Bob Muir

Born in the Western Australian goldfields before his family relocated to the Magpies' heartland, Bob Muir was a rugged defender whose career was defined by the difficulty of breaking into Jock McHale’s legendary "Machine" lineup. Recruited from Fairfield, he was a physically imposing back pocket known for his "quiet" demeanour off the field and his ability to "fight like a threshing machine" on it, a trait that occasionally led to tribunal trouble, including a severe eight-week suspension for kicking in 1931. Despite being on the list during Collingwood’s record-breaking four consecutive premierships, the sheer depth of the squad meant Muir never played in a Grand Final, and he even spent the entire 1930 season playing in Tasmania with Longford to escape the frustration of the reserves. He finally secured a regular senior spot in 1932, enjoying his most consistent campaign, but was surprisingly released at the end of the year, eventually winding down his VFL career with brief stints at Footscray and Fitzroy.