Jim Main's greatest 100: Laurie Dwyer
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SEVERAL "average" footballers have won the Brownlow Medal, and many champions have missed out. North Melbourne winger Laurie Dwyer went very close to winning the coveted medal twice, but never managed to go one better. To do so would have been a fitting reward for one of the game's most brilliant centre line players.
Dwyer was a football rarity - a dazzling winger. He knew every twist and turn, and could spin on the proverbial threepenny bit. He always used the ball well and despite lack of inches was always willing to dive into packs for the ball.
Laurie Dwyer might have been small, but he was all heart and the North fans knew it. They loved it when Dwyer played on the grandstand wing at the Arden Street ground. It seemed to lift the little champion and he burnt for his adoring fans. And heaven help the man who tried to upend him. An army of big North players would descend on the culprit and the grandstand would rock with the hooting. The trouble was that Dwyer, because of his sheer brilliance, often became a target, and he copped many serious injuries. But he was always back on his feet and into the thick of it as soon as possible. He was that type of footballer.
Dwyer joined North Melbourne in 1956, soon earning himself a regular place on the wing. That continued until the start of the 1959 season when he copped a serious injury which put him out for a season. That was the first of many serious injuries to follow.
Despite standing out of football for a year, Dwyer was in devastating form in 1960. He finished third in the Brownlow count, behing Footscray‘s John Schultz and Fitzroy's Kevin Murray, Everyone tipped that Dwyer would one day win a medal. And those critics expected it to be the following season when he again showed all his brilliance.
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If anything Dwyer had an even brighter season in 1961, and many journalists rated him a hot Brownlow favorite. He finished runner-up behind Carlton's John James, going down by 21 votes to 19. It was a bitter disappointment to Dwyer, but he was still young, with many years of football ahead of him. The only trouble was that Dwyer from then on hardly played a full season. He always seemed to run into one injury or another, and was often troubled by a back complaint. Still, he gave it everything for his club.
Dwyer overcame his injury problems and by 1967 was firing again, although by now in the twilight of his career. Dwyer again finished runner-up in the Brownlow, this time to St Kilda rover Ross Smith, who polled 24 votes to Dwyer’s 17. Dwyer struggled on as usual, with a new target in mind. He was determined to play 200 senior VFL games. However, he contracted glandular fever in early 1970, not being available for the North side until late in the season.
He finally made the seniors in time to play his 200th game. In fact, he ended up playing 201. However, it had taken him 16 seasons to reach his target, and it had taken its toll. He had slowed down a little over his last couple of seasons, although he could still outrun and out-think younger players. The little fellow with the dancing feet played for North Reserves when they were short in 1971, but has since retired to his northern suburbs sports shop.
In his playing days Dwyer was known as Twinkletoes because he was once Australian Ballroom dancing champion. No nickname could have been more appropriate. Dwyer literally danced his opponents off their feet, and it was a joy to watch - and not only for North supporters who loved him dearly for his many talents.
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