Geoff Blethyn
{{short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Geoff Blethyn
| image =
| fullname = Geoffrey Russell Blethyn
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|10|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Moreland, Victoria
| death_date =
| death_place =
| originalteam = St Andrew's
| height = 183 cm
| weight = 80 kg
| position =
| statsend = 1977
| years1 = 1968–1972, 1976
| club1 = Essendon
| games_goals1 = 84 (216)
| years2 = 1973–1975
| club2 = Claremont
| games_goals2 = 33 {{0}}(104)
| years3 = 1976
| years4 = 1977
| club4 = Port Adelaide
| games_goals4 = 11 {{0}}(13)
| games_goalstotal = 128 (333)
| careerhighlights =
- {{AFL Por}} premiership player (1977)
}}
Geoffrey Russell Blethyn (born 28 October 1950) is a former leading Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL), Claremont in the Western Australian Football League (WAFL) and Port Adelaide in the South Australian Football League (SANFL).
Family
The son of Oliver Blethyn (1910-2004), and Honor Evelyn Blethyn (1917-2000), née Searle, Geoffrey Russell Blethyn was born at Moreland, Victoria on 28 October 1950.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23021665 Births: Blethyn, The Argus, (Thursday, 2 November 1950), p.16.]
Football career
= Essendon (1968–1972) =
A full-forward, Blethyn had a slim frame and famously wore glasses on the field.
He made his debut in April 1968 when he was selected on the half-forward flank in place of the injured Alan Noonan.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IX0QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fpMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2087%2C4010093 Beames, P., "Blues Pick Barassi", The Age, (Wednesday, 24 April 1968), p.24.][https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=In0QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fpMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3713%2C4248757 Essendon's Chance for Hat-Trick, The Age, (Thursday, 25 April 1968), p.20.]
He kicked four goals in Essendon's 1968 Grand Final loss to Carlton,[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R-9UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d5MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=917%2C5791809 Carter, R., "Well Done Young Blethyn", The Age, (Monday, 30 September 1968), p.25.] and had his most prolific game up forward when he kicked 11 goals against Footscray during the 1972 VFL season. 1972 was a record breaking-year for Blethyn—he finished it with 107 goals and became the first Essendon player since John Coleman in 1950 to kick over 100 in a season. However, he missed out on the Coleman Medal to Collingwood's Peter McKenna, who kicked 130 goals for the season.
= Claremont (1973–1975) =
From 1973 to 1975 Blethyn played for WAFL club Claremont.
= Essendon (1976) =
Blethyn returned to Essendon in 1976,[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y-BUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QZIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4283%2C2142420 Sheahan, M., "Ex-Bomber Blethyn Keen to Return", The Age, (Wednesday, 14 January 1978), p.22.] where he topped his team's goalkicking table with 39 goals. It was the third time Blethyn had finished a season as Essendon's top goalkicker, having previously done so in 1970 and 1972.
= Port Adelaide (1977) =
Blethyn left Essendon for good in 1977 when he transferred to SANFL club Port Adelaide. In that season, he played in the only premiership side of his career.
After football
Blethyn currently lives in Adelaide and works as a property advisor.Hanlon, P. "Blethyn specs a tall order", The Age, 26 June 2013, http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/blethyn-specs-a-tall-order-20130625-2ov7y.html
Notes
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. {{ISBN|0-9591740-2-8}}
- Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. {{ISBN|0-670-86814-0}}
External links
- {{AFL Tables}}
- {{AustralianFootball}}
- {{WAFL FootyFacts}}
{{Essendon leading goalkickers}}
{{1977 Port Adelaide premiership players}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blethyn, Geoff}}
Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne
Category:Essendon Football Club players
Category:Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL) players
Category:Port Adelaide Football Club players (all competitions)
Category:Claremont Football Club players