Australian rules football stars in the Menzies Era included:

• 

  Ron Barassi (born 1936)
  Ron Barassi played 204 games for Melbourne from 1953 to 1963
  Melbourne won VFL competition 1955, 56, 57, 59, 60 & 64 and were runners-up in 1954 & 58
  Barassi was awarded Best Player in the Grand Finals of 1956 & 1957
  In 1964, Barassi joined Carlton as captain/coach
  Carlton won the premiership in 1968 & 1970 and were runners-up in 1969
  Barassi then retired but became coach of North Melbourne in 1973
  North Melbourne won the competition in 1975 & 77 and were runners-up in 1974, 76 & 78
  Barassi again retired but returned to coach the Sydney Swans in the 1990s.


• John Peck (born 1937)
  John Peck played 213 senior games for Hawthorn, beginning in 1954, including their first premiership in 1961.
  He kicked 475 career goals and was the VFL's top goal-kicker in 1963, 64 and 65.
  He retired at the end of 1968.
  John Peck died in 1993, aged 55.



• 

  Alex Jesaulenko (born 1945 in Ukraine)
  Alex Jesaulenko played 260 games, scoring 434 goals, for Carlton, between 1967 and 1979 and 23 games, scoring 20 goals, for St Kilda in 1980 and 1981.
  He was the first Carlton player to kick 100 goals in a season, scoring 115 in 1970. In the Grand Final that year he took what is regarded as the "mark of the century".
  "Jezza" captained Carlton in 1975, 76, 78 and 79 and coached the team in 1978 and 79. He led Carlton to victory in 1979 Premiership. He was recalled as coach for 1989 and 1990.

VFL Competition Winners during the Menzies Era

(The Victorian Football League was the forerunner of the Australian Football League. The name was changed in 1991)

1949: Essendon (18:17) d Carlton (6:16)
1950: Essendon (13:14) d North Melbourne (7:12)
1951: Geelong (11:15) d Essendon (10:10)
1952: Geelong (13:8) d Collingwood (5:10)
1953: Collingwood (11:11) d Geelong (8:17)
1954: Footscray (15:12) d Melbourne (7:9)
1955: Melbourne (8:16) d Collingwood (5:6)
1956: Melbourne (17:19) d Collingwood (6:12)
1957: Melbourne (17:14) d Collingwood (6:12)
1958: Collingwood (12:10) d Melbourne (9:10)
1959: Melbourne (17:15) d Essendon (11:12)
1960: Melbourne (8:14) d Collingwood (2:2)
1961: Hawthorn (13:15) d Fotscray (7:9)
1962: Essendon (13:12) d Carlton (8:10)
1963: Geelong (15:19) d Hawthorn (8:12)
1964: Melbourne (8:16) d Collingwood (8:12)
1965: Essendon (14:21) d St Kilda (9:16)
1966: St. Kilda (10:14) d Collingwood (10:13)
1967: Richmond (16:18) d Geelon (15:15)
1968: Carlton (7:14) d Essendon (8:5)
1969: Richmond (12:13) d Carlton (8:12)
1970: Carlton (17:9) d Collingwood (14:17)
1971: Hawthorn (12:10) d St Kilda (11:9)
1972: Carlton (28:9) d Richmond (22:18)

Brownlow Medal Winners during the Menzies Era

(The Brownlow Medal is awarded to the best and fairest player in the AFL season excluding Finals matches.)

1949: Ron Clegg (South Melbourne) Col Austen* (Hawthorn)
1950: Alan Ruthven (Fitzroy)
1951: Bernie Smith (Geelong)
1952: Roy Wright (Richmond) Bill Hutchison* (Essendon)
1953: Bill Hutchison (Essendon)
1954: Roy Wright (Richmond)
1955: Fred Goldsmith (South Melbourne)
1956: Peter Box (Footscray)
1957: Brian Gleeson (St Kilda)
1958: Neil Roberts (St Kilda)
1959: Bob Skilton (South Melbourne) Verdun Howell* (St Kilda)
1960: John Schultz (Footscray)
1961: John James (Carlton)
1962: Alistair Lord (Geelong)
1963: Bob Skilton (South Melbourne)
1964: Gordon Collis (Carlton)
1965: Ian Stewart (St Kilda) Noel Teasdale* (South Melbourne)
1966: Ian Stewart (St Kilda)
1967: Ross Smith (St Kilda)
1968: Bob Skilton (South Melbourne)
1969: Kevin Murray (Fitzroy)
1970: Peter Bedford (South Melbourne)
1971: Ian Stewart (Richmond)
1972: Len Thompson (Collingwood)

* Retrospective Brownlow Medals presented in 1989 to players who tied or were beaten on countbacks but who now qualify because of a rule change.

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