Max Nowlan was a backline player who had the misfortune of playing at St Kilda during the era of our greatest ever defence.

Max has passed away on September 14 at the age of 86. He had a unique niche of fame as he captained two Saints premiership sides- the under-19s team of 1957 and the reserves side of 1961.

He played eight games in the senior side and would undoubtedly have played more at any other time had the “back six” not been as strong. That half-dozen included Brownlow Medallists Verdun Howell at full-back and Neil Roberts at centre half back. Back pocket Brian Walsh, ruckman/back pocket Bud Annand, and half-back flankers Eric Guy and Jimmy Guyatt. All six represented Victoria at different times of their careers.

Opportunities at senior level for Max Nowlan were therefore extremely limited after he was recruited from local club East Sandringham. He debuted with two games in 1959 at full-back and did not play at senior level again until three years later when he had another half-dozen appearances when the normal back pocket Walsh was sidelined.

Playing at full-back he had been captain of the team which won the 1957 under-19 Grand Final against South Melbourne. In 1961 he achieved a unique double as skipper of the Saints Reserve Grade Premiership team. That play-off at the MCG was unusual as it happened a week after the senior Grand Final. A draw during the reserves finals series had prompted a replay and put the reserves Grand Final back by a week.

In 1963 he crossed to Federal League club Bentleigh as captain-coach and admitted in later years that his season there was extremely frustrating. He came to a club where the secretary had “shot through with all the club’s raffle money” and was wracked with internal politics. Despite all of that, Bentleigh only missed the finals by two points.

Max then coached Maryborough in the Ballarat League for the 1964 and 1965 seasons winning the flag in his second year, before returning home to Melbourne.