Past Player Of The Week - Chris Mew

[Jane Doe]

DOB: 7/5/61

Height: 189 cms
Weight: 90 kgs

Games: 230
Goals: 21

Debut: Round 9 1980 V North Melbourne

Recruited From: Rosebud

A brilliant centre half back, the chronically underrated Mew was a crucial component of our awesome Hawthorn sides of the 1980s.

Recruited from Rosebud, Mew took a few season to find his feet in VFL football, but by the time 1983 had come around, he was established in the backline at Glenferrie, and set aboutcreatinghis legacy of fine, unobtrusive defensive work.

Mew wore 46 in his first premiership win in 1983, and by 1986 he had formed a formidable combination with Chris Langford. With the likes of Gary Ayres, Andrew Collins and Peter Schwab making up the Hawthorn defence, the dynasty had a superb foundation on which to build its attacks.

Slight, wiry, yet extremely durable, Mew played in all but one of Hawthorn's finals between 1982 and 1992, giving him 28 finals in total, good enough for equal sixth for all-time VFL/AFL finals played. He was a regular Victorian representative in defence,winningAll Australian selection in 1984.

Mewretired after the epic 1989 Grand Final victory, but Allan Jeans recognised that he did not have an adequate replacement in defence for Mew, and persuaded him to return. Mew's reinjection into the backline helped to revive a flagging 1990 season, and Jeans' faith was vindicated as Mew was as imperious and impassable as ever in the 1991 finals series, culminating in his fifth premiership, a figure only surpassed by five players in league history.

An injury-impaired 1992 ended with the Qualifying Final loss to West Coast in Perth, a game which proved to be Mew's last AFL match. After having an injury plagued pre season in 1993 he started the season in the reserves however he snapped his Achilles in the first few minutes. True to his persona to the end, Mew returned to Rosebud and faded completley from the AFL football scene.

Mew was awarded life membership of the club in 1986 and was selected at centre half back in Hawthorn's Team Of The Century.

Where is he now? Still living down on the Mornington Peninsula and working as a builder

 

[BlueWaterHawk]

View attachment 92937

DOB: 7/5/61

Height: 189 cms
Weight: 90 kgs

Games: 230
Goals: 21

Debut: Round 9 1980 V North Melbourne

Recruited From: Rosebud

A brilliant centre half back, the chronically underrated Mew was a crucial component of our awesome Hawthorn sides of the 1980s.

Recruited from Rosebud, Mew took a few season to find his feet in VFL football, but by the time 1983 had come around, he was established in the backline at Glenferrie, and set aboutcreatinghis legacy of fine, unobtrusive defensive work.

Mew wore 46 in his first premiership win in 1983, and by 1986 he had formed a formidable combination with Chris Langford. With the likes of Gary Ayres, Andrew Collins and Peter Schwab making up the Hawthorn defence, the dynasty had a superb foundation on which to build its attacks.

Slight, wiry, yet extremely durable, Mew played in all but one of Hawthorn's finals between 1982 and 1992, giving him 28 finals in total, good enough for equal sixth for all-time VFL/AFL finals played. He was a regular Victorian representative in defence,winningAll Australian selection in 1984.

Mewretired after the epic 1989 Grand Final victory, but Allan Jeans recognised that he did not have an adequate replacement in defence for Mew, and persuaded him to return. Mew's reinjection into the backline helped to revive a flagging 1990 season, and Jeans' faith was vindicated as Mew was as imperious and impassable as ever in the 1991 finals series, culminating in his fifth premiership, a figure only surpassed by five players in league history.

An injury-impaired 1992 ended with the Qualifying Final loss to West Coast in Perth, a game which proved to be Mew's last AFL match. After having an injury plagued pre season in 1993 he started the season in the reserves however he snapped his Achilles in the first few minutes. True to his persona to the end, Mew returned to Rosebud and faded completley from the AFL football scene.

Mew was awarded life membership of the club in 1986 and was selected at centre half back in Hawthorn's Team Of The Century.

Where is he now? Still living down on the Mornington Peninsula and working as a builder

Does regular work for my family down that way. He's our first choice as he works as he played, quiet perfection.

Has a good sense of humour as well.

 

[Nuggets73]

Mew, Schwab, Ayres & Co ... they were a class act

 

[Flukey!]

A genuine Hawthorn great.

 

[BOP66]

Chris was probably my favorite player from that era.
Just loved the way he went about. He was so unassuming, did all the team things to perfection & I swear I reckon he was beaten 2 to 3 times comprehensively in all his games played.
Typifies all that's great about our club the way he played for the jumper.

 

[flinchfree]

Exceptional mark of the football, read it so beautifully. Would work you under the ball ever so slightly so could take them without jumping more than an inch or three...
Super kick too, some of my favourite moments were of Chris streaming out of the high back line through the center and just unloading, always put a smile on my face.

 

[Procrastinator35]

Ted & the Tash!....Every bit as significant as Brereton was to our 80's era of domination....Minus the persona!

He & Tuck provided for the balanced 'groundedness' necessary to the team in order to anchor the huge Ego's of Derm & Dipper!

 

[MELTY]

Jeans always said that Mew was the first player he would pick week in, week out when selecting the 21 for the weekend.

 

[Ram-Man]

Most underrated player of all time ...

... not by the many hawk fans who watched the era first hand and not by yabby who coaxed him out of retirement in 1990.

Brilliant CHB and would win his position week in and week out.

GUN.

 

[MinerBoy]

Never beaten.

The unfashionable, under rated, superstar of the 80s teams.

 

[MrFujiMoto]

Best CHB Hawthorn have had in my eyes. I was so happy when Jeans got him to return in 90. He was the rock our defense was built around. Deserved TOTC CHB. Absolute legend

 

[La Vache]

He could read a long kick right off the bootlaces. Very gifted player in that sense.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Could mark !!! Teddy Mew, what a champ !!

 

[Davo23]

"The cool and nonchalant Chris Mew ..."

Some commentator said that back in the day.
It always comes to mind when I think of him

One of our greatest players.

 

[JoeHawk]

Was always cool under pressure. Time appeared to slow down when he had the ball. Never flashy but always reliable defender with Ayres and Langford by his side.

 

[Fists of Love]

I stumbled across this picture a while back. Kills me every time.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Best CHB Hawthorn have had in my eyes. I was so happy when Jeans got him to return in 90. He was the rock our defense was built around. Deserved TOTC CHB. Absolute legend

Well i would love to agree with you mate because he was awesome but he wasn't the best CHB at Hawthorn that surely is reserved for Peter Knights

In saying what a great player and like so many have mentioned a lynchpin to our success in the 80s. He was Mr reliable

 

[grizzlym]

Well i would love to agree with you mate because he was awesome but he wasn't the best CHB at Hawthorn that surely is reserved for Peter Knights

In saying what a great player and like so many have mentioned a lynchpin to our success in the 80s. He was Mr reliable

Off memory, he came as a wingman, even played a few games, at least in the reserves in that position.

 

[grizzlym]

Never beaten.

The unfashionable, under rated, superstar of the 80s teams.

Sadly, I saw a very young and clearly destined for greatness, Wayne Carey tear him up one day.

 

[Harper_Hawk]

This guy is the Gold in Brown and Gold. I have always wanted another Chris Mew to come along in my lifetime....Cool under pressure.

 

[RustyHawk]

Off memory, he came as a wingman, even played a few games, at least in the reserves in that position.

Yes, that's my first memory of number 46, on the wing for the reserves one day at Glenferrie. He really stood out just with his economical use of the ball from the time of collection to the time of disposal he made it look simple. No panic, no fumbling but, if it was simple, how come not many others could do it like him?

A great Hawthorn champion.

 

[Lethality]

Was a fixture in the team best players in the Sun or Herald Sun match reports.

 

[grizzlym]

Yes, that's my first memory of number 46, on the wing for the reserves one day at Glenferrie. He really stood out just with his economical use of the ball from the time of collection to the time of disposal he made it look simple. No panic, no fumbling but, if it was simple, how come not many others could do it like him?

A great Hawthorn champion.

Yes, 46, that's right.

I know what you mean about how he went about his business with no fuss. He played like a well-trained tradesman: totally unassuming, total dedication to doing the job the right way.

 

[grumbleguts]

What a legend. Anyone who doesn't know how good he was is a complete Mewbie.

 

[MrFujiMoto]

Well i would love to agree with you mate because he was awesome but he wasn't the best CHB at Hawthorn that surely is reserved for Peter Knights

In saying what a great player and like so many have mentioned a lynchpin to our success in the 80s. He was Mr reliable

Disagree - I would take Mew over Knights any day of the week. Not as Flashy but just a pillar of our success.