Ian Cooper kicked the first ever goal at Moorabbin in 1965, not far from a spot where his family had once camped.
[2] In a retrospective poll by a team of experts, Cooper was voted best on the field in the 1966 VFL Grand Final, which St Kilda won.
In 1973, he kicked 104 goals to be the VFA Division 1 leading goalkicker for the home-and-away season,[4] although he was passed in the finals by Jim 'Frosty' Miller.
[3] His older brother Graham played for Hawthorn in the early 1960s, appearing in that club's first premiership team.
Ian fought valiantly against cancer for a long time before he died on 14 December 2021.