Born: 29 December 1928
- Died August 9, 2008
Recruited: Koondrook FC
Played: 1950 - 1961
Debut Order: 412
First game: Round 12, 1950
Final game: Round 14, 1961
Games: 192
Goals: 78
Guernsey: 27
Vice-Captain: 1955-1958
Best & Fairest: 1956
2nd Best & Fairest: 1952, 1954
3rd Best & Fairest: 1951, 1953, 1955, 1957
Match committee: 1971 - 1973
Reserves Coach: 1972 - 1973
Reserves Premiers: 1972
Life Member: 1959
Team of the Century: 2001
Hall of Fame Inductee: 2011
VFL / AFL Honours
State Representative 4
Roy Simmonds earned a reputation of being one of the great Clubmen of his beloved Hawks. He was very popular with both his teammates and fans alike and gain great fame leading many a rendition of the club song with his banjo.
Simmonds was also one of the most consistent players to pull on a guernsey for the Hawks. He finished in the top three of the Best & Fairest for seven consecutive years, winning the award in 1956. Only Leigh Matthews and Michael Tuck have a better record of consistency at this level.
As a player he was versatile and courageous, being particularly strong and could play with equal effectiveness as a rover or in the back pocket. Simmonds was also quick and being strong would attack the ball fiercely, pushing the opposition aside and lifting the side with his inspiring dashes down the ground.
The year he won the Best & Fairest, 1956 he represented Victoria four times in the VFL Carnival. Sadly, he missed a place in the 1961 premiership through injury. “Simmo”, as he was popularly known, was the idol of the Hawks faithful; he became the face, or the voice of Hawthorn through his role as a panel member on the popular radio show, London Stores and the early years of TV’s World of Sport.
Simmonds served on the Match Committee for three years and was appointed Coach of the Reserves in 1972, winning the Premiership that year.
He was one of a group of former players who continued to give ongoing service to the Club from the time they joined in the early 1950s. They attended training sessions weekly to ‘watch over their boys’, as they put it and only offered their encouragement when asked.
His status as a team-player was rewarded when he as named on the Inter-change bench in Hawthorn’s Team of the Century in 2001.
Roy Simmonds