St Kilda Football Club wishes to acknowledge the passing of decorated former recruiter and Life Member, John Beveridge.

After a long battle with illness, John passed away last night at the age of 85.

Widely regarded as one of the best recruiters in AFL history, John changed the trajectory of the Saints with his astute selections of players including Nick Riewoldt, Brendon Goddard, Justin Koschitzke and Nick Dal Santo, among others throughout his career which extended over many decades.

Prior to picking up his clipboard and binoculars, John had his own on-field career, playing under-19s with Collingwood before two years in the VFA with Sandringham, and local competitions with Castlemaine and East Malvern. He then moved into coaching junior teams, having a positive influence on hundreds of young players starting out in their careers, imparting many wisdoms applicable to both football and life more broadly.

John also worked collecting match day statistics on VFL games for Footy Week magazine from its inception in 1965. It was in this role he was identified by St Kilda Coach Allan Jeans and brought into the club in a statistician role. From there, his progression into recruitment was seamless, with John regularly going above and beyond his position to make sure his newest Saints were not only growing as footballers, but people as well.

John’s career and contributions to the AFL were celebrated in 2021 with the awarding of the revered Jack Titus Service Award for conspicuous service to our game.

“John’s impact on our club has been felt for generations and there is no doubt he stands among the best recruiters Australian Rules Football has ever seen,” St Kilda CEO Carl Dilena said.

“His ability to see the potential in a draftee as both a footballer and a person was second to none.

“We send our love and condolences to all who had the pleasure of knowing John across the journey, and thank him for all he did for our club and community.”

Vale John Beveridge.