Brian Dixon

DOB: 20 May, 1936
Debut: Round 5, 1954 against Richmond at MCG
Last Game: Round 20, 1968 against Richmond at MCG

Games: 252
Goals: 41
Career Statistics

From: Melbourne High School

Number: 9 1954-1968

Honours:
Premiership Player - 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964
Grand Final Runner-Up - 1954, 1958
All Australian - 1961
Life Member
Team of the Century - Winger
150 Heroes selection

One of the finest wingers of the post World War II era, Dixon was a prolific possession winner, even if his disposal sometimes let him down. He joined Melbourne from Melbourne High School and worked his way through the ranks to the senior side where he played in a grand final in his first year.

Dixon missed the 1955 Grand Final victory after being dropped for playing in a university match just before the finals.

Breaking back into the side next year he joined Frank Adams and Laurie Mithen in the best centreline in the competition. While some criticised his kicking, he more than made up for it with his relentless and ferocious attack on the ball.

After playing in the second and third flags of the Demons mid 50's three-peat - best on ground in the '57 Prelim, and one of the best in the Grand Final, Dixon blamed himself for the 1958 loss and contemplated going to the country.

He stayed in Melbourne and was best on ground in the 1959 Grand Final victory, and won the best and fairest along wit his fourth premiership in 1960. In 1961 he also picked up the Tassie Medal as best and fairest in the National Football League State Carnival. He was promoted to vice-captain in 1963 to replace Laurie Mithen who had joined Port Melbourne as a captain/coach.

After missing five games through injury after damaging his hamstring in 1965, Dixon suffered as set-back in the 1966 pre-season when he reinjured the leg during a match race pitting Melbourne and Geelong players against each other. Despite the injury he played the first seven games of the season before injury struck again and a knee complaint caused him to miss five weeks. He returned for the round 13 win over Hawthorn, and injured the knee again. In total he played just 11 matches for the year during a season where he'd pulled to within striking distance of the club games record despite suggestions he was going to retire to concentrate on his political career.

In 1964, while still playing, Dixon was elected to the Victorian parliament as the Liberal member for St. Kilda. He retained the seat until 1982, most memorably in 1979 when his narrow victory allowed the Liberal party to form a majority government. On the day of the Round 3, 1967 match against St Kilda, Dixon was put in the unique position of having to fight a football match against and a State Election for St Kilda on the same day.

Dixon played in five Melbourne premiership sides and had the better of even the finest of rival wingers, but by 1967, having hit 31, he was beginning to slow down and a suggestion by Norm Smith that he retire threatened to reopen the wounds of Smith's brief departure from the club two years before when many supporters of the coach thought Dixon had been reporting back to the committee on what he had been telling them. Dixon declined the offer to give the game away and was picked the next week with all involved denying that there was any sort of falling out.

He ended the 1967 season under an injury cloud again, and was forced to undergo a knee cartilage operation or risk not being able to play again. THe operation was a success and in Round 13, 1968 he became the first Demon to play 250 games. He retired at the end of that year and joined the committee.

Dixon, who played briefly with VFA club Prahran before injury forced him into retirement again, was a member of the MFC committee until the end of 1970 when he resigned to take up a position with North Melbourne. He coached the Kangaroos in 1971-72 when he was offered a position in Rupert Hamer's cabinet as long as he gave up the coaching caper.

After losing his parliamentary seat at the 1982 State Election Dixon served as Sydney Swans general manager until he was sacked in May 1983

Dixon was a prominent figure in the 1996 anti-merger campaign. As the most fervently anti-merger of all ex-players Dixon introduced Joseph Gutnick to the club and gave a fiery speech at the Dallas Brookes Hall vote which savagely attacked his old teammate Ian Ridley. Dixon was originally slated to be a Vice-President of the club under Gutnick but after his outburst at the meeting he didn't even manage to win a spot on the committee.

He served as president of the Past-Players association in 2001 and is now president of AFL South Africa.

Dixon was named on the Team of the Century wing opposite Robbie Flower.

Lists
100 Plus Consecutive Games

Links
Wikipedia profile

Media
"Dixon breaks down" - The Age 22/02/1966
"Smith told Dixon to retire but still in team" - The Age 12/05/1967
"Surgery for Brian Dixon" - The Age 08/11/1967