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Footscray   Merv Hobbs   Footscray

Number:

  2 Footscray

Western Bulldogs

Red white and Blue

Height:

   

Weight:

   

Birthday:

   

Period:

  1961 to 1965

Senior Games:

  75

Goals:

  115

Disposals:

   

Recruited From:

  Daylesford
Honours:   Grand Final 1961. One of the greatest marks of all time.
  Mervyn Hobbs is best known for that spectacular mark that he took in the 1961 preliminary final against Melbourne over Trevor Johnson at the MCG. The mark that Merv took over Tassie Johnson has to be one of the best ever. His thighs are up around the level of Johnson's shoulders and it looks like pure leap. He didn't climb on Johnson.

He actually lived in a South Melbourne Zone at the time of recruitment and clever business went on to ensure that he was recruited to the Dogs.


In the days of the thick cloth black shorts, Merv started to wear dark navy silk footy shorts. It was before Carlton started to wear navy shorts rather than black ones. I used to tell Carlton supporters at school that Carlton pinched Merv's idea. I thought Merv was great.

  

Footscray

    
Western Bulldogs He was lightly built and very fast and agile. He took more than one great mark, I saw him take several screamers. His marking whilst resting in the forward pocket at the Western Oval was spectacular. That said, one of his weaknesses was his obsession with flying for marks in the forward pocket. He should have stayed down and crumbed more.  
   
  What a great goal sneak he was too. He would bamboozle his opponents with adept sideways stepping and deliver to his target with precision. He was a great vote catcher with the umpires.

  
  The reason why he didn't further his career at the dogs was because of a knee injury. Back then it was very rare for any player to come back from such an injury.


He left the Bulldogs at the age of only 23 to start up his printing business Kiema Press in Pier Street Altona.


Did see him play at Brunswick in the early 70's and he took one of those memorable marks, leaping on top of a player who was already riding another player. "Sensational!!"

Lived in Hervey Bay in 2004.

  
   
   
Click to return to Home page This is one photograph, there is a more famous one taken a second earlier when Hobbs is way over Johnson's head and there is daylight between Merv's knees and Johnson's shoulders. Note Ted Whitten in the picture. I wonder what happened to his leg.