Australian Football

After playing junior football for Brunswick United, Fred Green was recruited by Essendon, for whom he made his senior debut, aged eighteen, in 1939. He was a virtual ever-present during his first three seasons in league football before naval duties began to limit his appearances. In 1944-5 he was stationed in Canberra, and was appointed captain of CANFL side Navy. Despite being only 182cm tall he played much of his football as a knock ruckman, compensating for a lack of height with his great strength and tirelessness. While with Navy he played in a premiership team in 1944 and won the Mulrooney Medal the following year.

On returning to Melbourne, Green resumed league football, initially with Essendon in 1946, and thereafter at St Kilda, where, from 1947 to 1951, he added another 67 VFL games to the 49 he had played with the Dons. He captained the club in 1949-50 and was playing coach in 1951. A St Kilda annual report described him as a "tireless ruckman, his marking and clearing dashes being the hallmark of his game, but he was not a really good kick". After he assumed the captaincy he adopted the role of on-field enforcer, with protection of smaller team mates and 'evening up' paramount among his duties.

Author - John Devaney