Russell Middlemiss

Recruited from Rokewood after a challenging upbringing in a Ballarat orphanage and a stint as a shearer, Russell Middlemiss became a cornerstone of Geelong’s golden era defence in the early 1950s. A dashing yet uncompromising half-back flanker, he formed a legendary rebound line alongside John Hyde and Geoff Williams that was pivotal to the Cats' back-to-back premierships in 1951 and 1952. Middlemiss was renowned for his disciplined shut-down roles, most famously blanketing Collingwood captain Lou Richards in the 1952 Grand Final, a performance that etched his name into club folklore. His on-field career was unfortunately curtailed at just 74 games by persistent knee injuries—his absence from the 1953 decider was widely cited as a key factor in the loss—but he remained a devoted servant at Kardinia Park for decades as a driving force behind the Past Players Association.