Neil Pearson (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Neil Pearson was an Australian rules football
er who played with Hawthorn
in the Victorian Football League
(VFL).
Pearson made his debut in the opening round of the 1945 VFL season
against Essendon and kicked four goals.
A wingman, he was a solid performer for Hawthorn and brought up his 100th league game in 1952. He represented Victoria at the 1953 Adelaide Carnival
, where they went undefeated.
Despite only playing 13 games in the 1953 season, Pearson was Hawthorn's equal leading vote getter at the Brownlow Medal
count that year.
He won a Gardiner Medal
in 1954 as playing coach of the reserves but also participated in seven VFL games during the year. His younger brother Ian played at St Kilda and Hawthorn.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played with Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
in the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL).
Pearson made his debut in the opening round of the 1945 VFL season
1945 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1945.-Premiership season:In 1945, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus one substitute player, known as the 19th man...
against Essendon and kicked four goals.
A wingman, he was a solid performer for Hawthorn and brought up his 100th league game in 1952. He represented Victoria at the 1953 Adelaide Carnival
1953 Adelaide Carnival
The 1953 Adelaide Carnival was the 12th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition...
, where they went undefeated.
Despite only playing 13 games in the 1953 season, Pearson was Hawthorn's equal leading vote getter at the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
count that year.
He won a Gardiner Medal
Gardiner Medal
The Gardiner Medal was an Australian rules football award, formerly awarded to the best and fairest player in the VFL Reserves competition.Officially named the Seconds prior to 1959 and the Reserves from 1959 onwards, the competition ran from 1919 until 1999 and the medal was first awarded in...
in 1954 as playing coach of the reserves but also participated in seven VFL games during the year. His younger brother Ian played at St Kilda and Hawthorn.