Kevin McLean
Collingwood and Hawthorn
AFL career
50 games2 goals
- Debut
- R5 1963 v MEL18 May 1963
- Most recent
- R2 1967 v CAR22 Apr 1967
Stats
Bio
Recruited from Ivanhoe Amateurs, Kevin McLean was a talented key position player whose VFL career was almost derailed before it began—a single Under-19s appearance for Collingwood effectively tied him to the club, preventing a likely move to St Kilda. While he arrived at Victoria Park as a forward, he made his name as a poised and high-marking centre half-back, where his reading of the play impressed early. However, he is often remembered for being swung to centre half-forward for the 1964 Grand Final, a tactical gamble in the Magpies' heartbreaking four-point loss to Melbourne. Struggling to cement a permanent position under Bob Rose, McLean crossed to Hawthorn in 1966 and made an immediate impact, finishing runner-up in the club's Best and Fairest in his debut season. Despite his class and versatility, his VFL career was relatively short, and he later enjoyed significant success in the VFA with Preston, playing in two premierships.
Profile
- Born
- 10 Sept 1942 (age 84y 30d)
- Height
- 185 cm
- Weight
- 86 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Ivanhoe Amateurs, Kevin McLean was a talented key position player whose VFL career was almost derailed before it began—a single Under-19s appearance for Collingwood effectively tied him to the club, preventing a likely move to St Kilda. While he arrived at Victoria Park as a forward, he made his name as a poised and high-marking centre half-back, where his reading of the play impressed early. However, he is often remembered for being swung to centre half-forward for the 1964 Grand Final, a tactical gamble in the Magpies' heartbreaking four-point loss to Melbourne. Struggling to cement a permanent position under Bob Rose, McLean crossed to Hawthorn in 1966 and made an immediate impact, finishing runner-up in the club's Best and Fairest in his debut season. Despite his class and versatility, his VFL career was relatively short, and he later enjoyed significant success in the VFA with Preston, playing in two premierships.