John Brady
One of the finest key position players of his time in the VFL, John Brady was also without doubt one of the most talented footballers to represent the North Melbourne Football Club since the war.
He began his football with Shepparton and also played briefly for Benalla in the Benalla-Mulwala Football League before joining North. Superb overhead, Brady particularly excelled in the difficult centre half forward position.
He was a great team man, and extremely adept at bringing smaller team mates into the game.
Although he scored comparatively few goals himself, he contributed legibly to many.
Best and fairest at North in 1954, he also captained the side during his last three seasons at the club.
Between 1952 and 1959 he played a total of 118 VFL games, kicking 45 goals.
He donned the Big V jumper in 1954, 1957 and 1959. Once his VFL career was over Brady returned to Shepparton as captain-coach of City United, whom he led to a premiership in 1962.
It is perhaps the 1967 premiership which is his crowing glory - having not played a game during the season the Demons pulled a big suprise by naming Brady in the side - leaving the Shepparton players bewildered and shock and United kicked its way to a brilliant victory.
Considering he was such a dominant and eye-catching performer in what was a more or less completely inauspicious era for his club it is perhaps a touch surprising that John Brady failed to gain selection in North's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'.