45 Facts About Malcolm Blight

Malcolm Blight coached the Geelong Football Club, Adelaide Football Club and St Kilda Football Club.

Malcolm Blight is one of three players to have won the Brownlow Medal and the Magarey Medal.

Malcolm Blight was an inaugural inductee Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and was elevated to Legend status in 2017.

In spite of his "failure" as a playing coach of North Melbourne, Malcolm Blight cemented his reputation as one of the greatest coaches during his stints with Geelong and Adelaide, before finishing up in an acrimonious circumstances at St Kilda.

In 2012, Malcolm Blight was appointed director of coaching at the Gold Coast Football Club.

Malcolm Blight grew up living close to Alberton Oval and supported Port Adelaide, with his favourite player at the time being forward Rex Johns.

However, when a new local team Woodville began to play in the SANFL from 1964, and Malcolm Blight was in their recruiting zone and made his debut for the Woodpeckers in 1969.

Malcolm Blight had a break-out year in 1972, kicking 45 goals while playing mainly as a ruck-rover.

Malcolm Blight won Woodville's best and fairest award as well as the SANFL's highest individual honor, the Magarey Medal, bringing him to the attention of the VFL.

Malcolm Blight was recruited by the North Melbourne Football Club and, although he was reluctant to join at first, he went on to play 178 games for the club between 1974 and 1982.

Malcolm Blight was a member of the Kangaroos' premiership sides in 1975 and 1977, and in 1978 won both the Brownlow Medal and the Syd Barker Medal for being the best and fairest player in the VFL and for North Melbourne respectively.

Malcolm Blight was consistently one of the most brilliant players in the VFL during the 1970s.

In 1982, Malcolm Blight won the Coleman Medal as the leading the VFL goal scorer, and led the Kangaroos' goal kicking four times during his career.

Carlton led by 14 points going into added time in the final quarter, but Malcolm Blight kicked two goals, and then marked the ball an estimated 80 metres from goal, just seconds before the final siren.

However, Malcolm Blight kicked one of the longest-ever torpedo punts, with the ball going through the goal at the height of the posts, achieving an improbable victory for the Kangaroos: 11.15 to Carlton's 11.10.

Hawthorn led by one point when Malcolm Blight was given a free kick and a set shot for goal.

Malcolm Blight scored a behind, which would have levelled the scores, but was given a second attempt after the umpire penalised Hawthorn for an infringement.

Malcolm Blight won the 1978 Brownlow Medal, but suffered a groin injury in the early minutes of the 1978 VFL Grand Final against Hawthorn.

In 1981, while still serving as playing coach, Malcolm Blight made one of the most bizarre blunders ever seen in a football match.

In North Melbourne's Round 14 clash against Richmond at the MCG, Malcolm Blight was on the end of a chain of handpasses deep in the forward zone.

Malcolm Blight seemed certain to score a goal as he ran into the goal square, only to run past the goal posts and kick the ball through the behinds.

Malcolm Blight was indirectly involved in another infamous football incident during the 1980 Escort Cup grand final against Collingwood, held at VFL Park, Waverley.

Malcolm Blight kicked the ball to Kerry Good as the siren sounded.

Malcolm Blight was club best and fairest in 1983 and in his last season of playing football topped the league goalkicking list with 126 goals.

Malcolm Blight later became a successful coach famous for employing unorthodox, and at times controversial, coaching methods as attempts to motivate his players.

Malcolm Blight was appointed successor to John Devine at Geelong as senior coach for the 1989 VFL season.

Malcolm Blight guided Geelong again to the Grand Final in 1992 but fell short again to West Coast Eagles by twenty-eight points.

The frustrated home fans directed their displeasure at Malcolm Blight, booing and heckling him as he made his way down to the huddle.

Malcolm Blight's excitement of "seeing the game at ground level", was an attempt to get back to basics and some nostalgia.

Malcolm Blight coached Geelong Football Club from 1989 to 1994 to a total of 145 games with 89 wins and 56 losses with a winning percentage of 61 percent.

Malcolm Blight's then made his arrival at the Crows at the end of the 1996 season, when he replaced Robert Shaw as senior coach of Adelaide Football Club.

Malcolm Blight resigned as Adelaide Football Club senior coach at the end of the 1999 season after an unsuccessful year finishing 13th.

In 74 games under Malcolm Blight, Adelaide won 41 games and 33 losses bringing a winning percentage to 55 percent.

Malcolm Blight was replaced by Gary Ayres, this time as Adelaide Football Club senior coach.

Malcolm Blight then replaced Tim Watson as the St Kilda Football Club senior coach.

Malcolm Blight was however sacked after Round 15 during the 2001 season with three wins and twelve losses sitting at fourteenth on the ladder.

Malcolm Blight was then replaced by Grant Thomas as caretaker senior coach for the rest of the 2001 season, who was eventually appointed as full-time senior coach.

Malcolm Blight responded memorably from his position as media commentator with Channel Ten, saying:.

Malcolm Blight coached St Kilda Football club in 2001 to a total of 15 games with three wins and twelve losses to a winning percentage of 20 percent.

In 2009, Malcolm Blight joined the Board of directors at the 17th AFL team, Gold Coast Suns.

In July 2012, Gold Coast Suns announced that Malcolm Blight had stepped down from the board to take up a part-time advisory role as director of coaching under Gold Coast Suns senior coach Guy McKenna, following a similar growing trend where former coaches have been employed as advisors to other senior coaches.

Malcolm Blight left the Gold Coast Suns at the end of the 2015 season, after he was relieved of his duties as director of coaching position at Gold Coast.

Malcolm Blight was one of the commentators at Waverley Park during the famous "Lights Out Incident" during a night match between Essendon and St Kilda in 1996.

In 2006, Malcolm Blight appeared in a Toyota Legendary Moment ad recreating his goal after the siren against Carlton.

Malcolm Blight is known for his dislike of the practice of players using grubber kicks when attempting to score a goal, due to the lack of control and unpredictability of the bounce.