Charles Brownlow Retirement Village

Each Ryman village is named in honour of a Kiwi or Aussie trailblazer: Anthony Wilding, Lady Diana Isaac, Evelyn Page. They pushed further and set the bar high for others to aspire to. In creating communities that challenge the expectations of ageing, Ryman villages are also setting the bar high. They’re demonstrating that a retirement lifestyle brimming with new experiences, connections and fulfilment is something we should aspire to. Our Aussie and Kiwi namesakes represent the measure of inspiration, while Ryman villages represent the measure of retirement living.

Charles “Chas” Brownlow (1861-1924)

Geelong born and bred Chas Brownlow is one of Australian sport’s most influential figures. A forefather of Aussie rules, Chas began his playing career in 1880 and captained the Geelong Football Club in 1883, leading it to a premiership that season.

But it was after hanging up his boots in 1884 that Chas would make his biggest impact on the competition we know as AFL. Overseeing the game in its infancy, Chas helped shape its rules and build the foundation of our beloved AFL. By day, he earned a living as a watchmaker operating a store in Geelong.

Chas served as secretary of the Geelong Football Club for 37 years, retiring from the position a year before his death. He became Geelong’s delegate on the Victorian Football League board from 1902-1922. As a member of the VFL board, he was vice president, the VFL’s delegate on the Australian Football Council from 1911-1916, and chairman of the permit and umpires committee from 1911-1922. Chas became president of the Australasian Football Council in 1919 and served the game in that position until his death.

Committed to shaping the game in its early years, Chas had a significant impact. Upon the foundation he helped build, the VFL spread across Australia in the 1980s, changing its name to the AFL in 1990. In 1997 Chas was inducted as an administrator into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

In the 1924 season immediately following his death, the VFL named an award for the competition’s fairest and best player in his honour. The Brownlow Medal continues to be one of the most sought-after individual accolades in the sport, with recipients recognised as among the greats of the game.

Chas spent his sport administration career dedicated to excellence and integrity. And his commitment to Australian football shaped our national game. It’s fitting that his name continues to be synonymous with those values.