Brian Gleeson was educated at St Pats Ballarat. In all probability he was a boarder there and those who attended St Pats in the fifties would know how tough the boarding house could be. As a country boy from Berrigan he was used to the rough and tumble of junior football in the bush. His brother Terry had been snaffled by the Demons but the Saints Coach Les Foote used his legendary status to convince young Brian to make Junction Oval his home.
His early career saw him holding down the key Centre Half forward position. He was a great mark and quick and agile over the ground. There is absolutely no doubt he would be a star today.
As he became more seasoned and confident his status grew and it wasn’t surprising to see opposition clubs double team him to prevent his influence on the game. In that era such a tactic was almost unheard of, but the boy from Berrigan had arrived big time.
In 1956 when Alan Killigrew turned the club upside down only a handful of players remained on the list from the previous year. Three key players in what ended up being an emerging StKilda line up were Brian Gleeson, Neil Roberts, Keith Drinan still going strong with Bill Young a new recruit. Also there in 1956 was an amazing player called Neville Linney who played only a handful of games. Making the state side in his first year he was to become the 1950s Rod Owen but that’s another story.
Killigrew decided to give Brian plenty of room and played him in the Ruck. He had tremendous spring and his fine palming to his rovers made him the most dangerous ruckman in the VFL. Brian Gleeson recalls an incident in the 1956 night series that was somewhat prophetic.
“What many did not realise, is that Alan Killigrew also had a great skill in making his point with an individual player at moments when they were most receptive. As an example, I recall a conversation after the first night game at South Melbourne in 1956. Under low quality lights I had been brutally treated throughout the game. This crescendoed when I was KO’d, and culminated into a brawl involving 30 players.
After the game I was sitting alone, contemplating whether I ever wanted to play football again, when Alan Killigrew approached me. He knew how I felt. He praised my courage and perseverance in the adverse circumstances and encouraged me to hang in. He said, “You’ve got enough of what it takes to win a Brownlow Medal”.
At age 21 Brian Gleeson commenced the 1957 season as a great Ruckman and finished 1957 as the standout player in the league. Week after week I watched him dominate. He received umpires votes in at 10 matches and in my estimation was in the best six in the rest of the games. But when you are 8 yrs old and he was my hero, what else would I think. He represented the Big V in 1957 and a number of times from 1953 to 1957, five in all.
On the night of the Brownlow Medal count I sat expectantly beside the radio. In 1956 I had expected Brian to win, or if not Brian. Neil Roberts my other all time hero, or if not Neil some other Saint like Harold Davies but my hopes were dashed when a nobody, well a nobody in my eyes, from Footscray won the Brownlow, a winger come Centre man called Peter Box. So my heart was in my mouth as the winner was announced.
“Brian Gleeson StKilda is the winner of the 1957 Brownlow medal ‘’
The joy in the totally Saint household at 45 Camden St, StKilda was infectious.
It spread out into the street and then down to the Greyhound Hotel the next day where Bill Grant local Brickie, Jackie Mac, local good bloke, Col (Kelly) Mansell honorary Saint supporter, the Cafarrella brothers, the Boase boys, Len Stephenson local Copper and the two very little Grants drinking Raspberry lemonade were several hours celebrating this great win. The Greyhound was alive that day.
The Saints didn’t make the finals in 1957. What was new, it was our heritage in the fifties but things were getting better, or were they?
We all ventured down to the Lakeside oval for the Night premiership games. It was thought the Saints would go close to the night premiership. This was a night competition for sides not competing in the finals and we were a real chance.
I was in the rooms prior to the first game. Len Stephenson who was on the committee and a great neighbour introduced me to Brian Gleeson who suggested I lead the side out as the club mascot. This was a regular thing in the fifties with lots of boys lining up for the honour. I was so happy running out beside the reigning Brownlow medallist that I ran lap after lap before falling over. But the Saints joy was to be short-lived. Why? In 1958 aged 22yrs Brian Gleeson was appointed Captain of StKilda. In a pre season practice match he damaged his knee and never played football again.
This devastating moment in StKilda’s history and absolute tragedy for Brian Gleeson occurred in a second of football.
Brian Gleeson would have gone on to win more Brownlows, he was simply that good. I suppose the irony is his talent may have outshone Neil Robert’s great win in 1958 and even Verdun Howell’s Brownlow in 1959. Something good has to come from something so bad!
Brian Gleeson attempted a comeback to football in 1962 in Queensland where he had moved. He damaged his other knee in the first moments of the game and slipped into short-term obscurity. Brian didn’t leave it at that though. He came back to Victoria and despite the devastation of his injury he involved himself in the club he loved. In 1966 when the Saints won our only Premiership Brian Gleeson was there, Ruck Coach and mentor to Alan Morrow and Brian Mynott. Who else would Yabbie Jeans have called on to support our boys through this finals race?
Brian Gleeson should be a name that every StKilda fan is aware of. All players and supporters should be aware of the great players of the past and Brian Gleeson is a must, right up there near the top of the list. He is a wonderful candidate for the Saints Hall of Fame.
When as an older man I sit back and look at the precocious talent of Spider Everitt and how he has yet to fully utilise his talent I can’t help but wonder if he knew about Brian Gleeson and if he did whether it would have changed him. You have to wonder don’t you.
