DOB: 12 June 1935
Died: 11 August 2019
Debut: Round 14, 1953 against North Melbourne at MCG
Last Game: Grand Final 1964 against Collingwood at MCG
From: Prahran Tech/St Kilda Thirds
Number: 41 (1953-1954), 6 (1955-1964)
Honours:
Premiership Player 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964
Grand Final team 1954, 1958
MFC Hall of Fame
Victoria state player - 1959, 1961
Team of the Century - Interchange
150 Heroes selection
MFC Hall of Fame - 2001
Life Member - 1962
Thirds Best and Fairest - 1953.
Games: 164
Goals: 180
Career Statistics
| Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % |
| 116 | 3 | 45 | 70.73 |
Statistical categories led:
Most finals appearances - 22
One of the club's most decorated players, "Bluey" Adams was also one of the fastest players in the league. The talented runner competed in the 1956 Stawell Gift, once broke the world record for the 400 yard sprint and was the Australian Professional Sprint Champion in 1958 and 1959. Adams won the Sth Melbourne, Nyah, Canberra, Cobram, Lilydale and Ararat Gifts. Despite his speed and sideline as a runner he was often afflicted with soft issue injuries.
After playing a season with the St. Kilda Thirds, Adams moved to the Melbourne Thirds for 1953 when Melbourne refused to clear him. During the year the fiery winger graduated to the senior side via a three week stint in the Seconds, and the fleet footed winger was one of the most promising of 19 rookies to make their senior debut in Melbourne's worst season for three decades. He'd initially rejected promotion to the Seconds, saying he wasn't experienced enough after 10 Thirds games. Despite missing six weeks he finished second in the Morrish Medal for Best and Fairest Thirds player. A year later he was playing in a grand final side.
Adams is well known for an accidental collision with Collingwood player Des Healey in the last quarter of the 1955 Grand Final which left Healey with a fractured skull. Adams woke in the dressing room to be told that the club had won the premiership. Just weeks later he recovered to kick the point that delivered the Demons a 'National Championship' win over SANFL champions Port Adelaide.
He missed the first nine games of 1956, and only played seven in total, but came good at the right time as he and Stuart Spencer helped tear Collingwood apart in that year's Grand Final. An injury suffered while running in the Stawell Gift cost him the first four matches of 1957, and he suffered injuries towards the end of the season but played a great game when it mattered most and won his third flag. He had rejected an offer from SANFL side Norwood at the start of the year.
After winning the third richest footrace in the world - the Canberra Gift - during the pre-season, Adams had a difficult 1958 season due to injuries before breaking back into the team for the finals series. He played in the Semi Final victory over Collingwood, but his fifth consecutive Grand Final yielded his second loss in the big game.
Responding to the loss of speed he had suffered because of muscle injuries in 1958, Adams took responsibility for training his teammates in the finer points of athletics. It would turn out to be his best season yet, and he added an Outstanding Service trophy to another premiership.
Adams won yet another flag in 1960, despite missing six weeks in the middle of the season with a knee injury. He was kept to only 13 games in 1961 due to a knee injury suffered in an interstate game but still finished second in the Best and Fairest. He returned for the finals, but a Preliminary Final loss to Footscray meant that for the first time in an eight year career Adams wouldn't finish his season playing in a Grand Final.
The side was bundled out of the finals in each of the next two years before bouncing back to win the 1964 Grand Final after which Adams announced his retirement from football. He almost took up coaching the next year - had the 1965 Norm Smith sacking stood, Adams would have taken over as coach.
After a stint as Fourths coach)) in 1965 and 1966, he opted to move into the media rather than coaching after his retirement, and also served as committee member between 1986 and 1991 and Chairman of Selectors from 1986 until resigning at the end of 1989.
Adams was chosen on the interchange of the Melbourne Team of the Century and holds an MFC record of 22 finals games. He is the equal VFL/AFL record holder for playing finals in 11 consecutive years.
| Year | Games | Goals | Brownlow |
| 1953 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 1954 | 18 | 20 | 1 |
| 1955 | 16 | 9 | 1 |
| 1956 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| 1957 | 14 | 17 | 6 |
| 1958 | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| 1959 | 17 | 25 | 0 |
| 1960 | 13 | 16 | 3 |
| 1961 | 13 | 23 | 4 |
| 1962 | 16 | 30 | 3 |
| 1963 | 18 | 18 | 2 |
| 1964 | 15 | 1 | 3 |
Media
Sporting Globe - 26/08/1953, 23/02/1957
Age - 09/05/1956, 21/11/1958, 26/07/1961
Canberra Times - 03/03/1958
Inside Football - 27/09/1989