Ron Baggott

Ron Baggott was a lynchpin of Melbourne's dynasty in the late 1930s and early 1940s, arriving at the club as the younger brother of Richmond premiership player Jack Baggott. A childhood friend of club icon Norm Smith, he broke into the senior side in 1935 and became a fixture of Frank 'Checker' Hughes' famous lineup. His career was paused during his prime when he enlisted in the RAAF, missing two full seasons during World War II, but he returned to complete a distinguished tenure in the red and blue before finishing his playing days as captain-coach of Brunswick in the VFA.

Standing at centre half-forward, Baggott was often described as having a "loose" build, yet he was deceptively strong overhead and highly effective on the lead. He formed a lethal combination with Smith, often acting as the high-roaming foil to the full-forward while still possessing the accuracy to hit the scoreboard heavily himself, topping the club's goalkicking in 1937. His contributions were central to the Demons' historic premiership hat-trick from 1939 to 1941, a period of dominance where he also claimed the 1940 Best and Fairest to cement his status as a club great.