He made his interstate debut in 1982 and was a regular West Australian representative for the next six years, often as captain. After winning Claremont 1983 fairest and best trophy he enjoyed an even better 1984 season securing not only a second such award but a Sandover Medal (jointly with Peter Spencer of East Perth and team-mate Michael Mitchell) as well. 

In 1985 he joined Hawthorn, but failed to settle and, after just nine VFL games, returned home to Claremont. The following season saw him engage in a second attempt to make his mark in the VFL when he joined fledgling Western Australian side West Coast where, in 66 games over the better part of four years, he enjoyed considerable success. Voted his club's best and fairest player in his debut season, and selected in another All Australian team two years later, by 1990 his status as a key member of the squad had been emphasised by his selection as captain. However, things turned sour when he suddenly fell out of favour during that year's finals series, and he never played for the Eagles again.

In 1991 Steve Malaxos embarked on a new phase of his career when, after returning briefly to Claremont, where he took his final games tally to 151, he crossed to East Fremantle. Far from finished as a footballer, he produced some of his best and most consistent ever form in adding 138 WAFL games over the next eight seasons, winning club fairest and best trophies in 1991, 1994 and 1995, and skippering the 1992 and 1994 premiership teams. At his best, Malaxos was one of the most damaging and creative players in the game, and it would be wholly inappropriate if his disappointing experiences at Hawthorn and West Coast were accorded undue significance when assessing his career.

Author - John Devaney