Shinboner number: 401
Guernsey number: 7
Born: December 15, 1928
Died: April 15, 2003
North Melbourne games: 153 (1948–1957)
Goals: 475
North Melbourne Hall of Fame inductee: 2012

The old headline 'Local Boy Makes Good' would be an apt title for the story of the footballing career of Jock Spencer. Growing up in the shadows of Arden Street, Spencer played his early football with Kensington on the doorstep of North Melbourne’s home ground while working as a slaughterman at a nearby abattoir, having left school at the age of 14.

Spencer’s spectacular high leaping and strong hands soon caught the attention of the Shinboners’ talent scouts and he joined North Melbourne’s thirds, becoming part of the inaugural VFL under-19 competition in 1946. North went on to win the first under-19 premiership and Spencer was named as one of the team’s best players in its 33-point win over Carlton in the Grand Final.

Another good season in the thirds followed in 1947 and Spencer, who turned 19 in December, post-season, was ready to make the leap to senior footy. Wally Carter, who took over as North’s senior coach in 1948, had been Spencer’s coach in the under-19s and had liked what he had seen. Carter gave Spencer his chance in the seniors in Round 2 and the decision paid immediate dividends. The Shinboners fell a long way short of Geelong at Kardinia Park that day but Spencer snared five goals and a star was born.

Spencer went on to play 15 games and kick 32 goals in that year and by 1949 was North’s clear choice at full-forward. His season total of 65 goals — 39 per cent of the team’s tally — went a long way towards giving the Shinboners their first top-of-the-ladder finish. North lost both of its finals in that series but it was through no fault of Spencer, who kicked six goals in the two-goal loss to Carlton in the second semi-final, with another two in the preliminary final.

1949 would have seen Jock Spencer establish himself as the pre-eminent forward in the League had not a certain Essendon player by the name of John Coleman made his debut that year. Spencer was forced to live in Coleman’s shadow over the next few seasons but his spectacular marking and goal-kicking prowess lost very little in comparison to the Essendon superstar, a fact borne out by his selection at full forward for the Big V in 1952 — ahead of the Bomber spearhead.

Spencer was at the peak of his powers in 1950, kicking 86 goals as North progressed all the way to its first Grand Final. He again proved himself as a big-game player, kicking 10 goals in three finals. His career ended after 157 games and 475 goals, a club record which stood until surpassed by John Longmire (1988–99, 511) in 1995.

Spencer was selected ahead of Longmire, John Dugdale and Malcolm Blight at full-forward in the North’s Team of the Century in 2001, a measure of the esteem in which he was held. He was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2012.