Ian Hayden

Arriving at Punt Road with a formidable reputation from the University Blues and Wangaratta, Ian Hayden was a barrel-chested key position player whose VFL career was defined by immense potential and premature heartbreak. Although courted by heavyweights like Carlton and Melbourne following a Woodrow Medal-winning amateur campaign, Hayden chose Richmond to facilitate his legal articles under club president Ray Dunn. He immediately validated the hype, winning the Best First Year Player award in 1962 and topping the club's goalkicking list in 1963 as a strong-marking centre half-forward who provided a reliable avenue to goal. Demonstrating rare versatility, he shifted to centre half-back to start the 1964 season and was voted best-on-ground in the opener, only to suffer a catastrophic cruciate ligament injury the very next week against Essendon. Forced into retirement at just 23 years of age after a failed comeback attempt, Hayden left the game as a significant "what if" story before establishing himself as one of Victoria’s most prominent criminal barristers.