Sean Wight

Sean Wight
Sean Wight
Personal information
Full name	John Phillip Wight
Date of birth	15 March 1964
Place of birth	Glasgow, Scotland
Date of death	30 June 2011 (aged 47)
Place of death	East Melbourne, Victoria
Original team(s)	Kerry
Height	185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	85 kg (187 lb)
Position(s)	Defender
Playing career1
Years	Club
1984–1995	Melbourne
	1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1995.
Career highlights
	Melbourne Hall of Fame;
	Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

John Phillip "Sean" Wight (15 March 1964 – 30 June 2011) was an Irish-Australian Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL.

He is a member of the Melbourne Football Club Hall of Fame^[1] and was named as one of the 150 Heroes of the club during the club's 150th celebrations.^[2]

The 185 cm tall, 85 kg Wight played for the Melbourne Football Club between 1985 and 1995, playing 150 games and scoring 63 goals. He is not only the first player to be associated with the Irish experiment, but also considered to be one of its most successful products.^[2]

Early life[]

Wight was scouted by the Melbourne Football Club's Ron Barassi and Barry Richardson on a visit to Ireland in 1982 as having the potential to play Australian rules football.^[2]

Before playing Australian rules, he played Gaelic football with the Kerry minor (Under-18) team which reached the final of the 1982 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship and with the Listowel Emmets club - the same club as Tadhg Kennelly.

Wight was brought to Australia in 1983. He was part of an Under 19 VFL premiership side just weeks after his arrival from Ireland in 1983 and was widely hailed for his rapid conversion, though others who joined him from Ireland had much less success.^[3]

VFL/AFL career[]

Wight made his VFL debut in 1985^[2] and became a regular backline player, recognisable with his trademark moustache.

Wight played in two Demons night premiership winning sides, in 1987 and 1989.^[2]

He began to develop a reputation as a dour defender, with an exceptional ability to not only spoil opponents marking attempts, but take high marks himself.

Wight, along with fellow recruit Jim Stynes was a member of Melbourne's 1988 VFL Grand Final team which lost to Hawthorn.^[2]

Retiring in 1995, Wight's career was somewhat overshadowed by Stynes, whose career in the midfield earned more accolades and media attention.

Wight died on 30 June 2011 after a short battle with lung cancer.^[4]

References[]

^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Carroll, Lynda (30 June 2011). "Vale Sean Wight". Melbourne Football Club. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
^ "First-season gaelic footballer wins medal". The Canberra Times. Vol. 58, no. 17, 528. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 September 1983. p. 28. Retrieved 11 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^ Ex-Demon Wight dies of cancer, ABC News, 30 June 2011.