Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Bruce Morrison

Known as
Bruce Morrison

Born
19 June 1923

Died
12 April 2012 (aged 88)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 24y 303d
Last game: 31y 91d

Height and weight
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 82 kg

Senior clubs
Geelong

Jumper numbers
Geelong: 1

Bruce Morrison

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
GeelongV/AFL1948-195413000.0064%9.002.4041
Total1948-195413000.0064%9.002.4041

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 5,767th player to appear, 1,689th most games played, 11,663rd most goals kickedGeelong: 516th player to appear, 111th most games played, 976th most goals kicked

Dogged, resolute and indefatigable, Bruce Morrison was the quintessential full back, and one of the finest defenders in Geelong's history. Recruited from Bairnsdale, he made an immediate impact, winning the Cats' best and fairest award in his debut season, and earning interstate selection the following year. For much of his career he formed an irrepressible back line partnership with the legendary Bernie Smith in which both players developed an almost faultless ability to provide cover for one another when it was most required.

Strong overhead, with a particularly effective spoiling technique, Morrison also displayed tremendous litheness at ground level, with his trademark sideways sprint frequently enabling him to skirt trouble. He was a superb drop kick, and his judgement of the flight of the ball was impeccable.

Bruce Morrison played a total of 130 VFL games for Geelong between 1948 and 1954, all of them on the last line of defence. (He never once troubled the scorers.) He was a member of successive premiership teams in 1951-2 and was many observers' choice as best afield in the former year.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.