Neville Bruns

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2016}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Neville Bruns

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|10|3|df=yes}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = Leitchville

| debutdate = Round 7: 13 May 1978

| debutteam = Geelong

| debutopponent = Melbourne

| debutstadium = VFL Park

| height = 176 cm

| weight = 77 kg

| position =

| statsend = 1992

| years1 = 1978–1992

| club1 = Geelong

| games_goals1 = 223 (174)

| careerhighlights =

}}

Neville Bruns (born 3 October 1958) is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian/Australian Football League for Geelong Football Club.{{cite web|title=19 Neville Bruns|url=http://www.geelongcats.com.au/players/playerprofile/nevillebruns/tabid/8137/playerid/15332/category/centurions/season/2009/selected/bio/default.aspx|publisher=Geelong Football Club|access-date=2 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004093559/http://www.geelongcats.com.au/players/playerprofile/nevillebruns/tabid/8137/playerid/15332/category/centurions/season/2009/selected/bio/default.aspx|archive-date=4 October 2009}}{{cite web|title=AFL Tables – Neville Bruns|url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/N/Neville_Bruns.html|access-date=2 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321014222/http://www.stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/N/Neville_Bruns.html|archive-date=21 March 2009}} He wore the number 19 during his tenure at the club and played often in the wing and rover positions. From 1978 to 1992 he played 223 games (including the 1989 and 1992 Grand Finals) and kicked 174 goals. He received a total of 33 Brownlow votes in his career.

In 1985, Leigh Matthews infamously king hit Bruns and broke his jaw. Although no reports were made at the time, the Victorian Football League (VFL) Commissioners subsequently investigated the incident, found Matthews to be responsible and deregistered him for four weeks. Matthews then faced a criminal charge of assault, to which he pleaded guilty, and was fined $1,000. This resulted in much debate over the role of the police in sporting incidents.{{cite web|last1=Pierik|first1=Jon|title=Matthews charge 'still mystery'|url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/matthews-charge-still-mystery-20130729-2quxt.html|work=The Age|access-date=2 October 2017|date=30 July 2013}}{{cite web|title=Leigh Matthews still feels guilt over Neville Bruns hit|url=http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/04/17/13135_geelong_sports.html|publisher=Geelong Advertiser|access-date=2 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006123717/http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/04/17/13135_geelong_sports.html|archive-date=6 October 2012|date=17 April 2008}}

Neville Bruns formerly worked as the Victorian State Manager for Sportsco and was also the National Operations Manager for an Australian trade and industrial tool retailer, Total Tools. He is now retired and lives with his wife Karen in the Geelong area.

Neville Bruns also worked as a teacher at Geelong College in the 1980s.{{cite web|title=Appointments to Staff|url=http://gnet.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au:8080/wiki/GetFile.aspx?File=%2FAd_Astra_No_43_June_1980_reduced.pdf|website=Ad Astra|publisher=The Geelong College|access-date=30 September 2017|page=2|date=June 1980}}{{cite web|title=FOOTBALLERS VFL/AFL (Australian Rules) Post-1897|url=http://gnet.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au:8080/wiki/FOOTBALLERS-Australian-Rules.ashx|website=Heritage Guide to The Geelong College|publisher=The Geelong College|access-date=30 September 2017}}