Football Victoria is saddened to learn of the passing of Australia’s longest serving non-A international player and Victorian state team stalwart Don Hodgson.
Born in England in 1936, Don Hodgson moved to Melbourne as a youngster, joining Sandringham as a junior where he impressed enough to be selected in the Victorian Schoolboys team. His first foray into senior football was with the Victorian Colts in the Second Division alongside future state team representatives Jim Garret and Ted Smith. Hodgson would enjoy a decorated playing career, representing his adopted state and nation over the course of the next decade.
Hodgson’s senior club career began with Moreland, where he played a pivotal role in the club’s Dockerty Cup win of 1957, scoring the equalising goal in a 2-1 semi-final win over Polonia, and the opener from the spot in the Final against Juventus. Despite a runner-up league finish in the same season, and a third place in the inaugural State League the following year, Moreland struggled to compete with the resource-rich migrant clubs that were now dominating the local scene. As the club’s most prolific forward, Hodgson was a sought-after player.
State and national selectors had already earmarked Hodgson for higher honours. The winter of 1955 saw him capped at both levels, with his debut for Victoria coming in a 2-0 away win to New South Wales at the Crystal Palace ground in Wallsend, Hodgson scoring the second-half sealer. He featured again for Victoria in July against the touring Austrian club Rapid Vienna, scoring the only goal across two encounters where the Victorians were initially trounced 11-0 before achieving some level of respect in a 3-1 loss four days later.
Remarkably, Hodgson’s international debut came in-between both legs, with another goal on representative debut, as Australia lost 4-1 at a packed Melbourne Showgrounds. He scored again in the second leg at Olympic Park, with Rapid humbling the hosts 8-2. Olympic international and Socceroo Ted Smith fondly remembers Hodgson’s influence as a player.
I have some wonderful memories of Don Hodgson as a team mate at Moreland and the Colts. He was a great athlete who was very unfortunate not to be selected to represent Australia in the Olympic Games in Melbourne.
Smith recalls a talented forward with an eye for goal, “Don’s shooting and aerial prowess was unmatched, we tagged him our John Charles (in reference to the prolific Welsh forward). I still recall his powerful shot which flew past the Rapid Vienna goalkeeper Walter Zeman.”
By 1961, and with half-a-dozen seasons at Moreland under his belt, Hodgson made the most significant move of his playing career, transferring to George Cross for a Victorian record transfer fee of £500, where he would spend the next eight seasons, seven of them as captain. He achieved Cup success again, winning the Dockerty Cup in 1962, scoring five goals in as many matches as they defeated Hakoah 3-0, and the Ampol Cup in 1965, where they repeated the feat against Hakoah with the same scoreline.
Hodgson’s greatest achievement at club level came in 1964, as he captained George Cross in a remarkable run to claim the Australia Cup. The road to the final saw wins over Juventus, North Perth (1 goal) and JUST (1 goal) before a fascinating contest with APIA concluded with an Archie Campbell winner in extra-time.
Hodgson gained further representative honours against touring club sides, with matches for Victoria against Ferencváros (Hungary), Blackpool (England) and Heart of Midlothian (Scotland). His final matches at representative level arrived in 1965 at Olympic Park against Chelsea for Victoria (1-0 loss) and Australia (1-1 draw).
In all Don Hodgson played over 500 matches at club level in Victoria, represented Australia in 5 non-A internationals and took the pitch for Victoria in 21 state matches, comfortably placing him in equal eighth place amongst Men who have represented Victoria at senior level.
Football Victoria CEO, Chris Pehlivanis, hailed the enormous contribution Hodgson played in the halcyon days of Victorian representative football.
“Don Hodgson was an ever-present for Victoria at a time when international clubs visited Australia regularly in the European off-season. He will forever be remembered as a great player for Moreland and George Cross, but an even greater influence on the countless individuals who played alongside him in the Victorian state team.”
Don Hodgson passed away last Thursday, aged 87.
The FV Board of Directors, Executive, staff and broader Victorian football community send our sincere condolences to Don Hogson’s family and friends.
With thanks to Ted Smith, Andrew Howe, Sasha Pete and Caroline Springs George Cross for additional information.