b'1423GRAHAM POLLY FARMER, MBE (19352019)club to win the Premiership whilst he became runner-up in theHIS FIRST PREMIERSHIP Brownlow Medal to Bob Skilton. Farmer played 101 games for the Geelong Football Club between 1962 and 1968, won their The East Perth number 25 guernsey worn by Polly FarmerBest & Fairest award in 1963 and 1964 and also captained the during the 1956 W.A.F.L. Grand Final, won by East Perth overteam for three seasons.South Fremantle; annotated and signed by Farmer, framedDespite his success and the adulation of Victorian football lovers, and mounted together with a signed photograph of him takingFarmer missed Western Australia and in 1968 embraced the a mark. opportunity to return as captain/coach of the West Perth Football Graham Vivian Farmer MBE, known as Polly Farmer, was anClub, leading the club to premierships against East Perth in 1969 Australian rules football player and coach who revolutionisedand 1971 on both occasions against his old club, East Perth. ruckwork and handballing. Born in Western Australia, FarmerAfter retiring as a player, he coached Geelong and East Perth, joined the East Perth Football Club as a ruckman in 1953, whereand Western Australias first state of origin team. Farmer was he won several awards and contributed to the team winningmade an official Legend of Australian Rules Football as one of three premierships, 1956, 1958 and 1959. He played 176 gamesthe inaugural inductees in 1997. He entered the West Australian for the club between 1953 and 1961, winning the clubs BestFootball Hall of Fame in 2004. The Graham Farmer Freeway in & Fairest award 7 times. He was awarded the Simpsonhis hometown of Perth is named in his honour. Farmer was Medal for being the best on the ground in the 1959also the patron of the educational, not-for-profit Graham Grand Final. He was awarded the WAFLs highest(Polly) Farmer Foundation, founded in 1995.individual honour, the Sandover Medal, in 1956When Farmer passed away in August 2019 The West and 1960. He also tied for the medal in 1957Australian devoted the front cover and an additional with East Fremantles Jack Clarke, but lost on a12-page commemorative special to his life and career. countback (later also awarded in 1997). The front cover described him as the GREATEST OF In 1962, he was recruited to the VictorianALL. The boy raised in an orphanage who became a Football League (VFL), by Bob Davis. In thefootball trailblazer and Aboriginal icon never to be opening moments of his debut for Geelong,forgotten.Graham Vivian Polly Farmer was Farmer severely injured his knee whichWA footballs undisputed king and arguably the kept him out for the year. However, in 1963greatest Australian Rules footballer ever.he played a brilliant season, helping the$25,00050,000'