Paddy Shea

Recruited from CBC Parade, Paddy Shea began his VFL career with a brief stint at Fitzroy in 1904 before making a career-defining move to the Western Australian Goldfields. Between 1905 and 1907, he played for Boulder City, where he forged a reputation as the premier footballer in the region and arguably the finest half-forward of his era. He returned to Victoria in 1908 to join his brother Mark at Essendon, immediately establishing himself as a key figure in the club's lineup during a golden era.

Shea was a highly skilled, intelligent half-forward flanker renowned for his exceptional kicking ability. He is often credited as a pioneer of the "banana" or checkside kick, possessing the rare ability to make the ball swerve in the air to split the posts from impossible angles. A prolific scorer for a flanker, he topped Essendon’s goalkicking in 1909 and played a pivotal role in the club’s back-to-back premierships in 1911 and 1912. His standing in the game was further recognised with multiple selections for Victoria and the vice-captaincy of Essendon in 1910.