Bob Skilton (born 8 November 1938) grew up in Port Melbourne’s working-class streets and became one of South Melbourne’s all-time greats. He made his senior VFL debut for South Melbourne in 1956 as a 17-year-old. Though only about 171 cm tall, Skilton was exceptionally fast and elusive on the field. His hallmark was deceptive footwork, quick “baulks” and pinpoint “stab” kicks that left opponents flatfooted. Skilton famously credited his father, a former POW and athlete, with developing his ambidexterity: as a boy, his father refused to return the ball unless Bob kicked it with his weaker foot, forcing hours of left-right kicking practice. By the late 1950s, he was virtually impossible to double-team: even friends said “it was impossible to say whether he was right or left-footed”. These skills (and a relentless work ethic) defined his early career.
Career Achievements
Skilton’s consistency and brilliance are reflected in an extraordinary list of records and awards. Over 237 games for South Melbourne, he kicked 412 goals, often playing as a small rover but sometimes drifting forward into attack.
He won the club’s Best and Fairest award nine times (a record) between 1958 and 1968, and led the club’s goalkicking in 1959, 1962 and 1963. At the highest level, Skilton claimed three Brownlow Medals (1959, 1963 and 1968) at the time, making him only the third player ever to win three Brownlows (a distinction later joined by just one other). His 1959 Brownlow was especially remarkable: at age 20, as a young plumbing apprentice attending night classes, he became the youngest ever winner up to that point.
- Games & Goals: 237 games, 412 goals for South Melbourne.
- Club Best and Fairest: 9× South Melbourne Champion (195859, 196168)
- Brownlow Medals: 3× (1959, 1963, 1968)
- Leading Goalkicker: South Melbourne’s top scorer in 1959, 1962, 1963
- State Football: Represented Victoria 25 times (captaining the state team in 1963 and 1965)
Each of these achievements testifies to Skilton’s rare combination of talent and hard work. He trained incessantly, even running with the club’s professional fitness troupe six days a week in the 1950s to build speed and endurance. By 1959, he had already won his first club award and pushed to the top of the Brownlow count. South Melbourne coach Noel McMahen later joked that when Skilton won his second Brownlow in 1963, the whole team celebrated with champagne, yet Skilton remained determined to improve, not rest on his laurels.
Leadership and Resilience
Skilton’s legend was built as much on courage as on skill. Nicknamed “Chimp” for his energy and tenacity, he captained South Melbourne from 1961 through 1971, even serving as playing coach in the 1965-66 season. (Teammate John Heriot recalled feeling that under Skilton’s leadership they “had a chance” at finals in 1965, but fell just short.) He never shied away from physical contests. In a 16-year career, he suffered countless injuries broken nose four times, broken wrists three times, and over a dozen black eyes, but each time he simply returned to play.
One famous photo shows him with two black eyes from consecutive heavy knocks, yet lying in bed later that week listening to the Brownlow count on the radio because he still won it that year.
Skilton’s toughness went hand in hand with humility. Despite his three Brownlow Medals, he often said the greatest pain of his career was never winning a premiership. As he put it, “I’d still swap them [my Brownlows] for a premiership… because when it’s all said and done, you’re playing a team sport and there’s nothing like team success.”. That team-first mentality endeared him to fans and players alike. He forged lifelong bonds with teammates like Peter Bedford and John Heriot, valuing those friendships even more than individual glory. Skilton’s grit and sportsmanship earned respect across the league. Jack Dyer famously rated him as one of the best ever, even higher than Haydn Bunton Sr.
Later Career and Legacy
After retiring as a player in 1971, Skilton stayed in football. He briefly played for Port Melbourne (in the VFA) before moving into coaching. From 1974 to 1977, he was senior coach at Melbourne, helping to rebuild that club. Off the field, he also became a familiar voice in the media and in mentoring rising players.
Skilton’s post-playing honours reflect his extraordinary impact on the game. He was inducted as a Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame (1996) and is one of only a handful of AFL players elevated to Legend status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (2023). In 2018, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to sport.
The club itself immortalised him: in 1996, he was named the first rover in the AFL’s official Team of the Century, and he serves as captain of the Sydney Swans (formerly South Melbourne) Team of the Century. The Swans renamed their Best and Fairest award the Bob Skilton Medal in his honour. In 2018, a bronze statue of Skilton poised as if about to kick with his famous technique was unveiled at the old Lake Oval (now Lakeside Stadium), ensuring his legacy lives on in the community’s heart.
Legacy and Cultural Impact
Bob Skilton remains an enduring symbol of South Melbourne’s spirit. He is not just remembered as a record-breaking rover but as a player who embodied loyalty, courage, and humility. For longtime supporters, Skilton is South Melbourne the local boy who became a champion and never forgot his roots. Even decades later, his example inspires younger players; the Sydney Swans (the relocated South Melbourne club) often invite him to present premiership trophies and mentor squad members. As one club historian wrote, Skilton “played with the greatest dedication to the red and white cause”. In every Swan’s best and fairest ceremony, on the footy radio calls, and in the bronze statue at Lakeside, Bob Skilton’s name is synonymous with excellence and passion, a reminder that South Melbourne’s glory days were driven by a humble legend who always put the team first.
