John Michael Gerovich

PLAYER: 1955-69

GAMES: 240:  South Fremantle 221; WA 19

HONOURS: Leading goal-kicker 1956, 60-61 WAFL, 10 times South Fremantle; WA player 1955-62 for 56 goals; All-Australian 1956

When John Gerovich retired in 1969, fellow full forward and journalist Austin Robertson wrote: “A tribute to the memory of football’s human astronaut.  His football career was a long period of turbulent brilliance.  Never to be forgotten by the way he could turn a patch of turf into a trampoline.  Remembered always by all full backs.”

Gerovich shrugged and reckoned Robertson was running out of things to write about. But, the description was apt.  He took WA football’s most famous mark, perched neatly on the shoulder of East Fremantle’s Ray French in the 1956 preliminary final.  He was also one of WA’s best and most consistent full forwards.  He missed a premiership by a single year at either end of his career.