Luke McCabe (born 10 August 1976) is a former
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
er who played with
Hawthorn
Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to:
Plants
* '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae
* ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
in the
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
(AFL) and
Central District in the
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL ( or ''S-A-N-F-L''), is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's governing body for the sport.
Originally formed as the ...
(SANFL).
McCabe was a small defender who usually played in the
back pocket
In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team is assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. These positions describe both the player's main role and by implication their location on the gro ...
s. He was recruited by Hawthorn at pick 15 in the
1993 National Draft but took a while to establish himself in the team, playing over 20 games in a season for the first time in 1998. He finished that season with a second placing in Hawthorn's best and fairest awards and the following season was a member of their pre season premiership side.
He is remembered for his participation in one of the "memorable moments" between Hawthorn and Melbourne when, in round 1, 2002, he was on the receiving end of a mighty hip and shoulder from
David Neitz
David Neitz (born 22 January 1975), is a retired Australian rules footballer. The strongly built centre half back who became a full forward was the longest-serving captain in the history of the Melbourne Football Club and the first Melbourne ...
on his way to snap an inspirational goal.
McCabe returned to Central District for the 2005 SANFL season and was an integral part of the Bulldogs winning their third consecutive premiership. McCabe was awarded the
Jack Oatey Medal
The Jack Oatey Medal is awarded to the best player during the SANFL Grand Final. It has been awarded since 1981. In 2018, Mitch Grigg of Norwood became the first player to win the Jack Oatey Medal on a losing team, after his team were defeated b ...
for being the best on ground in the Grand Final. He retired from senior football following the end of the 2006 season due to work commitments. However, McCabe returned to Central District for the 2008 season.
References
External links
*
Profile at Hawksheadquarters
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCabe, Luke
1976 births
Living people
Australian rules footballers from South Australia
Hawthorn Football Club players
Central District Football Club players
People educated at Sacred Heart College, Adelaide