Laurie Rymer

Recruited from Hastings after reportedly being spotted as a 14-year-old prodigy playing in a local park, Laurie Rymer arrived at Collingwood with a reputation as a "boy giant" due to his advanced physical development. Because the Magpies initially lacked an under-19s outfit, he was farmed out to Ivanhoe Amateurs to develop his craft, eventually serving a patient five-year apprenticeship before his senior debut. A solidly built police officer by trade, Rymer played primarily as a ruck-rover who relied on his imposing strength, overhead marking, and a booming long kick rather than agility. Although he successfully broke into the senior lineup to play in the 1956 Grand Final, his lack of pace eventually saw him squeezed out of the side the following year. He was subsequently cleared to Preston in the VFA, where he reinvented himself as a dangerous full-forward and topped the club's goalkicking list in 1958.