That player was Ian Stewart, who accomplished the unique double during a magnificent league career at, firstly, St Kilda and then Richmond.

‘Stewie’ won back-to-back Brownlows with the Saints in 1965-66, and was a member of their only premiership side in 1966, before crossing to Richmond in a sensational swap deal, involving superstar Tiger centreman and dual premiership player, Bill Barrot, at the end of the 1970 season.

It was a trade that attracted enormous publicity, with debate raging for months throughout the football world, as to which club had got the better of the deal.

In the end, it was a no-brainer . . . Barrot played just two senior games for St. Kilda and was subsequently cleared to Carlton before the halfway mark of the ’71 season.

Stewart, on the other hand, produced a dazzling debut season of football with the Tigers . . .

He quickly formed a dynamic combination with Richmond’s champion centre half-forward and fellow Tasmanian, Royce Hart, just as he’d done at St Kilda with Darrel Baldock.

Even those Tiger supporters, who initially were shattered to lose a favorite son and premiership hero, in ‘Bugsy’ Barrot, soon forgave the Club when they watched Stewie weave his magic for the team in his centreman role.

With the silky-skilled Stewart in such superb form, Richmond rocketed back into premiership contention, having missed the finals in 1970 after winning the 1969 flag.

The Tigers finished third at the end of the ’71 home-and-away season, with a record of 16 wins and six losses.

On the Monday night, following the final home-and-away round (as was the custom back then) the Brownlow Medal count was held, with the Yellow and Black faithful hoping Ian Stewart could become the first Tiger to take “Charlie” home, since Roy Wright, in 1954.

Stewie, on the back of his excellent season, was one of the top fancies - and he duly attained legendary status in league football, joining champions Haydn Bunton, Dick Reynolds and Bob Skilton, as a triple winner of the game’s most prestigious individual award.

He polled six best-on-ground votes, and three ones, for a winning total of 21 - three ahead of Essendon’s Barry Davis, Hawthorn’s Peter Hudson and St Kilda’s John McIntosh, who tied for second place with 18 votes each.

Following his 1971 Brownlow triumph, Stewart told ‘The Sun’ newspaper:  “All I wanted to do was to play a good season with Richmond and prove my worth, that I was value.

“Anything else is extra and I’m very conscious that I owe it to Richmond. “I want the Richmond players and club as a whole to share in the honor.

“They’re part of it - and a very big part of it . . .

“I will admit when I came to Richmond this year in the big swap, I set certain goals for myself. “One was to play every game for Richmond; the other was to appear in the finals for the Tigers this year.”

Following a frustrating run with injuries in the final four years of his career at St Kilda, which restricted him to 57 games, Stewie missed only one match in his debut season with Richmond, and played a major role in the Tigers making it through to the preliminary final where they, ironically, lost to the Saints.

To cap off an outstanding first-up year at Tigerland, Stewart took out the Club’s Best and Fairest award.

In 1972, a hamstring problem before, and during the season, restricted Stewart, but the following year he bounced back in fine style, finishing equal sixth in the Brownlow with 17 votes and kicking three goals on Grand Final day, as Richmond defeated arch-rival Carlton by 30 points, to capture the 1973 premiership.

Stewie managed only another 12 games for the Tigers before injuries finally took their toll and forced him to retire during the 1975 season.

All-up, he’d played 78 games with Richmond, kicked 55 goals, won the 1971 Brownlow Medal, taken out the ’71 Club Best and Fairest, and been a key member of the Tigers’ 1973 premiership side.

Given that super-impressive list of achievements, it was no surprise when he was named on the interchange bench in Richmond’s Team of the Century in August 1999.

His impact at Tigerland, in just a relatively short space of time, had been remarkable . . .

Ian Stewart profile
Born:  14/7/1943
Height:  180cm
Weight:  78kg
Recruited to Richmond from:  St Kilda (originally from Hobart)
Guernsey number at Richmond:  No. 2
Games at Richmond (1971-75):  78
Goals:  55
Honors at Richmond:  1971 Brownlow Medal winner, Club Best and Fairest winner in 1971, member of Richmond’s 1973 premiership side, member of Richmond’s Team of the Century, Richmond Hall of Fame inductee, Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend, Richmond Life Member.

Previous Brownlow Flashbacks
Roy Wright
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Stan Judkins