Stuart Spencer

DOB: 3 February, 1932
Died: 27 September, 2011

Debut: Round 1, 1950 against Carlton at MCG
Last Game: Grand Final 1956 against Collingwood at MCG

Games: 122
Goals: 146
Career Statistics (external link)

Wins	Draws	Losses	Winning %
70	1	51	57.37

From: Portland

Number: 12 1950-1956

Honours:
Premiership Player - 1955, 1956
Grand Final team - 1954
Best and Fairest - 1955, 1956
Leading Goalkicker - 1955
Team of the Century member
150 Heroes selection
Australian Football Hall of Fame member - 1995
Victorian State representative - 1955, 1956
AFL Life Member

Discarded by Geelong after the 1949 pre-season, Spencer returned to Portland and won the Portland FC best and fairest. Signed by Melbourne, Spencer started his career playing in ordinary sides early on before enjoying through a golden era for the club.

Recruited as a rover he was also used as a half-forward and in the back pocket. When Norm Smith took over as coach he threw him into the ball and Spencer won two ((Best and Fairest) awards and two premierships. It meant throwing away a certain spot in the state side, but took him from a good player to a great one. He had been no slouch in the backline, but his natural talents were wasted there. Smith said "You can go back to the back-pocket when you're 30".

Teamed with Ian Ridley, they formed one of the deadiest roving combinations of the era. In 1956 the two small men kicked 82 goals between them on route to premiership success.

In Round 5, 1956 he equalled a VFL/AFL record which still stands to this day of 0.11 in a game against Geelong. It was a soaking wet day and many of his behinds came from speculative kicks off the ground, but over three weeks he booted 18 straight behinds. When it mattered Spencer got it right though, kicking five goals in his last game - a best on ground performance in the 1956 decider.

Having missed out on receiving his 1956 Best and Fairest cup when he moved to Tasmania, Spencer was finally presented with the trophy at the Annual General Meeting in February 2010.

Spencer shocked the footballing world by moving to Tasmania to captain/coach Clarence at just 24 years of age. The move was intended to provide a supporting family environment for his wife Fay who was 8 months pregnant. The Demons attempted to convince him to stay, but his mind was already made up.

He won two TFL and two Tasmanian statewide Best and Fairest awards and captained Tasmania to a famous victory over a Victorian representative team in 1960. Spencer finally retired from playing at the age of 39, in the back pocket just as Smith had predicted but nine years late.

Spencer applied for the Demons coaching job in 1971 and 1973 and missed out bother times. He had been coaching St Virgil's College in Hobart.

Appointed to the football club board by the MCC in 1985 he was then named president of the club where he served until 1991. Ironically he handed over presidency to his former roving companion Ridley.

In June 1986 it was revealed that Spencer had met informally with Fitzroy chairman Leon Wiegard with a view to merging the two clubs. He explained that the move would only be beneficial if the new side became instant finals contenders. The side also had had informal discussions with Richmond and North Melbourne.

Spencer returned to the club board as a director in 1993 and served until 2001.