SOUTH Melbourne Brownlow medallist Fred Goldsmith has passed away, aged 84.

Recruited from Spotswood, Goldsmith played for South Melbourne between 1951 and 1959 in a VFL career spanning 119 games.

He won the Brownlow Medal as a full-back in 1955, having been recruited as a defender.

Goldsmith moved to full-forward in 1956, and won South's Melbourne's leading goalkicking award in 1957 with 43.

He spent the rest of his playing days on the forward line.

Goldsmith was named on the bench in the Sydney Swans Team of the Century in 2003, and was inducted into the Swans Hall of Fame in 2009.

Sydney will wear black armbands during their Thursday match against West Coast at Domain Stadium as a tribute.