Like McBrien
{{Short description|Australian politician (1892–1956)}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=August 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Like McBrien
| honorific_suffix = OBE
| image = TT3234 Like McBrien.png
| caption = 1930 portrait by Reynolds
| birth_name = Likely Herman McBrien
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1892|12|07}}
| birth_place = South Melbourne, Victoria
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1956|12|22|1892|12|07}}
| known_for = Football administration
Politics
}}
Likely Herman "Like" McBrien {{Post-nominals/AUS|OBE}} (7 December 1892 – 22 December 1956) was a leading Australian rules football administrator in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and a Victorian politician.
Early life
Likely McBrien was born on 7 December 1892 in South Melbourne and educated at Middle Park Central School. In 1906, he commenced work as a messenger for The Age newspaper.
Public life
McBrien served in World War I in a clerical capacity while based in London. Following his discharge from the services in 1917, he resumed work at The Age, becoming assistant circulation manager and advertising manager. In 1922, McBrien became secretary of the Authorised News Agents' Association of Victoria, a position he held for seven years.
McBrien was an avid sportsman with a variety of interests. He played cricket and tennis, and later golf and bowls, and was a prominent rower. However, Australian rules football was the passion of McBrien's life. From 1909 to 1911 he was a player and treasurer of the Leopold Football Club, which later became the South Melbourne Football Club's second eighteen.
= Roles and positions =
McBrien was a qualified accountant, and a fellow of the International Institute of Accountants and of the Institute of Commerce in England. In addition, he was a director of Disher & McBrien Pty Ltd.
McBrien held many public posts: chairman of the Edith Cavell Fund Trust, the Homes for Aged and Infirm Society, and the Yarra Bend National Park Trust; honorary treasurer of the Travellers' Aid Society and of the Victorian Anti-Sweating and Industrial Improvement League; executive-member of the Playgrounds and Recreation Association of Victoria; and trustee of the Heidelberg branch of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia.
Political career
McBrien was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 1943 as an independent member for the province of Melbourne North.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-16 |title=Likely McBrien {{!}} Parliament of Victoria |url=https://new.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/likely-mcbrien/ |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=Parliament of Victoria |language=en}} He served as Commissioner of Public Works and Vice-President of the Board of Land and Works in Ian MacFarlan's short-lived ministry in 1945. One of his chief commitments was to campaign for the rehabilitation of returned servicemen. In 1949, McBrien was defeated in the elections for the Legislative Council.
Football administration
McBrien was a committee member of South Melbourne Football Club from 1912 and secretary from 1922 to 1928. He then became secretary of the VFL in 1929, holding the position for more than a quarter-century until his death in 1956.
McBrien was instrumental in the VFL buying its first head office, Harrison House, in Spring Street, Melbourne, in 1929. He played a leading role in negotiations with the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Trustees, which led to finals being played at the MCG. He also campaigned strongly (but unsuccessfully) for the amalgamation of the VFL and the Victorian Football Association.
McBrien recruited other key administrators of the VFL, including Eric McCutchan and Jack Hamilton.
Personal life
On 16 July 1919, McBrien married Madge Margaret Summers at St Luke's Anglican Church, South Melbourne. His peculiar first name was inspired by Sir John Likely, a Conservative politician based in the Midlands.{{Cite news |last=Seager |first=Helen |date=1950-04-22 |title=Football – and 'Like' McBrien |pages=3 |work=The Argus |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22824083 |access-date=2023-08-16 |via=Trove}}
Death
McBrien died of cerebral thrombosis on 22 December 1956 and was survived by his wife, daughter and son.
Honours
McBrien was appointed OBE in 1950. He was inducted to the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
References
{{Reflist}}
- {{cite book |last=Ross |first=John |title=The Australian Football Hall of Fame |year=1999 |publisher=HarperCollinsPublishers |location=Australia |isbn=0-7322-6426-X | page=141 }}
- [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150194b.htm Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20040622081733/http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=halloffame&spg=administrators Australian Football Hall of Fame]
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Category:Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Victoria (state) state politicians
Category:VFL/AFL administrators
Category:Leopold Football Club (MJFA) players
Category:Sydney Swans administrators
Category:Deaths from cerebral thrombosis
Category:20th-century Australian politicians
Category:People from South Melbourne
Category:Politicians from Melbourne
Category:Australian accountants
Category:Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Council
Category:Vice-presidents of the Board of Land and Works