Brian Gleeson is a former Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er in the VFL.

Gleeson attended St Patrick's College

St Patrick's College, Ballarat

St Patrick's College was founded by the Christian Brothers in 1893. It is a Roman Catholic day and boarding school, located in Ballarat, Australia. It provides education for boys from Year 7 to Year 12, with an emphasis on sporting and academic programmes...

, Ballarat

Ballarat, Victoria

Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...

 and later played with St Kilda at Centre half-forward

Centre half-forward

In Australian rules football, the centre half-forward is a position on the half-forward line of a football field. The directly opposing player is a Centre-Half-Back....

 initially. He developed into a skilful and agile ruckman

Ruckman (Australian rules football position)

In Australian rules football, a ruckman is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages . The ruckman is one of the most important players on the field...

, winning the Brownlow medal

Brownlow Medal

The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

 in 1957. In the Melbourne evening paper The Herald, 29 August 1957 Gleeson said:
"We are just like a family at St Kilda," he said. "We depend on teamwork and we bring each other into the game. Coach Alan Killigrew

Alan Killigrew

Alan Killigrew was an Australian rules footballer who went on to a celebrated career as senior coach in the Victorian Football League , South Australian National Football League and West Australian National Football League .-Playing career:Killigrew was a physically small man but an effective...

 is responsible for that and the officials and supporters have given us encouragement and confidence."

Appointed club captain in 1958, he injured a knee in a practice match and never played VFL football again.

Gleeson and 1961 Brownlow Medal

Brownlow Medal

The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

winner John James, (who also finished third to Gleeson in 1957), played in the same school team.