MELBOURNE great Noel McMahen has been awarded this year’s Hans Ebeling Award.

McMahen received the award at the annual Melbourne Cricket Club sporting sections dinner at the MCG on Wednesday night.

Perpetuating the memory of one of the MCC's greatest contributors – as player and administrator – the Hans Ebeling Award was introduced in 1981 to honour those who have given outstanding service to the MCC’s Sporting Sections.

McMahen, who originally hailed from Mordialloc, captained Melbourne in the 1955-56 premierships, having already played in the victorious 1948 side.

After his retirement, he took up a coaching position with country side Rochester, where his success led to a stint as the coach of South Melbourne from 1962-64.

Renowned as one of the toughest customers in the game, McMahen had famous battles with the likes of Collingwood’s Bob Rose, but also treasured the camaraderie of the era, and remained involved with Melbourne over the decades in an administrative and directing role.

McMahen was one of nine players to make their debut in 1946. He played every game in 1947 and was joint winner of the most improved player award. He also won best utility player award in 1948.

He was one of only four players to play every game in 1950 and won the most improved player award. He also played every game in 1951 and was winner of the best and fairest.

In 1952, McMahen was only prevented from playing all games by Victorian representation. In 1953, he was named Melbourne’s vice captain and in 1954, McMahen came second in the best and fairest and was again named vice captain. 

He was a Victorian representative in 1952 and 1954 and was made a life member of the Melbourne Football Club in 1955. Also in 1955, McMahen was the recipient of an outstanding service trophy. He was lauded in many quarters, not least of all from within the Club itself:

“It falls to the lot of few Captains to lead a Premiership team, five only having enjoyed the great honour for Melbourne ... In Noel McMahen we have had a Captain well qualified to stand with these giants of the past.  No team this season had a more inspiring leader than Noel.  Probably the strongest and most vigorous player playing league football today, he led his team in such a manner that they instinctively followed the magnificent example he set; his leadership undoubtedly went a long way towards making the team play as it did this season.  It is to be hoped that our State selectors keep the value of this great hearted player in mind next season, as no better player could be selected to lead the State team than Noel McMahen.” – From 1955 Melbourne Football Club annual report

In 1956, McMahen led the way as captain of the eventual ‘Olympic Premiers’. In 2004, this entire team was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

He was hailed upon his retirement in 1956.

“His inspiring leadership, his determination to achieve victory, and his relentless strength so often used to his side’s advantage will be remembered by us all for many years.” – 1956 Melbourne Football Club annual report

McMahen remains a much honoured part of the Melbourne Football Club. A member of the Team of the Century, an inductee in the club’s Hall of Fame, and made a ‘Hero’ for the club’s 150^th in 2008.

Since the late 1960s, McMahen continued his involvement in the club.

He was a board member from 1969-73, 1975 and 1977-78. Within this, he was the club’s chairman of selectors from 1971-73 and director of football in 1977-78.

From 1992-94, McMahen was vice president/director of business and in 1996, he was the chairman of coterie.

Noel McMahen
Date of birth: October 30, 1926
Playing career: 1946-1956
Guernsey: No.35
Games: 175, Goals: 28
Premierships: 1948, 1955-56
Captain: 1955-56
Vice-captain: 1953-54
Best and fairest: 1951
Interstate representative: 1952, 1954
Life Member: 1955
MFC Director: 1971-72, 1975, 1977-78
MFC Vice President: 1992-94
MFC Team of the Century: 2000
MFC Hall of Fame Inductee: 2001

About Hans Ebeling (1905-1980) – from Melbourne Cricket Club website

As a promising 16-year-old cricketer at Caulfield Grammar School, Hans Ebeling was awarded an "Exhibitioner's Ticket" (two years' honorary membership of the MCC) in 1921 to commence a 59-year association with the club as player and honorary administrator/official.

Hans was an upright man – physically and ethically – and few people in our long history have matched his zeal and loyalty to the MCC on and off the field. When elected to the presidency, he had been a committeeman for 45 years (1934-79), including 24 years as a vice-president.

Tragically, Hans died aged 75 within his first year of office as MCC president.

However, Honorary Life Member (1959) Ebeling had long since left his imprimatur on club activities as a fine cricketer at club and first class levels, chairman of the MCC Bowls Section (1963-75) and a dominant figure in the conception and staging of the Centenary Test on the MCG in March 1977.

In retirement from a vocation which often had denied him the necessary time to fully develop his cricketing talent, Hans devoted his leisure hours exclusively to club matters.

He introduced the MCC's volunteer guides (1977), supervised the expansion of the pictorial collection and produced an authoritative research document on the pre-history and subsequent formation of the Victorian Cricket Association.

The career highlight of fast-medium bowler and lower order batsman Ebeling was his selection for the 1934 Ashes-winning Australian tour to England.

He performed creditably in his only Test, the fifth and deciding Test at The Oval, claiming the great Walter Hammond as the first of his three wickets and scoring a valuable 41 batting at number ten in Australia's second innings.  For Victoria (1923-38) he captured 117 wickets at 31.17 with best figures 7 for 33 (inc. hat trick) against Queensland in 1928-29.

A firm tactician and strong disciplinarian, Hans led Victoria (1934-38) to two Sheffield Shield wins in four seasons and as skipper (1932-39) guided MCC to five VCA premierships. He won the club's bowling average seven times, enjoying his best season in 1932-33 with 62 wickets at 12.01.