Ross Glendinning


Ross William Glendinning is a former Australian rules footballer who represented in the West Australian Football League and and in the Victorian Football League. The Ross Glendinning Medal is named in his honour and is awarded to the player judged best afield in the Western Australian derby between West Coast and Fremantle each AFL season.
Solidly built but agile and skillful in equal measure, Glendinning was considered one of the finest key-position players of his era.

Playing career

Glendinning started his senior football career with East Perth in the Western Australian National Football League. He joined under the father-son rule, his father Gus having played 69 games for the Royals from 1941 to 1951. Ross played 56 games for East Perth from 1974–1977.
He joined North Melbourne in 1978, after being denied a clearance from East Perth in 1977. He twice won the club's Best and Fairest award and in 1983, winning the Brownlow Medal after finishing second the previous year. Strongly built, he could play at centre half-forward or centre half-back.
When was formed in 1986, Glendinning returned to his home state and was appointed the club's inaugural captain. Playing mainly at centre half-forward, he was the club's leading goal kicker in 1987 and 1988.

Post-football career

In March 2000, while serving as 's match committee chairman, Glendinning attracted attention for making remarks on television claiming 's star full-forward Matthew Lloyd was suspect under physical pressure. Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy showed a video of the interview to his players in the lead-up to the match at Subiaco Oval. For the record, Essendon won the match by 36 points and would go on to claim the premiership at the end of the season, losing only one game along the way.

Honours

Glendinning has been inducted into the WA Hall of Champions, the Australian Football Hall of Fame, the WA Football Hall of Fame and the North Melbourne Hall of Fame. He was named at centre half-back in the North Melbourne Football Club's Team of the Century. In addition, the Ross Glendinning Medal is named in his honour and is awarded to the player judged best afield in the West Australian derby between West Coast and Fremantle each AFL season.
He was the coach of the Western Australia Australian rules football team in the 1996 and 1997 State of Origin matches against South Australia and The Allies, losing both games.

Personal life

Glendinning is married to Kerry and has three daughters.