Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Paul Callery

Known as
Paul Callery

Born
18 April 1950 (age 73)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 20y 7d
Last game: 30y 36d

Height and weight
Height: 165 cm
Weight: 68 kg

Senior clubs
Melbourne; St. Kilda; South Melbourne

Jumper numbers
Melbourne: 35
St. Kilda: 35, 49
South Melbourne: 49

Recruited from
Melbourne (1974); St. Kilda (1980)

Paul Callery

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
MelbourneV/AFL1970-1973761021.3441%20.042.712.5717
St. KildaV/AFL1974-1980105980.9335%17.954.522.0127
South MelbourneV/AFL1980100.00100%5.001.000.000
V/AFL1970-19801822001.1038%18.763.742.2344
Total1970-19801822001.1038%18.763.742.2344

AFL: 8,247th player to appear, 832nd most games played, 413th most goals kickedMelbourne: 891st player to appear, 231st most games played, 77th most goals kickedSt. Kilda: 1,179th player to appear, 128th most games played, 61st most goals kickedSouth Melbourne: 1,086th player to appear, 1,426th most games played, 1,391st most goals kicked

Originally from Oakleigh YCW Paul Callery was a diminutive but highly courageous rover who played for three VFL clubs and gave excellent service to two of them. He commenced his senior career in 1970 with Melbourne for who he would having previously done well in the lower grades. He won the Morrish Medal, awarded to the best and fairest player in the VFL under nineteens competition, in 1968 and tied for the reserves Gardiner Medal two years later. The Melbourne phase of his career saw Callery play 76 VFL games and boot 102 goals. His tally of 38 goals in 1971 was good enough to top the Demons' list and he ran second in the club best and fairest count the same year. The 1974 season saw him on the move to St Kilda after he fell out with the Melbourne hierarchy over the sacking of coach Ian Ridley. He played some good football for the Saints despite suffering some knocks which would probably have seen him fail a concussion test had they happened today. The worst such knock was inadvertently inflicted by team mate Gary Colling in a match against Hawthorn in 1976. Convinced that the blow had actually been struck by Hawk ruckman Don Scott the Saints players raised their game to the extent of overhauling an 8 goal deficit and end up winning by 25 points. Callery remained at St Kilda until 1980, by which time he had played 105 games and kicked 98 goals. He left the Saints after falling out with coach Alex Jesaulenko over the fact that work commitments prevented his training the required five nights a week. Later the same year he attempted a comeback with South Melbourne but managed just a solitary game before retiring.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Publications

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.