Ross William Glendinning (born 17 September 1956) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the East Perth Football Club in the West Australian National Football League (WANFL) and for the North Melbourne Football Club and the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Solidly built but agile and skilful in equal measure, Glendinning was considered one of the finest key-position players of his era. Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2000, he was West Coast's inaugural captain. The Ross Glendinning Medal is named in his honour and is awarded to the player judged best afield in the Western Australian derby between West Coast and Fremantle each AFL season.
He joined North Melbourne in 1978, after being denied a clearance from East Perth in 1977. He twice won the club's Best and Fairest award and in 1983, winning the Brownlow Medal after finishing second the previous year. Strongly built, he could play at centre half-forward or centre half-back.
When was formed in 1986, Glendinning returned to his home state and was appointed the club's inaugural captain. Carter, Ron, "Glendinning says he's worth $60,000", The Age, (Monday, 26 January 1987), p.25. Playing mainly at centre half-forward, he was the club's leading goal kicker in 1987 and 1988.
In March 2000, while serving as 's match committee chairman, Glendinning attracted attention for making remarks on television claiming 's star full-forward Matthew Lloyd was suspect under physical pressure. Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy showed a video of the interview to his players in the lead-up to the match at Subiaco Oval. For the record, Essendon won the match by 36 points and would go on to claim the premiership at the end of the season, losing only one game along the way.
In recent years, Glendinning returned to the West Coast Eagles as corporate relations manager.
He was the coach of the Western Australia Australian rules football team in the 1996 and 1997 State of Origin matches against South Australia and The Allies, losing both games.
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