George Heinz

Beginning his career with Geelong in 1910, George Heinz established himself as a sharp and elusive rover capable of pushing forward to hit the scoreboard. His tenure at the Pivot was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War, during which time he—like many Australians of German descent—adopted an Anglicised surname, playing the majority of his subsequent football as George Haines. Following the wartime disruption, he did not return to Geelong but instead crossed to Melbourne in 1919, where his pace and goal sense made him a key component of the club's post-war resurgence.

Heinz became a central figure at Melbourne, eventually earning the captaincy in 1923 and consistently featuring near the top of the club's goalkicking list. Despite his significant contribution to the team's culture and on-field performance, he departed the MCG just prior to their breakthrough 1926 premiership. After a season out of the VFL, he was recruited by St Kilda in 1927 to serve as captain-coach, a final campaign that saw him impart his experience to a struggling side before retiring as a respected leader who successfully bridged two distinct eras of the game.