Australian Football

Brian Lowe enjoyed a rich and varied playing career in five different competitions. A formidable ruckman, he commenced with Rossarden in the Fingal Football Association before transferring to NTFA side City-South in 1957. He spent four seasons with the Redlegs, building his reputation all the time, and attracting ever increasing interest from mainland clubs. After roughly 80 NTFA games, two club best and fairest awards and involvement in two local and one state premiership triumphs he was recruited by Geelong.

Low spent three years (1961-3) with the Cats, playing 36 VFL games and kicking one goal. He was a member of Geelong’s 1961 night premiership-winning team but suffered the disappointment of missing out two years later when the Cats won the only flag that really matters. Instead, in what was his last game in the famous hooped jumper, he put in a best afield performance for the reserves as they downed St Kilda in their grand final.

Returning to Tasmania in 1964 Lowe assumed the captain-coaching reins at NWFU club Cooee whom he was immediately successful in steering to a first ever senior grade premiership, with the state title following shortly afterwards. The 1965 season brought a second local flag.

There was to be no premiership hat trick but in 1966 Lowe produced arguably the best personal form of his career highlighted by captaining the NWFU representative team and being appointed vice-captain of Tasmania’s team for the Hobart carnival.

After playing roughly 50 games for Cooee, Lowe crossed to East Launceston in the NTFA in 1967 and promptly oversaw the first and only premiership victory in the club’s history. He continued with the Demons until announcing his retirement in 1971. However, he could not resist making a couple of comebacks later in the decade. In addition to his club appearances he played numerous representative games for both the NTFA and NWFU as well as eight games for Tasmania.

The final phase of Brian Lowe’s playing career came in 1979 after he had relocated to Queensland. At the age of forty he was appointed captain-coach of Gold Coast AFL Southport and rounded off his career in style by masterminding a premiership triumph.

In recognition of his many achievements Lowe has been inducted into the AFL Tasmania Hall of Fame.

Author - John Devaney