Bob Skilton’s statue is richly deserved, but Glenn McFarlane writes it should be at the MCG

BOB Skilton will be immortalised with a statue like other VFL/AFL greats before him. But GLENN McFARLANE asks: why isn’t his statue also at the MCG? VOTE and HAVE YOUR SAY

AFL great Bob Skilton. Picture: David Crosling

TRIPLE Brownlow Medal Bob Skilton is finally getting the statue he so richly deserves.

The only puzzling point is that the ‘Bronzed Bobby’ should have been at the Melbourne Cricket Ground so that more footy fans could appreciate it, instead of the old Lakeside Oval where he once ruled.

The Sydney Swans deserve to be congratulated for so warmly embracing their South Melbourne heritage, and for organising a sculpture for the club’s most decorated player.

HONOUR: STAR SWAN SKILTON TO BE IMMORTALISED

The ever-humble Skilton told the Herald Sun on Monday of his delight in the honour afforded him, even if he suggested he would have preferred it to be at the MCG.

He explained it was his understanding the Swans inquired about having the statue at the home of football, only to be told he hadn’t played enough games at the MCG, and had played only one final there.

AFL and Swans great Bob Skilton. Picture: David Crosling

Really? He’s a legend of the game, loved by supporters of all clubs, not just Swans fans.

So what does it matter that Skilton played 14 of his 237 games at the MCG, including his one and only final in 1970?

A look at some of the other statues on the MCG’s impressive Avenue of Legends shows he shouldn’t have been precluded just because he didn’t play in Jolimont every second weekend, as others did.

Sure, some of the other MCG statues are of footballers who did most of their best work at the ground, including Kevin Bartlett, Ron Barassi, Jim Stynes and Leigh Matthews, as well as coaching great Norm Smith.

But others played there less often.

An MCC spokesman said there was no specific criteria - including games played at the ground - for eligibility for statues in the Avenue of Legends in Yarra Park.

The club has no current plans to add more statues to the precinct, though it stressed that can change over time

Essendon goalkicking great John Coleman played only 10 of his 98 games at the MCG, albeit playing six finals and two premierships at the ground.

Another triple Brownlow Medallist, Haydn Bunton, played only four of his 119 VFL games at the MCG, with no finals.

Besides, it should never be forgotten that Skilton played many of his 25 games for Victoria on the hallowed MCG turf. He coached South Melbourne there on a few occasions and coached Melbourne for four seasons with the MCG as their home ground.

Then Skilton worked in the media for decades as well as helping to oversee countless Victorian teams as one of the selectors with his great mate Ted Whitten in State-of-Origin clashes.

We can’t wait to see Skilton’s statue at the Lakeside stadium, where he starred from 1956 to 1971, and where the Swans’ Melbourne office is now based.

We just reckon we missed an opportunity to have it front and square before the football-loving public at the MCG, to be seen each and every week.

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