After being chased initially by Carlton,[1] McMahon joined Hawthorn in 1961. A centre half back, he came from Traralgon and made his VFL debut in a win over North Melbourne at Arden Street in round four. Hawthorn went on to win their first ever premiership later in the year but McMahon made no further appearances that season. He appeared for Hawthorn four times in 1962 and spent the rest of his time in the reserves.[2]
McMahon spent the rest of the decades in Tasmania, where he had a productive career. Apart from playing with Glenorchy, whom he won a 'Best and Fairest with in 1965, McMahon appeared for both the league and state in representative football. He was a Tasmanian representative at the 1966 Hobart and 1969 Adelaide Carnival. The defender also won a Lefroy Medal in 1965, the same year he was a member of Glenorchy's TANFL premiership team. He spent the 1966 season in the NWFU with Burnie and participated in another premiership. He is on the interchange bench in Glenorchy's official Team of the Century.
References
^The Age, "Star Defender for Blues Game", 23 March 1961, p. 14
Victoria (VFL) 26.24 (180) defeated Tasmania 11.13 (104), at North Hobart Oval, 9 June 1966, crowd: 20,047 Tasmania 19.27 (141) defeated Victoria (VFA) 7.11 (53), at North Hobart Oval, 11 June 1966, crowd: 23,764 Western Australia 17.13 (115) defeated Tasmania 16.10 (106), at North Hobart Oval, 16 June 1966, crowd: 10,199 South Australia 14.7 (91) defeated Tasmania 9.13 (67), at North Hobart Oval, 18 June 1966, crowd: 23,368
