Michael Francis

Recruited from Bonbeach on the Mornington Peninsula, Michael Francis was a physically imposing figure who stood at a towering 199cm, a massive height for a footballer in the late 1960s. A genuine ruckman who relied on his significant reach advantage to control stoppages, he arrived at Glenferrie Oval just as the Hawks were assembling the squad that would dominate the next decade. Despite his rare physical assets, Francis found it difficult to cement a permanent spot in the senior side, largely finding his pathway blocked by the rapid emergence of future club legend Don Scott. He managed just seven appearances across three seasons and departed the club at the end of 1970, agonizingly missing out on Hawthorn's breakthrough premiership victory the following year.