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Paul Callery

Image DOB: 18 April 1950

Debut: Round 4, 1970 against Fitzroy at MCG,
Last MFC Game: Round 22, 1973 against North Melbourne at Waverley

From: St Bede's/Oakleigh YCW

Number: 35 (1970-1973)

Honours
Morrish Medal - 1968
Under 19s Best and Fairest - 1968
Under 19s Leading Goalkicker - 1967, 1968, 1969
Reserves Best and Fairest - 1970
Gardiner Medal - 1970
Reserves Premiership Player - 1970
Leading Goalkicker - 1971
Night Premiership winner - 1971

Games: 76 (182 total)
Goals: 102 (200 total)
Career Statistics

WinsDrawsLossesWinning %
3114440.78

A rover who was one of the smallest players in the league, Callery had been led the Under 19's goalkicking three times and won the best and fairest once before his senior career began.

Recruited by his old underage coach Frank Davis, Callery joined the club in 1968 and he made his way through the Under 19's and the Reserves before making his senior debut during 1970. Despite playing 10 matches in the seniors he was named the joint winner of the Reserves best and fairest, and finished tied for the league's Gardiner Medal for best player in the grade. He initially lost the Gardiner Medal on a countback, before being retrospectively awarded a share of the medal in 1992. At the end of 1970 he played in a Reserves premiership team.

Elevated to a regular in 1971 he played every game, topped the side's goalkicking and ran second by a vote in the Best and Fairest.

After playing every game for the next two years he walked out of Melbourne on principle at the end of 1973 when Ian Ridley was sacked, and joined St. Kilda in a swap for Graham Scott and Greg Wood.

Callery played 105 games for the Saints, but switched to South Melbourne midway through 1980 after falling out with Saints coach Alex Jesaulenko after two games. He had already had a near-miss with the Saints in 1978, left off their initial list due to a pay dispute. His stay with the Swans was limited to one game as he retired at the end of the season.

Said to have been knocked out cold nine times during his career, Callery suffered the misfortune of being at the three clubs that had the leanest periods during the 1970s and early 80s and never played a final.

After his VFL career ended Callery played for VFA side Dandenong in 1981 and captain-coached Oakleigh from 1982 to 1984. He was also a fitness advisor at Richmond in 1988, a skills coach at Collingwood, a runner at St Kilda and a stats man on radio.

Callery's brother John was Melbourne's Best and Fairest Under 19s player in 1966.

YearGamesGoalsBrownlow
1970 10133
1971 22387
1972 22234
1973 22283

Lists
South Melbourne
St Kilda
VFA

Media
Age - 04/09/1968
Age - 13/12/1973
Age - 19/12/1973
Age - 27/03/1978
Inside Football - 08/05/1980
Age - 14/04/1992

Links
Demonwiki image gallery
Wikipedia profile

Created by Supermercado. Last Modification: Thursday 10 August 2023 22:42:41 AEST by Supermercado. (Version 36)

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