AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game
Club | League | Career span | Games | Goals | Avg | Win % | AKI | AHB | AMK | BV |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
West Adelaide | SAFL | 1902-1903, 1906-1913 | 106 | 56 | 0.53 | — | — | — | — | — |
Total | 1902-1903, 1906-1913 | 106 | 56 | 0.53 | — | — | — | — | — |
During ten seasons of senior football with West Adelaide Jos Dailey witnessed both ends of the achievement spectrum. When he started with the club in 1902 it was little better than a chopping block for most opponents and managed just one win and a draw from a dozen matches to finish above only relative newcomer Sturt on the premiership ladder. When Dailey retired in 1913, however, he had been a member of no fewer than four league premiership sides, and had played in three championship of Australia deciders for two wins.
Dailey, who missed the entire 1904 and 1905 seasons, did not become a regular senior player with West until 1906, when he actually ended up captaining the side for most of the year after regular skipper Adolphus Mesecke was injured. Thereafter, he went from strength to strength. Capable of playing as both a forward and a defender, he probably produced his best football across half forward, from where he could usually be relied on to contribute a goal or two plus plenty of intelligent link play.
Always popular with his team mates, Dailey again captained West between 1910 and 1912, with the last two years yielding premierships. He had earlier played in both the 1908 and 1909 flag winning combinations. Championship of Australia victories against Carlton in 1908 and Essendon three years later capped off a highly memorable career which saw him play a total of 106 senior games, boot 56 goals, and win the West Adelaide fairest and most brilliant award in 1911.
Author - John Devaney