View source for Mark Lee (Australian rules footballer)

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Mark Lee
| image = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|3|29|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Mildura]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| originalteam = Mildura
| debutdate = [[1977 VFL season|1977]]
| debutteam = {{AFL Ric}}
| debutopponent = {{AFL Ess}}
| debutstadium = [[MCG]]
| height = 199&nbsp;cm
| weight = 96&nbsp;kg
| position = 
| statsend = 1991
| years1 = 1977–1991
| club1 = [[Richmond Football Club|Richmond]]
| games_goals1 = 233 (94)
| careerhighlights = *[[Australian Football League|VFL]] debut with {{AFL Ric}} on 30 July 1977 v {{AFL Ess}} at [[MCG]]
*{{AFL Ric}} Premiership Player 1980
*{{AFL Ric}} Captain 1985–1986
*{{AFL Ric}} [[Jack Dyer Medal|Best & Fairest]] 1984
*6 [[Interstate matches in Australian Football|State games]] for [[Victoria Australian rules football team|Victoria]]
*[[All Australian]] 1980, 1983, 1985
}}

'''Mark Lee''' (born 29 March 1959 in [[Mildura]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]), father to Alice Springs Netball great Tahlia Lee, is known affectionately as "The General" and is a former [[Australian rules football]] player for the [[Richmond Football Club]]. Recruited from Richmond's [[country zone]] in Mildura, Lee played a couple of games in 1977 but took off the following year as the team's regular ruckman, allowing [[David Cloke]] to become a centre-half-forward and solving a problem the team had had since the loss of [[Michael Green (Australian Rules footballer)|Michael Green]] and [[Brian Roberts (Australian rules footballer)|Brian Roberts]] a few years beforehand. He remained static in 1979, but the following year Lee moved into the elite of Australian Rules as his ability as a knock ruckman combined with the running power of fellow Mildura recruit [[Dale Weightman]], [[Robert Wiley]], [[Geoff Raines]] and [[Bryan Wood]] to give one of the most potent forward lines in Australian Rules history an abundance of ball.

The Tigers won eleven successive matches early in the [[1980 VFL season]] and, after a slump as injuries took toll late on the home-and-away rounds, returned to their most devastating form in the finals. They easily beat {{AFL Car}} in the Qualifying Final, withstood a powerful {{AFL Gee}} defence in the Second Semi, and set a record winning margin against a jaded {{AFL Col}} side in the [[1980 VFL Grand Final|Grand Final]]. Although [[Kevin Bartlett (Australian rules footballer)|Kevin Bartlett]] unanimously won the [[Norm Smith Medal]], Lee's form in annihilating reigning [[Brownlow Medal]]list [[Peter Moore (Australian rules footballer)|Peter Moore]] in the ruck was widely praised and Lee was seen as a "superstar" for the 1980s.

However, as it turned out Lee never lived up to what was expected of him during the 1980s.<ref>Main, Jim and Holmesby, Russell (editors); '''The Encyclopedia of League Footballers''' (1st edition); p. 248. {{ISBN|1-86337-085-4}}</ref> 1981 was a mediocre season, and 1982 began with Lee hit by a succession of injuries. He broke his wrist in a practice match and did not play until the eighth round,<ref>"Richmond Picks Brewer", in [[The Age]], 14 May 1982, p. 28</ref> then hamstring trouble kept him idle after one match until the thirteenth round.<ref>"Top Blues Hurt"; in [[The Age]], 21 May 1982, p. 26</ref> When Lee did return for good, [[Michael Roach (footballer)|Michael Roach]] had been so successful in the ruck that Lee was used initially at [[full forward]]; but though he kicked nine goals against {{AFL StK}} in Round 17 that experiment did not last. In the [[1982 VFL Grand Final]] against Carlton Lee's nullification by [[Warren Jones (footballer)|Warren "Wow" Jones]] was a decisive factor in Richmond's loss.

1983 and 1984 saw Lee back to his 1980 form as unchallenged Number One ruckman for the Tigers, in spite of the club declining to near the bottom of the ladder with only seven wins in 1983 and ten in 1984. Lee was regarded as a leading candidate for the Brownlow in both seasons and in 1984 won his club's best-and-fairest by a record margin, in the process being listed as one of the VFL "Players of the Year". However, 1985 saw a succession of major injuries begin to decimate the remainder of Mark Lee's career: he missed the second half of 1985 with medial ligament damage to his left knee and from 1986 to 1991 played just eighty-seven senior games. After two games in 1991, Lee was dropped to the reserves and he retired officially mid-season.<ref>"The 'General' Retreats" in McDonald, John; '''Football Year 91'''; pp. 130–130. {{ISBN|1-875575-04-9}}</ref> Lee then switched to Burnie Tigers in Tasmania as captain-coach for two seasons in 1992 and 1993<ref>[http://www.burniedockers.com.au/AFLplayers.htm VFL/AFL Players] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130211010538/http://www.burniedockers.com.au/AFLplayers.htm |date=11 February 2013 }}</ref> and continued as non-playing coach for one more year after merging with Burnie Hawks.

He is now a Senior Constable within Victoria Police and is currently based in his home town of Mildura.

== References ==
* Hogan P: ''The Tigers of Old'', Richmond FC, Melbourne 1996
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{AFL Tables|M/Mark_Lee}}
*{{AustralianFootball|mark+lee/11115}}


{{1980 Richmond premiership players}}
{{Richmond Football Club captains}}
{{Jack Dyer Medal}}
{{1980 All-Australian team}}
{{1983 All-Australian team}}
{{1985 All-Australian team}}
{{1983 Victoria State of Origin players}}
{{1984 Victoria State of Origin players}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Mark}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Richmond Football Club players]]
[[Category:Richmond Football Club premiership players]]
[[Category:Burnie Football Club players]]
[[Category:Victorian State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Jack Dyer Medal winners]]
[[Category:All-Australians (1953–1988)]]
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:People educated at Melbourne High School]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Australia international rules football team players]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Mildura]]