Graham Melrose

Who is Graham Melrose?

Graham Thomas Melrose is a former Australian rules football player regarded as a competitive and skilful rover with particularly accurate foot passing.

Melrose began his career at East Fremantle in the WAFL competition in 1967. The team was experiencing little success at the time but with players such as Melrose, Brian Peake, Tony Buhagiar and George Grljusich joining through the late 1960s and early 1970s and under the stewardship of coach John Todd, East Fremantle won the 1974 premiership. Melrose was awarded the Lynn Medal twice while at the club and also won the Sandover Medal in 1974.

Melrose moved East in 1975 to join Victorian Football League club North Melbourne where he settled into the regular lineup in the forward pocket and sharing roving duties with Barry Cable.

North Melbourne won the 1975 VFL Grand Final but Melrose was unable to play because of a hand injury. In 1976 Melrose had a great season and performed consistently well, including a great game in the 1976 VFL Grand Final which saw Hawthorn beat North Melbourne.

The 1977 VFL season was another outstanding time for North Melbourne in which the club won its second VFL premiership against Collingwood, but Melrose did not take part in this game due to injury. Melrose played another sound season in 1978 and lined up in the forward pocket for North Melbourne in the Grand Final against Hawthorn which saw North Melbourne lose by 3 goals.