Brian Dixon

Brian Dixon
Personal information
Full name Brian James Dixon
Date of birth (1936-05-20) 20 May 1936
Original team(s) Melbourne High School
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 70 kg (154 lb)
Position(s) Wing
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1954–1968 Melbourne 252 (41)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1971–1972 North Melbourne 44 (6–37–1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1972.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Brian James Dixon (born 20 May 1936) is a former Australian rules footballer and Victorian politician.

Dixon played 252 VFL games for Melbourne between 1954 and 1968, playing mostly on the wing. He had a stellar football career, playing in five premierships, winning Melbourne's best and fairest in 1960, while in 1961 he was selected in the All-Australian team and he also won the Tassie Medal for his performances at the 1961 Brisbane Carnival. In 2000 he was named in Melbourne's Team of the Century.

Despite still playing football for Melbourne, he entered parliament in 1964, as the member for the now abolished seat of St Kilda, representing the Liberal Party. Being from the moderate wing of the party he clashed with then Premier Henry Bolte, especially over the hanging of Ronald Ryan which Dixon strongly opposed.[1]

After Rupert Hamer took over as Liberal Party leader and Premier, Dixon was promoted to the ministry. He variously served in several portfolios including youth, sport and recreation, housing and Aboriginal affairs. His most remembered achievement was introducing the iconic Life. Be in it. program.[2]

In 1979 Dixon won St Kilda by an extremely narrow margin, which crucially gave the Hamer Liberal government a majority of one seat in the Legislative Assembly and meant that the Liberal Party did not need to form a Coalition with the National Party with whom relations were traditionally poor in Victoria. However, in 1982 Dixon was defeated as the Liberals lost government after 27 years in office.

After his defeat, Dixon has worked predominantly in sports administration and he currently runs public speaking seminars.

Brian currently travels the world representing TAFISA and ASFAA. He is also president of AFL South Africa and takes a keen interest in other countries playing Australian rules football.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Gold Coast City Council – The Mayor's Views – 10 December 2005 Archived 24 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ Editor, Jewel Topsfield, Education (23 July 2011). "This couch potato still appeals". The Age. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  3. ↑ Dixon's world tour to advance the cause, by Brett Northey – worldfootynews.com, 13 September 2006
Victorian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by
Baron Snider		 Member for St Kilda
1964–1982		 Succeeded by
Andrew McCutcheon
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