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Key Facts
Full name
William Harvey Kelly
Known as
Harvey Kelly
Nickname
Duff
Born
24 March 1883
Died
30 July 1944 (aged 61)
Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 19y 47d
Last game: 31y 186d
Height and weight
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 84 kg
Senior clubs
South Melbourne; Carlton
Jumper numbers
South Melbourne: 14
Recruited from
South Melbourne (1907); Carlton (1913)
Family links
Otto Kelly (Brother)Ernie Kelly (Brother)
Harvey Kelly
| Club | League | Career span | Games | Goals | Avg | Win % | AKI | AHB | AMK | BV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Melbourne | V/AFL | 1902, 1913-1914 | 49 | 52 | 1.06 | 63% | — | — | — | 0 |
| Carlton | V/AFL | 1907-1909 | 43 | 75 | 1.74 | 86% | — | — | — | 0 |
| V/AFL | 1902, 1907-1909, 1913-1914 | 92 | 127 | 1.38 | 74% | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Total | 1902, 1907-1909, 1913-1914 | 92 | 127 | 1.38 | 74% | — | — | — | 0 | |
AFL: 735th player to appear, 2,633rd most games played, 821st most goals kickedSouth Melbourne: 100th player to appear, 343rd most games played, 145th most goals kickedCarlton: 213th player to appear, 372nd most games played, 124th most goals kicked
Invariably known as either Harvey or ‘Duff’, Kelly enjoyed an illustrious career in three states. Originally from Western Australia, he played a season with South Melbourne in 1902 before returning home and participating in East Fremantle’s 1904 premiership win. The following year he was one of several players to leave Old Easts in controversial circumstances, and he spent the 1905-6 seasons at arch rivals South Fremantle, where he played a total of 33 senior games.
A brilliant forward, whose kicking, both out of the hand and from the turf, was exemplary, he returned to the VFL in 1907, this time with Carlton, and was a significant contributor from centre half forward to the club’s five point defeat of his former team, South Melbourne, in that year’s Grand Final.
After playing for the VFL at the inaugural interstate championship series in Melbourne the following year, Kelly continued his fine form at club level to help the Blues to what, at the time, was a record-breaking third successive VFL flag. The Carlton phase of his career lasted 43 games in which he registered 75 goals.
Between 1910 and 1911, Kelly fronted up for TFL side Lefroy, and in the former year he participated in his second carnival, this time for a Tasmanian side which performed heroically to claim third place after scoring an upset win over the powerful West Australians. His two season stint in Tasmanian football saw him play a total of 27 games, comprised of 18 for his club, five for the TFL, and four for the state.
Kelly returned to the mainland in 1912, and sought a clearance from Carlton to South Melbourne. When this was refused, he spent the season playing for Bairnsdale. In 1913, Carlton granted him his clearance and, after a break of almost a decade, he resumed with South Melbourne, where he gave excellent service for another two years. Somewhat ironically, the last of his 49 games in a red and white jumper came in the losing 1914 Grand Final against Carlton when, as was almost invariably the case on big occasions, he was one of the most conspicuous performers on view, despite playing in the comparatively unaccustomed position of centre half back. He kicked a total of 52 goals for South.
Author - John Devaney