Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Ian Brewer

Known as
Ian Brewer

Born
15 June 1936

Died
15 April 2010 (aged 73)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 20y 15d
Last game: 25y 65d

Height and weight
Height: 188 cm
Weight: 89 kg

Senior clubs
Collingwood; Claremont; Norwood

Jumper numbers
Collingwood: 38, 6, 5

Recruited from
St. Kilda (1963); Claremont (1965); Norwood (1967); Wangaratta Rovers (1970)

Family links
Ross Brewer (Brother)

Ian Brewer

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
CollingwoodV/AFL1956-1961841641.9561%6.602.401
ClaremontWANFL1963-1964431052.44
NorwoodSANFL1965-1966, 1970441794.07
Wangaratta RoversOMFL1967-1969
Total1956-1961, 1963-19701714482.62

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 6,721st player to appear, 2,895th most games played, 572nd most goals kickedCollingwood: 585th player to appear, 232nd most games played, 41st most goals kicked

He is a quick lead - not fast of foot, but alertly quick off the mark...¹

Key position forward Ian Brewer had the rare distinction of enjoying top level success in the three main football states. At Collingwood he impressed as a full forward, kicking 164 goals in 84 VFL games between 1956 and 1961, which included topping the league list with 73 goals in 1958. He headed the Magpies' goal kicking ladder twice, and was at full forward in the 1958 premiership decider when the Woods upset firm flag favourites Melbourne by three goals. Earlier that season, on the Queen's Birthday holiday, he had produced arguably his most memorable performance for Collingwood in booting 6 of the side's 10 goals in an 11-point loss to Melbourne in front of an all time record VFL home and away crowd of 99,346.

In 1962 he crossed to St Kilda, but proved unable to break into the senior side. As a result, he seems to have decided that a change of scenery might suit him, and travelled to Western Australia. He spent the next couple of seasons with Claremont where, playing mainly as a centre half forward, he booted 55 goals to top the club's list in 1963, and was a member of its sensational "rags to riches" premiership team the following year.

The next stop was the SANFL where Brewer lined up with Norwood. In 1965 he was the competition's outstanding forward, missing the elusive ton by just 4 goals. He also topped Norwood's list with 76 goals the following year. After three years spent captain-coaching Wangaratta Rovers in the Ovens and Murray Football League he made a somewhat faltering return with the Redlegs in 1970, when his 3 appearances for the season gave him a career total of 171 league games comprised of 84 with Collingwood, 43 with Claremont, and 44 for Norwood.

Author - John Devaney

Footnotes

1. “SA Football Budget”, 14/6/64, page 12.

Sources

Full Points Footy's SA Football Companion, Crème de la Crème

Footnotes

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