Leo Malachi "Sammy" Seward (3 November 1885 – 1 April 1941) was an all-round athlete, who played Australian rules football with University in the Victorian Football League (VFL) where he was regarded by his fellow players as one of the cleverest followers.

Family

The second of the five children (one of whom died in his infancy) of Stephen Seward (1853–1923), and Mary Ellen Seward (1849–1935), née Kelleher, Leo Malachi Seward (a.k.a. Leo Malachy Seward) was born at Rochester, Victoria on 3 November 1885.

Siblings

His older brother, Harrie Stephen Seward (1884–1958), was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1933 to 1950, and a Member of the Australian Senate from 1951 until his death in 1958; his younger brother, Joseph Thomas Lawrence "Tom" Seward (1889–1974), a dental surgeon, served with the First AIF; and his youngest brother, Stephen Aloysius "Steenie" Seward (1892-1982), a farmer, also served with the First AIF.

Marriage

He married Eveleen Josine McCarthy (1884-1967) the sister of Dr. Kevin McCarthy, President of the Footscray Football Club from 1926 to 1938 in Ballarat, on 19 August 1916. They had four children.

Education

He was educated at St Patrick's College, Ballarat, and at the Ballarat School of Mines.

Football

Given the conditions of the admission of the University team to the VFL competition in 1908, and because he had attended the Ballarat School of Mines, Seward was eligible to play for the University side. Whilst playing for the University team, "among his contemporaries, he was regarded as the cleverest follower of his day". Even though he played for just one season in the VFL, he played for many years in Ballarat and also a season for the Perth Football Club in the West Australian Football League. Seward, considered to be a magnificent player, bigger than most others, possessing a long kick and a strong mark, was acknowledged to be one of the finest players of his time:

All-round athlete

He was also a fine all-round sportsman.

Death

A mining engineer and then a farmer at Beverley, Western Australia, he died in Western Australia on 1 April 1941, in a motoring accident, aged 55.