John Nix (Australian footballer)

John Nix (born 25 December 1931) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

John Nix
Personal information
Date of birth (1931-12-25) 25 December 1931
Original team(s) Trafalgar
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 79 kg (174 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1949–1956 Richmond 95 (18)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1956.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Nix, a centreman recruited from Trafalgar, debuted at VFL level aged just 17.[1][2] He made 95 league appearances for Richmond, between 1949 and 1956.[3] His best season was in 1952, when he played in all of Richmond’s 19 games and polled eight Brownlow Medal votes.[3][4]

At the end of the 1956 season, Nix was appointed playing coach of Latrobe Valley Football League side Sale.[5] He won the league’s best and fairest award in 1957 and also steered Sale to that year's premiership.[6] Sale were premiers again in 1959, Nix's third and final season at the club.[6] From 1960 to 1962, Nix was captain-coach of Mornington, in the Mornington Peninsula Football League.[7] He led them to a premiership in his first season.[8]

In 1966, Nix returned to the Tigers as Reserve Grade coach,[9] and led them to a premiership in his first season. Nix’ Tiger Reserves won all twenty games – including the second semi and Grand Final – on the scoreboard, but were denied an official perfect season[note 1] because they played an unregistered player, Frank Loughran, in three games[10] against Carlton, Footscray and Collingwood Reserves.[11] Nix would continue as Tiger Reserves coach for a further three seasons, during which the team reached the finals every year but were defeated in both the 1967 and 1968 Grand Finals, and finished second before losing both their finals in 1969.

Notes
  1. The only teams to have accomplished a true perfect season in any grade of VFL/AFL football have been Geelong Reserves in 1930 and Essendon Under-19s in 1950.

References
  1. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 9781920910785.
  2. "Horwood, G. Sier At Richmond". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 17 March 1950. p. 17. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  3. "John Nix". AFL Tables.
  4. "How They Scored". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 4 September 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  5. "Richmond Centre to Coach Sale". The Age. Melbourne. 2 October 1956. p. 16. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  6. "Honour Board". Mornington Football and Netball Club.
  7. "Nix to Coach Mornington". The Age. Melbourne. 21 September 1959. p. 11. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  8. Devaney, John (2009). The Full Points Footy Encyclopedia Of Australian Football Clubs. Full Points Publications. ISBN 978-0-9556897-3-4.
  9. Tigerland Archive; John Nix
  10. "Richmond out of under-19 four". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. 31 August 1966. p. 63.
  11. Football Record, 1966 Grand Final, p. 22
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