Born: East Fremantle, W.A
10 October, 1962
Brad Hardie became the third West Australian to win the Brownlow Medal when he was voted the VFL’s best and fairest footballer in 1985.
In winning, Hardie joined the legendary Haydn Bunton Senior as the only players to have won the Brownlow Medal in their first season on VFL football.
Hardie followed Graham Moss (1976) and Ross Glendinning (1983) as the West Australians who have won Australian Football’s most prestigious individual playing award.
Hardie created another slice of history when he became the only player to have won two Tassie medals – 1984-1986. The Tassie Medal was awarded to the fairest and best player in Australian Football Championships.
And in 1984 and 1986, he won the Simpson Medal, awarded to the best player afield, in State-of-Origin matches against Victoria.
His record for football excellence and versatility was established during a 300-game career between 1979 and 1993. In that period, Hardie played with distinction for South Fremantle (140 games), Footscray (47), Brisbane (101), Collingwood (2), WA (9) and Queensland (1).
Hardie was only 16 when he made his league debut for South Fremantle against Swan Districts at Fremantle Oval in 1979 in a back pocket.
Three years later, while still a teenager he made his first interstate appearance for WA against SA and Victoria.
At the end of the 1984 season, Hardie accepted an offer to join Footscray and was an immediate success as a back pocket player in the VFL.
Despite his success with Footscray he played only 47 games for the Bulldogs (1985 and 1986) before travelling north to join the Brisbane Bears. He was Footscray’s fairest and best player in 1986.
In five seasons with Brisbane, Hardies played in 101 games and became the first player to make 100 appearances for the new club. He was runner up twice for the club’s fairest and best award.
He joined Collingwood in 1992 but played only two hames before retuning home and completing his league career with South Fremantle in 1993.
Hardie will be remembered as a brilliant and versatile player. He won the Brownlow Medal as a back pocket player but could play with equal effect on a wing and was at home on the ball or in a forward pocket.