Jack Moriarty

Widely regarded as the subject of one of the greatest recruiting blunders in VFL history, Jack Moriarty began his career at Essendon before becoming a Fitzroy icon. Despite showing promise in his debut 1922 season, the Bombers felt he lacked the stature required for a key forward and cleared him to the Maroons, a decision that would haunt Essendon for a decade. Standing only 175cm, Moriarty defied the physical conventions of the full-forward position, relying on blistering pace off the mark and astute reading of the play rather than brute strength. He was a master of the drop kick and possessed an uncanny ability to find space in a crowded goal square, often leaving defenders trailing in his wake as he led for the ball.

Moriarty’s impact at Brunswick Street was immediate, as he topped the league goalkicking table in 1924 and remained a prolific scorer throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s. He was particularly renowned for his accuracy and his ability to snap goals from difficult angles, compensating for his lack of overhead dominance with supreme ground-level skills. He retired holding the all-time goalkicking record for Fitzroy, booting 626 goals for the club—a benchmark that stood unchallenged for the remainder of the club's existence as a standalone entity.