Player Inductee
Sandy Bay/Melbourne, Midfielder, 1975-96
> 57 games, 24 goals, Melbourne, 1980-85
> 161 games and life membership, Sandy Bay, 1975-79, 1986-91 and 1996
> Sandy Bay TANFL premierships, 1976, 1977 and 1978
> William Leitch Medal, 1988 (equal)
> 13 representative matches for Tasmania/TANFL
> Named in Sandy Bay’s ‘Best 25, 1946-1997’
> E.C. Billet Shield (TANFL best first year player)
> A. Geard Medal for TANFL Under 19 Best and Fairest, 1975
> Tasmania State Schoolboys representative, 1973
A star junior who had made big waves in underage footy with Sandy Bay, Taroona High School and The Hutchins School, Michael Seddon made his senior debut for the Seagulls in 1976, having won the V. A. Geard Medal as the TANFL Under 18 Best and Fairest the previous year. Over the next few seasons the youngster would make himself a permanent fixture in the strong Sandy Bay midfield of the day, featuring in the Seagulls’ hat trick of TANFL premierships under Paul Sproule from 1976-78.
By the end of 1979 the young ruck-rover’s polish and class had attracted significant interest from the VFL, with up to ten of the 12 clubs interested in acquiring the 21-year-old’s services. However, it was Melbourne who earned Seddon’s signature for a reported sign-on fee of $40-45,000. Seddon spent six seasons with the Demons, becoming a regular then permanent member of an often-struggling side from 1982, ultimately enjoying only 15 wins from his 57 senior games. His best season in the red and blue was his first in 1980, a year in which he played 16 games, gathered 20 disposals in a match four times, and booted ten goals.
Following a knee reconstruction in 1983 and rehabilitation in 1984, Seddon missed out on a senior appearance in 1985. He returned to Tasmania and Sandy Bay, re-joining the club for the inaugural season of the TFL Statewide League in 1986. He immediately re-entrenched himself as a first-choice member of the Sandy Bay engine room and was a member of the Seagulls team that went down to Glenorchy in that season’s grand final. 1988 was arguably the best year of Seddon’s career, tying with Glenorchy youngster Adrian Fletcher to win the William Leitch Medal and in the process becoming Sandy Bay’s fourth Leitch Medallist in seven years.
Seddon retired at the end of the 1991 season and served as a runner for Sandy Bay, and coach and President of the Sandy Bay Juniors for several years afterwards. Whilst serving as Under 18 coach in 1995 and 1996 he was lured back for a few games in 1996 at the age of 38 when the club was struggling for numbers. Seddon hung up the boots for good at year’s end after 161 senior appearances and with a reputation as one of the finest players the club had produced in its 50-year history; a fact that was confirmed five years later when Seddon was selected as one of the ‘Bay’s Best 25’. Away from football Seddon was an active member of the Sandy Bay community, serving on the committee of the Sandy Bay Regatta Association, Sandy Bay Rowing Club, Sandy Bay Bowls Club and Hutchins Old Boys Association as well as participating in rowing, bowling,, running and cycling events.
