Bob Skilton

Bob Skilton
Bob Skilton
Personal information
Full name	Robert John Skilton
Nickname(s)	"Chimp"
Date of birth	8 November 1938 (age 85)
Original team(s)	South Melbourne Under 17s
Height	171 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	76 kg (168 lb)
Position(s)	Rover
Playing career1
Years	Club
1956–1971	South Melbourne
Representative team honours
Years	Team
	Victoria
Coaching career3
Years	Club
1965–1966	South Melbourne
1974–1977	Melbourne
Total
	1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1971. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1977.
Career highlights
	Club 3× Brownlow Medal: 1959, 1963, 1968; 9× South Melbourne Best and Fairest: 1958–59, 1961–65, 1967–68; 3× South Melbourne leading goal kicker: 1959, 1962–63; South Melbourne captain: 1961–71; Australian Football Hall of Fame – Legend Status: 1996; AFL Team of the Century (rover); South Melbourne Team of the Century (rover, captain); Representative Australian National Football Carnival Championship: 1958;
	Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Robert John Skilton OAM (born 8 November 1938) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Playing as a rover, Skilton is one of only four players to have won the Brownlow Medal three times—in 1959 (when he tied with Verdun Howell), 1963 and 1968. His Brownlow record is shared by Fitzroy's Haydn Bunton, Sr (1931, 1932, 1935), Essendon's Dick Reynolds (1934, 1937, 1938) and St Kilda's Ian Stewart (1965, 1966, 1971).

He was rated by Jack Dyer as better than Haydn Bunton, Sr and equal to Dick Reynolds, making him one of the best players in the history of the game. In September 2023 Skilton was elevated to Legend status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, only the 4th AFL player to achieve the honour.^[1]

The Sydney Swans Best and Fairest medal is named after him; the Bob Skilton Medal.

^ "Bobby Skilton elevated to Legend in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame". 13 September 2023.

[1] "Bobby Skilton elevated to Legend in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame". 13 September 2023.

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