Australian Football

The son of former Richmond defender Danny Guinane, Paddy Guinane followed in his father's footsteps with a 146-game VFL career with the Tigers between 1959 and 1968. Unlike his father, however, he played most of his football on the forward lines (although he also played, at some time or another, in virtually every position on the field), and his 216 career goals included tallies of 50 in 1966 and 41 two years later which were good enough to top Richmond's list. A firm favourite among the Punt Road faithful because of his obviously wholehearted commitment to the Tiger cause, Guinane was a strong mark and a booming, if sometimes erratic, kick. He played one interstate match for the VFL and was part of Richmond's 1967 premiership team.

In 1969 Guinane transferred to VFA First Division side Dandenong, where he spent two seasons and proved a real drawcard. He then joined former teammates Tony Jewell and Neville Crowe at Caulfield, where Jewell had assumed the coaching reins. In 1973, Guinane was at centre half-forward as the Bears downed Brunswick by 22 points in the VFA's Second Division Grand Final, thereby winning the only senior flag in their 23-year involvement in the competition. Had he managed to achieve greater consistency during his career he might today be remembered as one of the greatest centre half-forwards of all time.

Author - John Devaney