Les Dayman in the doghouse
For 17 seasons, L. C. (‘Bro’) Dayman played league football, both in South Australia and Victoria as a ruckman, half-forward, and forward. Born at Salisbury, Bro first played with Salisbury, in the Gawler Association. In 1921, he received three letters in one day from three league clubs—North, Norwood, and Port—asking him to play league football. His brother, Clem, had just left North to go to Port, and Bro made the Magpies his choice also. From 1921 until 1931, he was with Port, and from 1932 to 1934 with Footscray (Victoria) [1935 and 1936 with Coburg (VFA)]. He returned to play one more season, 1937, with the Magpies. In all, he was selected for 39 interstate games, and played in the 1924, 1927, and 1930 carnivals. This season, Dayman made a comeback to an active link with football by coaching the Port Association team.
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It has often been said that football in Victoria is a business rather than a sport. It was not only a business, but a well-paying organisation which distributed its profits lavishly when I played with Footscray for five years. If I'd known as much when I first began in football, I may have gone across the border sooner than in 1932.
I managed to strike form pretty quickly after joining Port in 1921. I was only 21 when one afternoon in 1924 a motor car pulled up outside my home and three strangers came in and asked for me. One was Charlie Zinnick. He introduced himself as a committeeman for Footscray. Footscray that year were in the Victorian Association. They had won the premiership and were being promoted to Victorian League. In fact, they met Essendon, the League premiers, in a challenge match, and to the amazement of the Victorian football public, beat them. So Footscray were sitting on top of the world and were after men to fill certain key points.
That afternoon at my home Charlie Zinnick offered me £8 a week, and a job to play with Footscray. He wanted me to jump in the car and go to Melbourne there and then to qualify for the next season. For some reason, of which I'm not quite clear now, I refused the offer. Later, I was approached by Fitzroy, and then even by Cannanore, a Tasmanian club. Cannanore wanted both my brother Clem and me to go over. I stayed with Port for 10 years until it happened that while the South Australian team was in Melbourne for the match against Victoria in 1931, Footscray officials again contacted me. This time I was agreeable. After the interstate game the details were settled, and in 1932 I wore the Footscray guernsey for the first time.
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Footscray in 1932 had three other ‘importations’. Tommy Waye, another Port man, was one. Stan Pemberthy, who came from Western Australia, was another, and they brought Norman Ware up from Sale. For the first match of the season we were billed as "The Big Four".
Norman Ware is still playing football in Victoria and he must be 34 or 35 now. With the money available they stay in the game a long time over there.
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Ambrose Palmer, one-time heavyweight boxing champion of Australia, was a 'Scray ruckman. Palmer was one of the fairest players ever to pull on a boot. The only time I saw him angry was when an opponent played a dirty trick on one of our team mates and Ambrose was stirred to caution this opponent. Yet, never to my knowledge did he put a hand on a man in anger. Some of our opponents banking on this ‘put the boots in’—which always seemed to me like striking a man whose hands were tied behind his back.
As far as league games are concerned in Victoria, they are less fiery than our matches here That is probably because they have to play so many matches on rain-soaked, heavy grounds. In 1932 there were 11 wet Saturdays in a row. The game closes up, and weight is used freely, but that occurs anywhere when the ball is so heavy that kicking along the ground is the only certain way of getting a kick.
Victorians have never had it on South Australia for pace, but they score heavily in one department. Their big men are bigger, faster, and higher marks than we find here, as a general rule, Victorian talent scouts make a point of searching out fast big men . . . and a good big man will always beat a good little man.
Melbourne coaches, except for the power of control over players given them because of the payments system, have nothing on Adelaide men. In fact, while all Melbourne coaches talk "tough" to their teams, many have difficulty in making a team understand what is wanted. The fact that a coach is a non-player, or is well past his prime as a footballer, does not mean that he is not competent to tutor, though "Checker" Hughes (Melbourne), and Jock McHale (Collingwood) are both oldsters, but have produced results for many years.
Again, each club in Victoria usually has some wealthy patrons who see that players get jobs. One of Footscray's benefactors was the owner of a big carrying business. At one time, it was said that he employed half the Footscray team.
Haydn Bunton, now umpiring here, was right on top of his form with Fitzroy in the middle 1930's. Bunton as a rover was a type and law to himself. Heavier than the usual run of rovers, Bunton often took a turn in the ruck. He was such a smooth mover that though he never appeared to be a dashing footballer, he could do amazing things on his day. He had unlimited stamina. Harry Collier of Collingwood, if not Bunton's equal, was only a fraction less accomplished. He too, was an unspectacular player, yet always seemed to be getting the ball.
Bob Quinn, Port's captain now, is to my mind the equal of either of this pair, and at his top, more brilliant. Last year, when the Victorians arrived for the match in Adelaide—in which they were thrashed—I met some old friends, and they asked me about our team. I replied that I thought the South Australian ‘little men’ would beat them, and expressed the opinion that Bob Quinn was the best rover I'd ever seen. The officials and pressmen were incredulous at this: after the match, in which Quinn gave a display that has rarely if ever been equalled, they agreed that our present State captain was one of the best ever.
Bob Barnes (West), and Dick Reynolds (Essendon and Victorian captain), I would rank in the best five rovers since World War I. Another Port rover who has rarely been mentioned, but could often beat the best, was ‘Pickles’ Bailey. He was uncanny at times with his anticipation and stab passing, Bailey could put the ball down a teammate's throat kicking with either foot. If he had a fault it was that, carried away with his own enthusiasm, occasionally he tried to beat too many opponents.
Port had several hard games in the old days, and Torrens were doughty opponents. In a semi final one year against the gold and blues, Len Galliford and I collided. Len broke his nose, and so heavy was the impact of his head against mine that he became unconscious. I had very thick hair, and it was not until 20 minutes later that blood began to trickle down over my forehead and I found that I had a gash in the scalp, too.
But in 1921, when Port be came premiers, there were three of the most gruelling games I can recall. All were against Norwood in the major round. Port were minor premiers, and when we met Norwood in a semi final we were thought to be good things, even though there were many veterans in the team. Harold Oliver captain, and Shine Hosking, vice-captain, were both about to retire, and so was Albert Congear. Norwood made a draw of it, however, with the scores 10-6 each. Then, in the replay, Norwood thrashed us, with Roy Bent getting six goals of Norwood's score of 12-16 to our 5-7.
[As] for the grand final… from the crowd's viewpoint, it was a disappointing game. There was little spectacular play but it turned into one of those battles where every man moved shoulder to shoulder with his opponent and scoring shots were few and far between. Port eventually won, the final scores being Port 4-8 to Norwood 3-6. Roy Bent kicked the red- legs’ three goals.
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I was brought up in a hard school of football, and Clem, my brother, taught me many of the finer points. Clem was a great insurance against my becoming too sure of myself. Often, after a match in which I'd played well, he would say to me when we got home, "you'll have to pull your socks up, or you won't make the team next week." He used to have me worried a bit, with the result that I'd train harder than ever the next week. I think many of the younger players of today are spoilt by praise too early in their career.
Footnotes
Title: Five pleasant, profitable years in Victoria
Author: Lawrie Jarvis
Publisher: News (Adelaide, SA: 1923 - 1954)
Date: Saturday 7 September 1946
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