The Cats will don a commemorative guernsey this weekend for their Retro Game, paying tribute to the centenary of Edward ‘Carji’ Greeves’ Brownlow Medal triumph.
1924 was the inaugural year of the Brownlow Medal, named after another Geelong icon Charles ‘Chas’ Brownlow, who spent over 40 years as a player and administrator for the Cats.
Carji Greeves claimed the inaugural Brownlow Medal that year, with the Cats paying tribute to the milestone this weekend against the Western Bulldogs.
Greeves finished his career with Geelong as a two-time premiership player, a Brownlow medallist, a member of the Geelong team of the century and an inductee in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
A man who left an everlasting legacy at the Geelong Football Club, the story of ‘Carji’ started right back in the early 1900’s when Greeves was born in Warragul.
The nickname Carji was bestowed upon Greeves by a good friend, who believed he resembled The Rajah of Bhong from ‘A Country Girl,’ a famous play at the time.
Greeves attended Geelong College for several years and proved to be a natural born sportsman, a member of the cricket team, football team, rowing team and the College Senior Singles Tennis Champion during his time there.
But of course, he most notably stood out on the football field, so much so that the Geelong Football Club tried to recruit him early, with the school principal forced to step in and refuse permission.
Described as a silky player with devastating skills on both feet, Greeves was also an excellent mark and despite not being the quickest player, had an incredible sense of anticipation as the play unfolded around him.
In 1923 Greeves would leave school and start his journey with the Geelong Football Club, making his VFL debut in round eight that year.
After winning the inaugural Medal in 1924, Greeves went on to finish runner-up at the Brownlow in 1925, 1926 and 1929 while establishing himself as one of the most consistent players in the league.
Greeves helped the Cats claim the 1925 and 1931 VFL premierships, playing 125 games across 10 seasons spanning from 1923 through to 1933.
Along with his time as a footballer, Greeves also spent a period as a specialist coach with the University of Southern California in the United States.
Greeves worked as a contractor following his football days, moving to Ararat as he suffered through pulmonary tuberculosis and emphysema for over 30 years, before passing away in 1963.
The legacy of Edward Carji Greeves lives on at Geelong to this very day, with the club best and fairest award named in his honour.
