Historic Brownlows belonging to famous Swan Bernie Quinland, Lion to go on sale

Memorabilia from two of Australian football’s greatest players Barry Round and Bernie Quinlan, including their famous 1981 Brownlow Medal, are set to go on sale.

The historic 1981 Brownlow Medals won by Barry Round and Bernie Quinlan – the first to be presented to joint winners on the night of a count – will go under the hammer in a special auction early next year.

As the Swans and Lions prepared to play off in this year’s AFL grand final on Saturday, the Herald Sun can reveal that Round’s family and Quinlan will consign their extensive football collections for sale in 2025.

Round, who died in 2022, aged 72, and Quinlan, now 73, were among the greatest Swans and Lions to have played the game.

The two Australian football Hall of Famers were forever linked by a series of connections, having both been recruited from Gippsland to Footscray before finding new homes at South Melbourne/Sydney and Fitzroy respectively.,

They won the Brownlow Medal alongside each other 43 years ago this month, as joint winners.

Prior to 1981, ties in the Brownlow went to a countback system, whereby one winner was declared, though the league changed the rules and handed out retrospective medals to those who had missed out in a gala celebration in 1989.

Bernie Quinlan and Barry Round with their 1981 Brownlow Medals.

Round’s daughter, Natalie, said the family had been speaking with Quinlan for about six months about putting their laurels up for auction.

Among the hundreds of items from both champions include the game’s highest individual honour, match-worn and training jumpers, shorts, contracts, awards, and even menus from past Brownlow Medal dinners where they used to share a table and a few beers together.

She said she has no idea what the items might be worth, with only a small number of Brownlow Medals going under the hammer since the first one was sold back in 1999.

Collingwood superstar Nathan Buckley sold 200 items from his personal collection through Charles Leski Auctions earlier this year – without his 2003 Brownlow Medal – which netted almost $200,000.

She said her late father had always been so proud of his Brownlow Medal success, but said he would have supported the sale, given others would now have the chance to enjoy the items.

“We were the lucky ones, we got to share dad’s life with him,” Natalie Round said of her and her brother David’s upbringing alongside the Swans’ great.

“My brother, my Dad and I were just great friends who enjoyed having a laugh and a great time. I used to say to Dad, “What will you do with that Brownlow?’ and you could just see how much joy he got out of showing it off to people.

“I probably didn’t see that until I had possession of it myself. It’s not like I do anything with it, so we thought you would like it to go to someone who can enjoy it and share it with others.

“That’s what Dad would have wanted.”

Bernie Quinlan with duel 1981 Brownlow medallist Barry Round.

Quinlan was also happy to put his Brownlow Medal and collection up for sale along with hundreds of other items including some of his early football contracts.

He is recovering from a shock heart attack suffered in May.

Quinlan could not be contacted on Friday, but Natalie said he thought it was a nice touch to consign his collection alongside Round’s items.

“After they won the Brownlow Medal together, it really solidified a friendship that lasted right through until Dad’s passing,” she said.

“Bernie has got a fair collection at Marvel Stadium at Fitzroy’s Hall of Fame and I have got all of Barry’s things.

“I am not one of those footy nuffies who is going to keep stuff around my house and Bernie is the same.

“They can go on display somewhere, or someone can have it in their man caves.

“We didn’t just want the high end items like the Brownlows. It’s also for people who might just want to come along and buy a jumper or some shorts, or even a Brownlow or Hall of Fame dinner menu.

“We will present them together, but if a Lions’ person wants to buy Bernie’s collection and not Barry’s, or if a Swans person wants to buy Barry’s and not Bernie’s, that’s fine too.”

A decision on when the Brownlow Medal collection will be sold will be made later in the year.

Round and Quinlan’s league careers both ran from 1969 to 1986.

Round was recruited from Warragul to Footscray where he played 135 games before a move to South Melbourne and then Sydney resulted in another 193 games, for a total of 328.

He was Sydney’s first captain, and was one of the pioneers of the group of South Melbourne players who moved to the Harbour City in 1982.

“When we moved up there, I remember at school, people were like ‘Who are the Sydney Swans?’ Rugby was dominant and they would look down their noses at us,” Natalie said.

“Then you look at the other week when the SCG was full of red and white fans. The town has really embraced the Swans. Dad would have really loved all of that.

“It’s great to see them in the grand final again. I am going with a friend and I will be wearing one of Dad’s life members’ scarfs.”

Quinlan came from Traralgon and played a total of 366 VFL matches, with 177 at Footscray before he had a further 189 at Fitzroy, where he played his best football.