John Brady

Recruited from Benalla in 1952 after schooling at Assumption College, John Brady quickly established himself as a versatile key position player for North Melbourne. While he was capable of holding down centre half-back, he played his best football at centre half-forward, where his superb overhead marking and surprising pace for a big man made him a difficult matchup. He was widely regarded as a natural footballer with a high footy IQ, traits that saw him win the Syd Barker Medal and finish equal sixth in the Brownlow Medal in 1954.

Brady's standing at Arden Street was significant, leading the club as captain from 1957 until his departure at the end of the 1959 season. He was a regular representative for Victoria, donning the Big V in three separate years, and remained a high-performing player right until the end of his VFL tenure, finishing runner-up in the club best and fairest in his final year. He left the league to take up a lucrative captain-coach role with Ararat, later returning to the Goulburn Valley where he steered Shepparton City United to a premiership.