Australian Football

Neil Davies enjoyed a varied and mercurial football career in six competitions but overall his achievements fell a little short of what might reasonably have been expected for someone possessing his formidable array of talents.

Touted as 'the next big thing' Davies joined Glenelg from Broken Hill in 1951 and had an immediate, and significant, impact. In only his second senior game, playing in the centre, he comprehensively outpointed his West Torrens opponent Bob Hank and was instrumental in steering the Tigers to a comfortable win. After only three games of league football he was selected in the state squad for the forthcoming match against the VFA, and played well as South Australia won by 95 points.

The Davies cocktail comprised equal parts aggression, determination, speed and skill, making him, when on form, almost irrepressible. In 1953 he mixed this cocktail to perfection almost every week, winning Glenelg's best and fairest award, and finishing second to South Adelaide's Jim Deane in the Magarey Medal. He was also one of South Australia's most prominent performers at that year's Adelaide carnival, earning All Australian selection as a result. All told, Neil Davies represented South Australia a total of 20 times, kicking 11 goals.

In 1955 Neil Davies moved to Richmond in the VFL but he quit the Tigers after just a couple of games over what he considered to be his harsh treatment by the club. With time on his hands, Davies decided to see Australia. He ended up in Darwin, where he captain-coached St Mary's to a premiership and won the 1955-6 Nichols Medal for good measure.

The NTFL ran its competition on Saturday afternoons in those days, and for want of something to do on a Sunday Davies decided to throw in his lot with a local rugby league team. So successful was he in this 'heathen' sport that he attracted the attention of talent scouts from British team Warrington, who enticed him to join them briefly that winter.

Come April 1956, however, and Neil Davies was back at the Bay Oval, ready for another season of proper football. He soon showed that he had lost none of his natural ability, winning his second club best and fairest award, and topping Glenelg's goal kicking. The following season he was appointed captain, a position he held for three years, while in 1958 and 1959 he coached the side, steering them to a rare preliminary final in the latter year.

Following the addition of leadership responsibilities, Neil Davies's personal form began to decline somewhat. That is not to suggest that he became a poor player, merely that he no longer seemed able to perform at his very best as consistently as during the early part of his career. He retired from SANFL football at the end of the 1963 season and spent the final few seasons of his league career with Western Districts in Queensland, during which time he also represented Queensland's interstate team, and with Sydney club Balmain.

Author - John Devaney