Alex Lee

Recruited from the University Blacks, Alex Lee was a unique figure in the Hawthorn lineups of the 1930s who is perhaps best recognised today as the patriarch of a brown and gold dynasty. A gifted all-round athlete who attended Wesley College and rowed for Victoria in the King's Cup, Lee arrived at Glenferrie Oval with a pedigree in agricultural science and played as a pure amateur—a stance that reportedly created friction with teammates who relied on match payments to survive during the Great Depression. He featured 31 times for the "Mayblooms" across three tough seasons, playing in just six wins and booting a solitary goal in his final year against Geelong. While his own career was brief, his legacy was revitalized nearly a century later when his great-grandson, midfielder Josh Ward, was selected by the Hawks with pick seven in the 2021 National Draft.