Bob Skilton
Encyclopedia
Robert John "Bob" Skilton (born 8 November 1938) was an Australian rules football
player who played as a rover for South Melbourne
and Victoria
between 1956 and 1971.
He is one of only four players to have won the Brownlow Medal
three times; in 1959 (when he tied with Verdun Howell
), and in 1963 and 1968.
He was rated by Jack Dyer
as better than Haydn Bunton, Sr and equal to Dick Reynolds
, making him one of the best players in the history of the game.
Skilton made his senior debut at the age of 17 in round five, 1956 and went on to play 237 matches for the 'Bloods' before he retired in 1971, at the time a club record. He scored 412 goals in that time and was the club's leading goalkicker on three occasions. Nicknamed 'Chimp', he showed great grit and determination and became well known for giving maximum effort at all times.
Only 171 cm tall, Skilton was particularly fast and a superb baulker, allowing him to avoid opponents when necessary. He was never shy of attacking the ball, however, and in his 16 year career suffered many injuries, including concussion
, a broken nose
four times, a broken wrist
three times and 12 black eye
s.
It was his appearance on the front page of The Sun News-Pictorial
in 1968 with two black eyes that earned him the Douglas Wilkie Medal
. The black eyes were a consequence of a severe facial injury, which included depressed fractures of his cheekbones, due to collisions in successive weeks from Footscray's Ken Greenwood
, his own teammate John Rantall
and then Len Thompson
.
An extended series of graphic photographs displaying the true extent of Skilton's injury used to be on display at the team's rooms at the Lake Oval, prior to its move to Sydney (it is not on display in Sydney and it is commonly understood that it was first removed from display at the Lake Oval as part of the effort to get Tuddenham to coach South Melbourne in 1978).
He missed the entire 1969 VFL season
after snapping an Achilles tendon in a pre-season practice match against SANFL club Port Adelaide.
One of his greatest assets was the ability to kick with both feet, a skill learned at the insistence of his father Bob Skilton senior, a track and field
athlete, and developed by spending hours kicking the ball against a wall, collecting it on the rebound
and kicking again with the other foot. It was impossible to say whether he was right or left footed, since his left foot gave greater accuracy
, but his right greater distance. He had arguably the most accurate stab kick in the game. The stab kick has now all but disappeared.
Chosen to represent his state in 25 games, Skilton captained the Victorian team in 1963 and 1965. The downside of his career was the lack of success of his club. He often said that he would trade any of his three Brownlow Medals for a Premiership or even the chance to play in a Grand Final, and felt the highest point of his career was the one occasion South Melbourne made the finals in 1970 (under the great Norm Smith
), finishing fourth after losing the first semi-final against St Kilda.
After 16 years at South Melbourne, including two years as playing coach in 1965–1966 and 9 club best and fairest awards, Skilton then played for his boyhood team, Port Melbourne in the VFA and later coached Melbourne
from 1974–1977, with a best finish of sixth. Since then, Skilton has been honoured by being named captain of the Swans' team of the century, and named in the AFL team of the century. He was also the player featured inside the cover of the booklets of stamps featuring the Swans released by Australia Post
to commemorate the centenary of the VFL/AFL.
Skilton made a speech in the post-match presentations of the 2005 AFL Grand Final
following his team's first win in 72 years.
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...
player who played as a rover for South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
between 1956 and 1971.
He is one of only four players to have won the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
three times; in 1959 (when he tied with Verdun Howell
Verdun Howell
Verdun John Howell is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL .Howell made his VFL debut with the St Kilda Football Club in 1958 after being signed from Tasmania in 1953. He initially played on the half forward line, then later as a half back before playing with the Saints as a full back...
), and in 1963 and 1968.
He was rated by Jack Dyer
Jack Dyer
John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM , always known as Jack Dyer, was one of the colossal figures of Australian rules football during two distinct careers, firstly as a player and coach of the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1931 and 1952, and later in the broadcast media for...
as better than Haydn Bunton, Sr and equal to Dick Reynolds
Dick Reynolds
Richard Sylvannus 'Dick' Reynolds was an Australian rules footballer and coach who represented Essendon and Victoria with great distinction....
, making him one of the best players in the history of the game.
Skilton made his senior debut at the age of 17 in round five, 1956 and went on to play 237 matches for the 'Bloods' before he retired in 1971, at the time a club record. He scored 412 goals in that time and was the club's leading goalkicker on three occasions. Nicknamed 'Chimp', he showed great grit and determination and became well known for giving maximum effort at all times.
Only 171 cm tall, Skilton was particularly fast and a superb baulker, allowing him to avoid opponents when necessary. He was never shy of attacking the ball, however, and in his 16 year career suffered many injuries, including concussion
Concussion of the brain
Concussion, from the Latin concutere or the Latin concussus , is the most common type of traumatic brain injury...
, a broken nose
Human nose
The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...
four times, a broken wrist
Wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
three times and 12 black eye
Black eye
A black eye , or or 'shiner', is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face rather than eye injury. The name is given due to the color of bruising. The so-called black eye is caused by bleeding beneath the skin and around the eye...
s.
It was his appearance on the front page of The Sun News-Pictorial
The Sun News-Pictorial
The Sun News-Pictorial, commonly known as The Sun, was a morning daily tabloid newspaper in Melbourne, Australia established in 1922 and closed in 1990.It was part of The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd stable of Melbourne newspapers...
in 1968 with two black eyes that earned him the Douglas Wilkie Medal
Douglas Wilkie Medal
The Douglas Wilkie Medal is an award presented to those who do the least for Australian rules football, in the best and fairest manner. An accolade presented by the Anti-Football League, it is named after Douglas Wilkie, a Sun News-Pictorial columnist who wrote for the paper during the years...
. The black eyes were a consequence of a severe facial injury, which included depressed fractures of his cheekbones, due to collisions in successive weeks from Footscray's Ken Greenwood
Ken Greenwood
Ken Greenwood is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton and Footscray in the Victorian Football League ....
, his own teammate John Rantall
John Rantall
John "Mopsy" Rantall was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.Originally from Cobden, Rantall moved to the South Melbourne Football Club where he debuted in 1963. He moved to North Melbourne Football Club with the intention of playing in a premiership side in 1973 and...
and then Len Thompson
Len Thompson
Len Thompson was an Australian rules footballer, who played for most of his career at Collingwood.-Collingwood:...
.
An extended series of graphic photographs displaying the true extent of Skilton's injury used to be on display at the team's rooms at the Lake Oval, prior to its move to Sydney (it is not on display in Sydney and it is commonly understood that it was first removed from display at the Lake Oval as part of the effort to get Tuddenham to coach South Melbourne in 1978).
He missed the entire 1969 VFL season
1969 VFL season
-Premiership season:In 1969, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
after snapping an Achilles tendon in a pre-season practice match against SANFL club Port Adelaide.
One of his greatest assets was the ability to kick with both feet, a skill learned at the insistence of his father Bob Skilton senior, a track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete, and developed by spending hours kicking the ball against a wall, collecting it on the rebound
Rebound
Rebound can refer to:In films:* Rebound , a 1931 movie starring Ina Claire and Robert Ames* Rebound , a 1959 movie starring Lyndon Brook and Jane Hylton...
and kicking again with the other foot. It was impossible to say whether he was right or left footed, since his left foot gave greater accuracy
Accuracy and precision
In the fields of science, engineering, industry and statistics, the accuracy of a measurement system is the degree of closeness of measurements of a quantity to that quantity's actual value. The precision of a measurement system, also called reproducibility or repeatability, is the degree to which...
, but his right greater distance. He had arguably the most accurate stab kick in the game. The stab kick has now all but disappeared.
Chosen to represent his state in 25 games, Skilton captained the Victorian team in 1963 and 1965. The downside of his career was the lack of success of his club. He often said that he would trade any of his three Brownlow Medals for a Premiership or even the chance to play in a Grand Final, and felt the highest point of his career was the one occasion South Melbourne made the finals in 1970 (under the great 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...
), finishing fourth after losing the first semi-final against St Kilda.
After 16 years at South Melbourne, including two years as playing coach in 1965–1966 and 9 club best and fairest awards, Skilton then played for his boyhood team, Port Melbourne in the VFA and later coached 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....
from 1974–1977, with a best finish of sixth. Since then, Skilton has been honoured by being named captain of the Swans' team of the century, and named in the AFL team of the century. He was also the player featured inside the cover of the booklets of stamps featuring the Swans released by Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
to commemorate the centenary of the VFL/AFL.
Skilton made a speech in the post-match presentations of the 2005 AFL Grand Final
2005 AFL Grand Final
The 2005 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 24 September 2005. It was the 109th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, staged to...
following his team's first win in 72 years.