Bert Chadwick

Bert Chadwick’s path to VFL stardom was forged in the most unconventional of settings: the desert sands of the Middle East during World War I. Having enlisted in the Australian Flying Corps as a teenager, he only took up Australian rules seriously while deployed in Egypt. Upon returning home, he joined Prahran in the VFA before boldly writing to the Melbourne Football Club to request a trial. He quickly established himself as a formidable presence at centre half-back and in the ruck, using his towering 185cm frame, massive hands, and "rugged" playstyle to dominate aerial contests and clear paths for his teammates.

"Big Bert" became the spiritual leader of the Demons, rising to the position of captain-coach and orchestrating the club's famous 1926 premiership victory, breaking a 26-year drought. He famously finished runner-up in the inaugural Brownlow Medal of 1924, missing out by a single vote. In a gesture that typified his character, Chadwick left Melbourne in 1929 to serve as captain-coach of the struggling Hawthorn side, aiming to help the league's newest and weakest entrant find its feet. He later returned to Melbourne as an administrator, presiding over the club's golden era in the 1950s and eventually being knighted as Sir Albert Chadwick.