Australian Football

Malvern Drury was one of the foremost West Torrens footballers of the 1930s. He commenced with the club in 1931, and was a key member of its 1933 premiership team, contributing three goals to the 13.10 (88) to 9.11 (65) Grand Final win over Norwood, and topping the club’s goal kicking list for the season with 34 goals. Drury crossed to Hawthorn in 1934 where he played 15 VFL games and kicked 12 goals. He resumed with Torrens in 1935, and over the ensuing three seasons took his games tally with the club to 75 and the number of goals kicked to 111.

A speedy and tenacious rover with a keen eye for goal, Drury represented South Australia twice, against the VFL at the 1933 Sydney carnival, and on the Adelaide Oval against the same opponent two years later. He skippered the blue and golds in 1937, and three years later returned to the club as non-playing senior coach, although in 1941 he actually donned the boots for three late season games when the club’s playing stocks had been severely denuded by wartime demands. After acting as assistant coach to ‘Shine’ Hosking of the Port-Torrens combined team which operated from 1942 to 1944, Mal Drury resumed his duties as senior coach of West Torrens when full scale league football resumed in 1945, and he had the satisfaction of steering the side to its first flag since 1933. He continued at the helm for two further seasons but was unable to add to his 1945 success.

Author - John Devaney