View source for Keith Greig

{{short description|Australian rules footballer, born 1951}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Keith Greig<br /><small>{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|MBE}}}}</small>
| image = 
| fullname = Keith Southby Greig
| nickname = Racehorse
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|10|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = 
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| originalteam = [[Brunswick Football Club|Brunswick]] ([[Victorian Football League|VFA]])
| height = 180&nbsp;cm
| weight = 79&nbsp;kg
| position = Wing, Half Back flank
| statsend = 1985
| years1 = 1968–1970
| club1 = [[Brunswick Football Club|Brunswick]] 
| games_goals1 = 27 (73)
| years2 = 1971&ndash;1985
| club2 = {{AFL NM}}
| games_goals2 = 294 (48)
| games_goalstotal = 321 (121)
| sooteam1 = [[Victoria Australian rules football team|Victoria]]
| soogames_goals1 = 13
| careerhighlights = * [[List of VFL/AFL premiers|VFL Premiership player]]: ([[1975 VFL Grand Final|1975]])
*  2× [[Brownlow Medal]]: (1973, 1974)
* [[List of North Melbourne Football Club captains|North Melbourne captain]]: (1976–1979)
* [[Syd Barker Medal]]: (1980)
* [[Victoria Australian rules football team|Victoria]] captain 1978
* [[All-Australian team]]: (1983)
* [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]], inducted 1996
* [[AFL Team of the Century]] <small>(wing)</small>
* [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]: (1975)
}}

'''Keith Southby Greig''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=small|MBE}} (born 23 October 1951) is a former [[Australian rules football]]er who played for the [[North Melbourne Football Club]] in the [[Victorian Football League (1897–1989)|Victorian Football League]] (VFL).

Red-haired and pale-skinned, Greig was regarded as one of the most graceful players of his era with superb ball-handling skills. His stamina and free-flowing running style made him a perfect wingman, but in his later years he was used more as a half back flanker.<ref name="Holmesby & Main, 2007, p. 308">Holmesby & Main, 2007, p. 308</ref> He is one of few players to win back-to-back [[Brownlow Medal]]s and was an inaugural inductee in the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]].

==Playing career==
Greig played his junior football for [[Brunswick Football Club|Brunswick]] in the [[Victorian Football Association]], and in 1968 he won the [[Gillon Medal]] as the best and fairest in the VFA Thirds competition.<ref>{{citation|first=Marc|last=Fiddian|year=2004|title=The VFA: a history of the Victorian Football Association, 1877–1995|page=302}}</ref> He was recruited to the VFL by {{AFL NM}}, at the age of 19. From the beginning his technical brilliance did not go unnoticed,<ref name="Hutchinson and Ross, 1998, p. 271">Hutchinson and Ross, 1998, p. 271</ref> and he was picked for his first State Representative game after only having played nine senior VFL matches. Greig went on to represent the [[Victoria Australian rules football team|Big V]] 12 more times over his career, and was state captain in 1978.

In 1973, he won the [[Brownlow Medal]] with 27 votes. In 1974, he became the eighth player to win the Brownlow twice, again with 27 votes, and the fifth player to win it back-to-back. North played in the [[1974 VFL Grand Final]], their second appearance in a Grand Final. They lost to {{AFL Ric}}, but Greig was one of North's best players.<br>

The [[1975 VFL Grand Final|following year]], North won their first VFL premiership and again, Greig was among North's best players. Earlier in the year, he had been awarded membership of the [[Order of the British Empire]] for his services to football.<ref name="hope">{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jswzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=U5UDAAAAIBAJ&dq=keith-greig&pg=6676%2C2984931|title=Roos hope coaching post will keep Greig at club|last=Carter|first=Ron|publisher=[[The Age]]|date=20 January 1986}}</ref>
With the retirement of [[Barry Davis (footballer)|Barry Davis]], Greig was appointed club captain at the start of the [[1976 VFL season]]. But it was a position he did not relish,<ref name="Holmesby & Main, 2007, p. 308"/> and he resigned from the captaincy at the end of [[1979 VFL season|1979]], partly as a result of the relationship break down with coach Ron Barassi.

In Round 6 of the [[1977 VFL season]] against {{AFL Ric}}, Greig injured his right knee in a collision. After six weeks on the sidelines, he played against {{AFL Haw}} but broke down the following week. Greig underwent surgery to repair the ligaments in the knee in July<ref>{{cite web|last=Phillips|first=Stephen|publisher=[[The Age]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=df8QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WJIDAAAAIBAJ&dq=keith%20greig&pg=7007%2C3178288|title=Greig making get-fit plans|date=12 July 1977|page=29}}</ref> and subsequently missed out on the [[1977 VFL Grand Final|1977 premiership]]. He was named an [[All-Australian]] in 1983. Greig's final VFL match was the 1985 semi-final against {{AFL Foo}}, which North Melbourne lost by 30 points.

==Relationship with Ron Barassi==
To many outside observers, the partnership between Greig as captain and coach [[Ron Barassi]] during the 1970s was among the best in the league. But in 2004, Greig revealed in an interview that the relationship became so strained that at the end of 1979 he resigned the captaincy and came close to leaving the club.<ref name="untold">{{cite web|last=McClure|first=Geoff|work=[[The Age]]|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/02/1083436472976.html?from=storyrhs|title=Greig, Barassi: the untold story – Sporting Life|date=3 May 2004}}</ref> Although Barassi was known for saying things he later regretted when in an angry mood, one particular insult hurt Greig deeply: "If it wasn't for football you'd be nothing but a shit plumber".<ref name="untold"/> (Greig worked as a plumber at a time when footballers had occupations outside of football).

It was not until a meeting at club secretary Ron Joseph's office had been arranged that an agreement between the now ex-captain and coach was reached. As Greig recalled:<blockquote>I told Barassi if he left me alone and let me do my own thing we would be OK. And that's what happened – Barass didn't speak to me for the entire 1980 season and consequently I won the best-and-fairest that year. I had been with him for seven years but by the end of '79 I had become tired of his ways.<ref name="untold"/></blockquote>

Greig and Barassi appeared to be reconciled: <blockquote>Barassi told me later that the 'shit plumber' remark was the worst thing he'd said in footy. We were never good mates, never been close, but we get along OK now. I even went to his testimonial last year, so we're fine now.<ref name="untold"/></blockquote>

==Post-football life and honours==
In the [[1975 Birthday Honours]], Greig was appointed Member of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) for services to football.<ref>United Kingdom list: {{London Gazette |date=6 June 1975 |supp=y |issue=46593 |pages=7390 }}</ref>

In 1992, Greig returned to North Melbourne as chairman of selectors.<ref name="Hutchinson and Ross, 1998, p. 271"/> He is a life member of North Melbourne, and was selected in the AFL Team of the Century as a wingman. In 1996, Greig was inducted into the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]]. He was also named on the wing in North Melbourne's Team of the Century.

In 2019, Greig was named at #2 in North Melbourne's greatest ever players at a special function to celebrate the club's 150-year anniversary. He was also present at the newly renovated [[Arden Street Oval]] when North's VFL team played for their first league game since [[1985 VFL season|1985]], in which Greig had played his 290th game.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[North Melbourne Football Club]]|title=Forever home|date=3 June 2019|url=https://www.nmfc.com.au/news/38476/forever-home}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{Cite book |editor-last=Hutchinson |editor-first=Garrie |editor2-first=John|editor2-last=Ross|title=The Clubs: The Complete History of Every Club in the VFL/AFL|year=1998|publisher=Viking |location=Australia |isbn=0-670-87858-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Holmesby |first=Russell |author2=Main, Jim|title=The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: Every AFL/VFL Player since 1897|edition=7th|year=2007|publisher=Bas Publishing|location=Melbourne |isbn=9781920910785}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ross |first=John |title=The Australian Football Hall of Fame |year=1999 |publisher=HarperCollinsPublishers |location=Australia |isbn=0-7322-6426-X | page=72}}

==External links==
*{{AFL Tables}}
* {{AustralianFootball|keith+greig/10465}}
* [https://www.afl.com.au/hall-of-fame/players AFL Hall of Fame – Players]
* {{YouTube|3_CZdJhwN00|Top 150 – Number 2: Keith Greig (North 150)}}
* [https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1085459 Keith Greig's MBE record at It's an Honour]
[https://www.thevfaproject.org/pages/Players/Greig,_Keith.php]
{{1975 North Melbourne premiership players}}
{{AFL Team of the Century}}
{{AFL Brownlow Medallists}}
{{Multiple Brownlow Medal winners}}
{{North Melbourne Football Club captains}}
{{North Melbourne Team of The Century}}
{{Syd Barker Medal}}
{{1983 All-Australian team}}
{{1983 Victoria State of Origin players}}
{{1984 Victoria State of Origin players}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greig, Keith}}
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:All-Australians (1953–1988)]]
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Brownlow Medal winners]]
[[Category:Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:North Melbourne Football Club players]]
[[Category:North Melbourne Football Club premiership players]]
[[Category:Syd Barker Medal winners]]
[[Category:Brunswick Football Club players]]
[[Category:Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Victorian State of Origin players]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]
[[Category:North Melbourne Football Club administrators]]