The Sydney Swans would like to pay tribute to pioneering knee surgeon Dr Mervyn Cross OAM, who has died at the age of 82.

A former rugby league player and later NRL director, Cross played a total of 45 first-grade games for South Sydney, Eastern Suburbs and North Sydney from 1960-63.

The father of former Sydney Swans club doctor Tom Cross, Merv was best known for his achievements as an orthopaedic surgeon.

Indeed, Merv was long the go-to surgeon for the Sydney Swans, assisting many of the club’s players over the journey. He was also a key mentor to Nathan Gibbs, who was the Swans' club doctor for around 20 years, including the 2005 and 2012 premierships. 

In 1995, Cross was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his technique that refined the use of arthroscopic surgery to assess athlete’s knees. Later, together with son Tom, he went on to develop a revolutionary bracing technique which allows ACLs to heal without invasive surgery.

Cross was inducted into the American Journal of Sports Medicine’s Hall of Fame in 2007.

The club offers its deepest condolences to his wife Virginia, children Joe, Tom, Belinda and John, and their family.

Picture: Dr Merv Cross pictured with Lance Franklin, wife Virginia and son Dr Tom Cross, 2019.