Tony Ongarello

Recruited from Thornbury YCW, Tony Ongarello was a charismatic and high-flying full forward who became a cult hero at the Brunswick Street Oval. Of Italian heritage—a rarity in the VFL during the 1950s—he grew up supporting Richmond but slipped through Collingwood’s recruiting zone to sign with Fitzroy. He immediately made his presence felt as a formidable spearhead, using his background as a junior high jump record holder to dominate in the air. A natural showman, Ongarello led Fitzroy's goalkicking on three separate occasions (1952, 1956, and 1958), endearing himself to the faithful with his spectacular marking and colourful personality.

Despite his aerial dominance, Ongarello is most famous for a unique chapter in VFL history born from his struggles with accuracy. During a game against Geelong in 1955, after spraying several set shots, he decided to dig a divot in the turf and attempt a place kick—a skill that had largely vanished from the game decades earlier. He successfully converted the goal and kicked another shortly after, securing his place in the record books as the last player to score a goal using the technique in senior VFL competition. He retired in 1960 and later became a familiar face on ABC television panels, remembered as much for his gentlemanly demeanour as for that final, historic swing of the boot.