Nicknamed "Curly" due to his mop of wavy black hair, Austin was a player with a distinctive unorthodox kicking style whose athleticism, intelligence and courage enabled him to be used in a variety of roles in defence, whether as a second full-back or on rovers resting in the forward pocket.
In Round 14 of the 1977 VFL season, Carlton faced second-placed Hawthorn at Princes Park, needing a win to secure their place in the Top Five.
I know he (Hudson) had a couple of shots for goal which he missed, thankfully, as it would have been a different story.”[1]Having already played on Hudson prior to this game, Austin knew what to expect and had devised his own strategy to counter the star full forward: “I was aware of the fact that he used to sneak out the back door a bit, so it was more about me playing off him and getting the ball to ground.
I needed blokes coming over the top to help with the spoil as well.”[1]Austin was part of the 1979 premiership side, but missed out in 1981 and 1982 due to injury.
[2] However, football fans across Melbourne galvanized in a historic fundraising effort to clear Footscray's considerable debt, ensuring that the merger would not proceed.