Born 1865 – died April 12, 1936

At Carlton

91 matches (approx.), 40 goals unknown 1885-’89

Captain 1887-’89

Premiership captain 1887 (VFA)

Tommy Leydin was recruited to Carlton from The Avenue on the cusp of the 1885 season. On joining the club, he made a telling impression as a key defender, and club leadership ensued.

Leydin’s feats as Carlton captain earned him many plaudits through Carlton’s VFA Premiership season. A newspaper scribe wrote: “The captain (T. Leydin) plays centre back. He is particularly fitted for this post, being very cool and safe, and hard to pass. He invariably goes straight for the ball, having the happy knack of evading his opponents, and getting away with the sphere without touching the man marking him”.

Leydin would later find his niche up forward - and in 1886 topped his club’s goalkicking honours with 22 goals of the collective 131-goal tally posted by the team in that season. At the Carlton Annual General Meeting in April 1887, he was presented with a gold medal for “excellent play”.

Leydin captained Carlton to its second VFA Grand Final victory in that 1887 season and he led the way through 1888 and ‘89. A reporter for The Australasian newspaper noted: “Tommy Leydin’s on-field leadership encompassed the seasons in which Carlton finished first, third and second. At the time he was the only captain since Carlton’s inception to have been elected to that leadership role for three seasons in succession”.

In 1890, having strung together more than 90 games for the club, Leydin switched to inner city neighbour Fitzroy. He would represent the ’Roys in a further 62 matches to 1893.

On Leydin’s passing in April 1936, a correspondent for The Age wrote:

“Old-timers still refer to his excellent play and leadership when captained the famous Carlton side that won the Jubilee premiership”.