Norm Brown dies: Brisbane Lions mourn the loss of triple Fitzroy best and fairest

Lions Hall of Fame member Norm Brown has passed away, aged 79. Glenn McFarlane remembers the man who was a shining light in a very difficult era for Fitzroy fans.

The Brisbane Lions are mourning the loss of triple Fitzroy best and fairest winner and Lions Hall of Fame member Norm Brown, who passed away on Thursday, aged 79.

One of the Lions’ favourite sons, Brown played 181 VFL games and kicked 77 goals in a career at Fitzroy across 12 seasons, from 1962 to 1973.

He was vice-captain to the legendary Kevin Murray for half of his time in maroon and blue and would ultimately be selected in Fitzroy’s team of the 20th century.

Recruited from North Heidelberg, Brown was a tireless, undersized ruckman (191cm) with a big heart who always looked after his smaller teammates.

Lions Hall of Fame member Norm Brown has died, aged 79.

Along with Murray, he was the heart and soul of many struggling Fitzroy teams, evidenced by the fact that he never played in a final and won less than 25 per cent of his 181 matches with the Lions.

But his first win in his second season proved one of the club’s most celebrated home-and-away successes. He was only 19 when the Lions provided one of the biggest boilovers in VFL-AFL history, knocking off eventual premiers Geelong in Round 10, 1963, a game that would become known as “the miracle match”.

Brown also famously played in a 1970 match against Richmond at the MCG which was attended by the Royal Family.

He recalled in the Herald Sun two years ago - on the 50th anniversary of the game - “I was actually very nervous given my role was to introduce Princess Anne to our players and I forgot a few names.”

Carlton great John Nicholls and Brown in 2001.

“Those I couldn’t remember I made up and there were some pretty funny sounding ones.”

Brown’s three best and fairest awards came in successive years - 1965-1967 - and he was a regular Victorian representative, donning the Big V jumper eight times.

He would later go on to become a premiership-winning coach Port Melbourne in the VFL, but his love of the Lions always drew him back to the club.

He served briefly as a Fitzroy assistant coach and later as a past players’ president at Fitzroy and later the Brisbane Lions after the 1996 merger of the clubs.