Athol Webb
Melbourne
AFL career
74 games146 goals
- Debut
- R12 1955 v STK9 July 1955
- Most recent
- R12 1959 v RCH18 July 1959
Stats
Bio
Recruited from Scottsdale in Tasmania, Athol Webb was a precocious talent who became a vital component of Norm Smith’s "Golden Era" dynasty at Melbourne. A lightning-fast small forward, he was frequently deployed as a selfless decoy to draw defenders away from spearhead Bob Johnson, yet he possessed a lethal eye for goal himself when the opportunity arose. His VFL career began with personal heartbreak when he was dropped for the 1955 Grand Final, but he found redemption the following year, booting five goals in the 1956 premiership victory over Collingwood. Webb backed this up with a club-leading 56 goals during the 1957 flag-winning campaign and tied with Ron Barassi for the goalkicking award in 1958. Despite his success, he departed the VFL after just five seasons to pursue lucrative coaching opportunities in Tasmania and New South Wales, cementing his legacy as one of the Apple Isle’s finest exports.
Profile
- Born
- 13 Sept 1935
- Died
- 07 Jan 2026 (aged 90y 116d)
- Height
- 180 cm
- Weight
- 80 kg
Teams
Honours
- Premiership(2×) 1956, 1957
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Scottsdale in Tasmania, Athol Webb was a precocious talent who became a vital component of Norm Smith’s "Golden Era" dynasty at Melbourne. A lightning-fast small forward, he was frequently deployed as a selfless decoy to draw defenders away from spearhead Bob Johnson, yet he possessed a lethal eye for goal himself when the opportunity arose. His VFL career began with personal heartbreak when he was dropped for the 1955 Grand Final, but he found redemption the following year, booting five goals in the 1956 premiership victory over Collingwood. Webb backed this up with a club-leading 56 goals during the 1957 flag-winning campaign and tied with Ron Barassi for the goalkicking award in 1958. Despite his success, he departed the VFL after just five seasons to pursue lucrative coaching opportunities in Tasmania and New South Wales, cementing his legacy as one of the Apple Isle’s finest exports.