In Jim Main's series, 'Swan Songs', this week he talks to former Swans half-back flanker, David McLeish...

David McLeish
Born: February 21, 1950
Played: 1969-80
Games: 213
Goals: 22

Young defender David McLeish made a bizarre debut with South Melbourne in 1969.

The 19-year-old McLeish was selected for the bench against Fitzroy at Princes Park, with coach Norm Smith telling him to take the field with just 10 minutes to play.

But when McLeish tried to get out of his tracksuit pants, he could not get them over his boots. Smith, sitting near him on the bench, jumped up and banged his head on the shelter roof as he went to the newcomer’s assistance.

Smith then had to hold McLeish upside down as the two of them struggled to remove the ankle-tight tracksuit pants. “It now sounds hysterical, but it wasn’t funny at the time,” McLeish admitted.

McLeish caught the Swans’ attention when he won the best and fairest with northern Victorian club Kerang as an 18-year-old in 1968.

Swan officials drove to Kerang to sign him and, in that era, McLeish had no choice of clubs as he was tied to South Melbourne through the country zoning system.

McLeish played a couple of games in the reserves before making that memorable debut and then proving himself one of the best defenders in the competition.

Ultra-reliable, McLeish started as a speedy winger, but was moved to a half-back flank when former star Swan centre half-forward Graeme John took over from Smith as coach in 1973.

McLeish picked up just about every big-name forward or winger in the game - Hawthorn’s Leigh Matthews, Carlton’s Alex Jesaulenko, North Melbourne’s Wayne Schimmelbusch and St Kilda’s George Young, among others.

He did well on them all, except when he once had to play on a wing against Melbourne’s Robert Flower. “He stitched me right up and there was nothing I could do about it,” McLeish confessed. “He was absolutely brilliant.”

McLeish became such a reliable defender that he was selected to represent Victoria against Western Australia in Perth in 1976 and although he started on the bench and played only in the final quarter it remains one of his career highlights.

He also achieved the rare distinction in his era of playing in two finals matches with the Swans, in the first semi-final against St Kilda in 1970 and in the elimination final against Richmond in 1977.

“Finals appearances were extremely rare for the Swans and, thank goodness, that appears to be all in the past,” McLeish said. “But it certainly was good to play in those two finals matches.”

McLeish spent 12 seasons with the Swans and, in his final season of 1980, bowed out in a reserves Grand Final against Geelong.

“We had had a pretty good season, but the Geelong senior side crashed out to Collingwood in the 1980 preliminary final and a lot of the players from that game dropped back to the reserves and the Cats were far too good for us,” he recalled.

McLeish joined Wodonga as captain-coach in 1981 and the club won senior, reserves and thirds premierships for the first time in Ovens and Murray Football League history.

He remained as coach for another two seasons, but continued as a player and was a member of the 1987 premiership before retiring at 38 years of age and then coaching the thirds and serving on the club committee.

McLeish and wife Kate still live in Wodonga, where they ran a pub for 20 years. They retired from the hotel business five years ago and now run a home maintenance service.

The McLeishes, David, Kate, son Ben and daughter Taya, follow the Swans with great interest, but David has not seen them play for a couple of years because of the tyranny of distance.

“I usually get to see them at least once or twice a year in Melbourne and it is always good to catch up with my old teammates at past player lunches,” he said. “And, of course, the team has been doing so wonderfully well over the past decade or so.”