Bob Miller (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Robert 'Bob' Henry Miller (born 12 March 1941) is a former Australian Labor Party
politician. He was also an Australian rules football
er who played for Melbourne
in the Victorian Football League
(VFL) during the early 1960s.
Miller, who was used mostly as a ruck-rover or defender, was recruited to the Melbourne Football Club from Horsham. He made his debut in 1961, for a Norm Smith
coached team which had appeared in the previous seven VFL Grand Finals. Although Miller contested finals in his first three seasons, including a Preliminary Final loss in 1963, he never got to play in a premiership decider. Melbourne did make the 1964 VFL Grand Final
, which they won, but Miller wasn't selected. He retired at the end of the 1965 season, having played 69 senior games with Melbourne.
He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1970 and nine years later was elected by Prahran
into the Victorian Legislative Assembly
. Miller served two terms, both while John Cain
was premier of Victoria.
When his term ended in 1985, Miller contested the seat of Monash in the Victorian Legislative Council
but lost to the Liberal's Reg Macey.
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
politician. He was also an Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played for Melbourne
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
in the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL) during the early 1960s.
Miller, who was used mostly as a ruck-rover or defender, was recruited to the Melbourne Football Club from Horsham. He made his debut in 1961, for a Norm Smith
Norm Smith
Norman Walter "Norm" Smith was an Australian rules football player and coach in the Victorian Football League. After 200 games as a player with Melbourne and Fitzroy, Smith began a twenty year coaching career, including a fifteen year stint at Melbourne...
coached team which had appeared in the previous seven VFL Grand Finals. Although Miller contested finals in his first three seasons, including a Preliminary Final loss in 1963, he never got to play in a premiership decider. Melbourne did make the 1964 VFL Grand Final
1964 VFL Grand Final
The 1964 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Collingwood Football Club and Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 19 September 1964. It was the 68th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
, which they won, but Miller wasn't selected. He retired at the end of the 1965 season, having played 69 senior games with Melbourne.
He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1970 and nine years later was elected by Prahran
Electoral district of Prahran
Prahran is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria. It is a 12km² electorate in the inner south-east of Melbourne, taking in the suburbs of South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor, as well as parts of Balaclava, St Kilda, St Kilda East and Toorak...
into the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
. Miller served two terms, both while John Cain
John Cain II
John Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
was premier of Victoria.
When his term ended in 1985, Miller contested the seat of Monash in the Victorian Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
but lost to the Liberal's Reg Macey.