Jack Leith

Originally hailing from Geelong and cutting his teeth in the VFA with Carlton, Jack Leith arrived at Melbourne in 1896 after a disputed clearance saga where a bid to join Essendon was blocked. He immediately established himself as a focal point in the Redlegs' attack for the inaugural VFL season, claiming the league's first-ever leading goalkicker title in 1897. A key position forward known for his accuracy, Leith was a leading advocate of the place kick, famously using the technique to boot five goals from five set shots in a single match against St Kilda. He remained a consistent scoring threat for over a decade, topping Melbourne's goalkicking list five times and playing at centre half-forward in the club's upset 1900 premiership victory over Fitzroy.

Leith initially hung up his boots at the end of 1908 to work as a trainer, but his service to the club took an extraordinary turn three years later. With Melbourne struggling on the field in 1911, he was persuaded to come out of retirement at age 39, reinventing himself as a defender to help steady the ship. He played a handful of games over two final seasons, eventually retiring for good just days before his 40th birthday. This late-career cameo secured his place in history as the second-oldest player ever to feature in a VFL/AFL senior match, sitting behind only Vic Cumberland.