Footyinfo

Laurie Dwyer

North Melbourne · “Twinkle Toes”

AFL career

201 games34 goals

Debut
R7 1956 v SME26 May 1956
Most recent
R20 1970 v RCH15 Aug 1970

Stats

1970
NTH
6
14.2
4.5
18.7
3.0
3.7
1.8
0.8
0.3
1969
NTH
18
18.1
4.0
22.1
3.0
3.6
1.9
0.1
0.1
1968
NTH
19
17.0
2.2
19.2
2.2
2.1
1.5
0.3
0.4
1967
NTH
14
23.9
3.1
27.0
3.6
3.4
1.3
0.2
0.1
1966
NTH
15
17.6
1.6
19.2
2.6
2.7
1.3
0.3
0.2
1964
NTH
10
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.0
-
1963
NTH
18
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.1
-
1962
NTH
16
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.0
-
1961
NTH
18
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.2
-
1960
NTH
17
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.2
-
1958
NTH
20
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.0
-
1957
NTH
18
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.2
-
1956
NTH
12
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.2
-
League
Season
RCH
AS
R20
15
3
18
3
6
0
0
0.0
FSC
WO
R19
15
6
21
3
4
2
0
0.1
ESS
AS
R18
8
2
10
2
3
3
0
4.1
COL
VP
R17
13
3
16
0
3
3
0
1.0
FIT
AS
R16
16
7
23
6
2
2
0
0.0
CAR
WP
R15
18
6
24
4
4
1
0
0.0

Profile

Born
06 Nov 1938
Died
17 Oct 2016 (aged 77y 346d)
Birthplace
North Melbourne, VIC
Height
173 cm
Weight
65 kg

Teams

Honours

Laurie Dwyer continued a proud family tradition at North Melbourne, following in the footsteps of his father Leo to become one of the premier wingmen of his generation. Debuting as a teenager in 1956, Dwyer utilised his background as a champion ballroom dancer to great effect on the football field, earning the nickname "Twinkle Toes" for his immaculate balance, evasiveness, and blistering pace. His ability to skirt packs and drive the ball forward made him a standout performer during a lean era for the club, famously finishing runner-up in the Brownlow Medal count in both 1961 and 1967 while winning the Syd Barker Medal in the same seasons.

A graceful and fair ball-winner, Dwyer became just the third North Melbourne player to reach the 200-game milestone, serving the club with distinction across fifteen seasons. His standing among the Kangaroos' all-time greats was formalised with his selection on the wing in the North Melbourne Team of the Century. The Dwyer legacy extended beyond his retirement in 1970, as his sons David and Anthony both went on to represent the club at senior level, ensuring the family name remained synonymous with Arden Street for decades.