Jack Mueller's nephew, Peter Jackson, a local and Rich River Bowls Club vice-president, was at the ceremony where his uncle was recognised. Photo: Supplied.
One of the greatest prospects to come out of Echuca, 1930s and ’40s footballer Jack Mueller has been elevated to legend status in the Melbourne Football Club Hall of Fame.
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The honour was bestowed at the 2025 ceremony, held on February 25.
The son of former president of the Echuca Football League and Echuca Athletic Association, Frank, Mueller came up playing for the Echuca Imperials in the Bendigo Football League before he was recruited by Melbourne in June 1933.
Leaving his position at a local flour mill, Mueller would play the remainder of the 1933 season in the seconds, a stipulation of his contract insisted upon by his father, before making the jump to the top grade VFL side in round one the following year.
In his debut VFL season, Mueller kicked 52 goals, the club’s most for the year by some margin.
Losing two of his fingers in an industrial accident in 1934 did little to slow Mueller’s career, his gloved hand through the rest of his career becoming an iconic part of his legacy.
Known most often as a forward pocket, Mueller was also employed in defence in later years.
Echuca export Jack Mueller, Melbourne FC’s sixth all-time leading goal-kicker, was elevated to legend status by the club this year.
Mueller was a four-time VFL premiership winner, a key part of Melbourne’s treble from 1939 to 1941, and also claiming the flag in the twilight of his career in 1948.
Only playing in five games that season he was famously recalled from retirement for the 1948 preliminary final, where he kicked eight goals.
Mueller then kicked six of Melbourne’s 10 majors in a drawn grand final, before adding another six of his side’s 13 in the replay victory.
In total, those five 1948 appearances yielded 28 goals.
He was a three-time club best-and-fairest, earning the honour in 1937, 1939 and 1946, the year he logged his best goal-kicking tally of 58 and his second year leading the club in goals, after his rookie season.
All told, Mueller suited up for 216 VFL games and kicked 378 goals, the sixth most in the club’s history.
He retired after the 1950 season, still kicking 20 majors in five top-flight appearances in his final year.
Mueller was inducted into the AFL hall of fame in 1996, making his way into Melbourne’s hall of fame upon its establishment in 2001.
He died in June the same year, aged 85.
Mueller is the seventh Melbourne FC hall of famer to achieve legend status, following Ron Barassi, Donald Cordner, Norm Smith, Ian Ridley, Ivor Warne-Smith and Jim Stynes.
The recognition was accepted by Mueller’s nephew Bryan, all 11 of Jack’s nieces and nephews present at the ceremony.
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