MELBOURNE 1955 premiership player Geoff McGivern has sadly died, after a long battle with blood disease.

He was aged 84.

Family said he passed away peacefully in the early hours of Saturday. 

McGivern, who won Melbourne’s 1952 best and fairest award, played 105 matches and kicked 53 goals from 1950-56.

Playing his career as a forward and defender, he missed the first half of the 1955 season due to a thigh injury sustained in the lead-up to round one.

But he managed to return against St Kilda at the MCG in round 12 and play every game for the rest of the season, including Melbourne’s seventh premiership.

He was on target to play in the mighty 1956 premiership team – regarded as one of the greatest VFL/AFL teams – but missed the Grand Final after he was injured in Melbourne’s second semi-final win against Collingwood.

That match against the Magpies proved to his final game, after knee problems forced him to retire at the end of 1956.

McGivern made his VFL/AFL debut in round one, 1950 against Carlton at the MCG – along with teammate Stuart Spencer.