Brian Kekovich

Brian Kekovich (born 7 January 1946) is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL, who played for two seasons with the Carlton Football Club.

A strong, dominant, talented, and courageous player, who was able to play hard and well through extreme pain, and always alert to the position of his team-mates, his otherwise long and productive VFL career was brought to a sudden end when he was forced to retire after suffering a severe back injury.

Brian is the older brother of former North Melbourne and Collingwood player Sam Kekovich.

His youngest brother, Michael, recruited from Trinity Grammar, who was showing great promise at North Melbourne at the age of 16, played for the North Melbourne First XVIII on Thursday, 10 September 1970 against Footscray, in the first round of the 1970 VFL night premiership. North Melbourne lost 6.7 (43) to 14.13 (97).

Michael also played in the North Melbourne Second XVIII team that lost the 1970 preliminary final to Melbourne, and he kicked one goal in a losing team.

Michael was killed, aged 17, when he was hit by a motor-car whilst on a training run in High Street Doncaster (near Curnola Avenue) on Saturday evening 26 June 1971.

Recruited from Myrtleford Football Club in the Ovens & Murray Football League, Kekovich was originally signed with Richmond. He was signed up to play with Carlton immediately Richmond's hold on him had lapsed. In his first Carlton pre-season practice match for 1967 he played at full-forward against Wes Lofts. The Melbourne newspapers were calling him "Carlton's second top recruit" for 1967 (i.e., second to Alex Jesaulenko).

A very strong and reliable mark, and a long and accurate left-foot kick, Kekovich made his debut (as did Alex Jesaulenko) for Carlton in Round 1, 1967.

When Carlton applied for a clearance for Kekovich in March 1967, Myrtleford refused to clear him, but granted him six match permits. Despite his second request for a clearance, Myrtleford demanded that he return to Myrtleford immediately he had played the six matches. Kekovich threatened to remain in Melbourne, and stay out of football altogether if Myrtleford did not clear him. He was cleared at the last moment by Myrtleford, just in time for him to play in round seven (and, therefore, not miss a match).