The Sydney Swans join the AFL community in mourning the passing of South Melbourne great, Brownlow Medallist Fred Goldsmith.

Goldsmith passed away on Thursday morning, aged 84.

Recruited from Spotswood, Goldsmith played for South Melbourne between 1951 and 1959 in a VFL career spanning 119 games.

He was originally recruited as a defender, playing as a specialist full-back for the bulk of his career, before being moved to full-forward in 1956.

There, at full-forward, he won South Melbourne's leading goal-kicking award in 1957 and spent the rest of his playing days.

Goldsmith won the 1955 Brownlow Medal and was awarded with a spot in the Sydney Swans Team of the Century in 2003.

He was inducted into the Sydney Swans Hall of Fame in 2009.

The Sydney Swans will wear black armbands during their Round 4 match against West Coast at Subiaco Oval as a tribute.