Jack Howell

Recruited from the local City side, Jack Howell emerged during the Second World War to become one of the most versatile big men of his era. While primarily a ruckman, his agility and contested marking allowed him to rest effectively in the forward line, where he maintained a formidable strike rate of nearly two goals per game. This dual-threat capability was displayed famously during the brutal 1945 "Bloodbath" Grand Final against South Melbourne, where Howell's physical resilience helped secure a legendary Premiership victory for the Blues.

Howell's standing in the game was immortalised by his stellar 1947 campaign, in which he won the club Best and Fairest and featured in another Premiership triumph. That season also saw him tie for the Brownlow Medal with Essendon's Bert Deacon, though the countback system of the time initially denied him the honour. It was not until 1989 that the league retrospectively awarded him the medal, correcting the historical record. Howell remained a servant of the club until 1954, departing Princes Park as a dual Premiership player and Brownlow Medallist to take up a captain-coach role with North Hobart in Tasmania.