Brian Walsh (footballer born 1934)

Brian J. Walsh (25 October 1934 - 20 August 2010) was an Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Walsh started his career as a centreman, with Ormond Amateurs, in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.^[1][2] He was recruited to the VFL by St Kilda coach Alan Killigrew, who had coached Walsh when he was a junior with CBC St Kilda.^[2]

At St Kilda he played in the back pocket, forming a strong defence, which had two Brownlow Medal winners, Neil Roberts and Verdun Howell.^[2] Roberts has been quoted saying Walsh was the best player in the back six.^[2]

His 131 league games, between 1956 and 1964, included two finals.^[3]

Walsh didn't kick a goal for St Kilda, although he did manage a goal for an opposition team.^[1][2] The goal came when St Kilda were playing Carlton at Junction Oval, in the fourth round of the 1958 season.^[2][3] Due to the pressure from Carlton players, Walsh rushed a kick, which went through the opposition's goal posts.^[2] Normally this would be a behind, but the field umpire Bill Barbour gave the all-clear for the goal umpire to signal a goal, despite not having had clear vision of the kick.^[2][4] In newspaper scorecards, Walsh was listed as one of Carlton's goal-kickers, but records now give the goal to Carlton rover Doug Beasy.^[2][5][6]

He played for the Cobram Football Club after leaving St Kilda.^[7]

References