Introduction
Jim Grace (21 September 1868 – 31 December 1938) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Fitzroy Football Club in the club's early years. His younger brother, Mick Grace, played beside him at Fitzroy.
Football
Grace joined Fitzroy in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1890. He played as a full-forward and dominated Fitzroy's goalkicking during his time at the club, winning the club's leading goalkicker award every year from his debut through until 1896. He was also the league's leading goalkicker in his first two seasons, 1890 and 1891. Grace was part of Fitzroy's 1895 premiership team, the same season that his younger brother Mick joined him at the Maroons.
After Fitzroy broke away from the VFA to join the new Victorian Football League (VFL) competition, Grace spent a further three seasons at Fitzroy, playing in Fitzroy's 1898 and 1899 premierships. By this stage of his career, he played often as a ruckman, spending less time at full-forward than he had earlier in his career.
He retired at the end of 1899, with his 279 goals standing as a club record until Round 11 of 1927, when it was broken by Jack Moriarty (son of Grace's long time teammate Geoff), who still holds the record.