Geoff Blethyn

Who is Geoff Blethyn?

Geoff Blethyn is a former leading Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League, Claremont in the Western Australian Football League and Port Adelaide in the South Australian Football League.

A full-forward, Blethyn had a slim frame and wore glasses on the field. He kicked four goals in Essendon's 1968 Grand Final loss to Carlton and had his most prolific game up forward when he kicked 11 goals against Footscray during the 1972 VFL season. It had been a record breaking year for Blethyn, he finished it with 107 goals and he had been the first Essendon player since John Coleman in 1950 to kick over 100 in a season. He however missed out on the Coleman Medal to Collingwood's Peter McKenna who kicked 130 goals for the season.

The following season Blethyn left for WAFL club Claremont but returned to Essendon in 1976 where he topped their goalkicking with 39 goals. It was the third time Blethyn had finished a season as Essendon's top goalkicker, having done so in 1970 and 1972.

Blethyn left Essendon for good in 1977 when he transferred to SANFL club Port Adelaide and that season played in the only premiership side of his career.