Carji Greeves


Edward Goderich "Carji" Greeves, Junior was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League, now known as he Australian Football League. He won the inaugural Brownlow Medal in 1924, awarded to the VFL/AFL player adjudged fairest and best during the home and away season.
Greeves is the namesake of the Carji Greeves Medal, the Geelong Football Club's best and fairest award.

Family and personal life

In the 1860s, Greeves' grandmother Julie was briefly engaged to Tom Wills, the famed cricketer and founder of Australian rules football. Historian Col Hutchinson noted that "If Tom Wills had married Julie, we wouldn't have had Carji Greeves".
Greeves was given the nickname "Carji" as a baby by a friend of the family, the New South Wales golfer Michael Scott, most likely after a character in A Country Girl, a popular musical play of the day.
Greeves also attended The Geelong College.

Career

Greeves played with the Geelong Football Club from 1923–31 and wore jumper number 20.
Greeves was honoured with having the Geelong Football Club's best and fairest award named after him, the Carji Greeves Medal. In 1996 Greeves was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He also won the first Brownlow medal, the most prestigious award for a player in the vfl/afl
Greeves represented Victoria in interstate matches seven times.