Mal Seddon

Born just streets away from Victoria Park, Malcolm "Doc" Seddon was the definition of a local product and became one of the most revered figures in Collingwood history. A strongly built follower and utility, Seddon was known less for flashy brilliance and more for his uncompromising aggression and role as a protector for his smaller teammates. He played the game with such physical intensity that a newspaper cartoonist of the era famously depicted him preparing for a match by sharpening his elbows on a grindstone. Despite the hard-man reputation, he was a skilled mark and a long kick who acted as a "shield" for the club’s ruckmen, doing the heavy lifting in the packs to allow others to shine.

Seddon’s career is inextricably linked to his service in World War I, which interrupted his prime years between 1915 and 1919. While serving at the front, he fashioned a "good luck" horseshoe from a German shell and the wreckage of a downed enemy plane, sending it back to Victoria Park; the club nailed it to the dressing room wall before the 1917 Grand Final, a match they went on to win. He returned safely to Melbourne to claim a premiership medallion of his own as a player in the 1919 triumph over Richmond. His service to the Magpies extended well beyond his playing days, as he spent decades as a committeeman and chairman of selectors, eventually serving as the Mayor of Collingwood to cement his status as a giant of the suburb.