John Woolley

Recruited from Bayswater in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, John Woolley was a towering figure for his era who stood 193cm and operated primarily as a ruckman and key defender for South Melbourne. After managing just five senior appearances in his debut 1955 season, Woolley spent four years out of the senior side before fighting his way back into the lineup in 1960. He enjoyed his most consistent run of form in 1961, playing 15 games where he utilised his significant height advantage to contest the ruck and drift back to support the defence at the Lake Oval. Despite his imposing stature, he remained a strictly defensive-minded player throughout his disjointed career, never registering a goal in his 25 games before finishing his VFL tenure in 1962.