| Denis Kelleher | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth | (1902-07-22)22 July 1902 | ||
| Place of birth | Baddaginnie, Victoria | ||
| Date of death | 30 May 1963(1963-05-30) (aged 60) | ||
| Original team(s) | Baddaginnie,Benalla,Wangaratta. | ||
| Height | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Weight | 101 kg (223 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1927–1932 | Carlton | 54(1) | |
| 1933–1936 | South Melbourne | 59 (14) | |
| Total | 113 (15) | ||
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1936. | |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
Denis "Dinny" Kelleher (22 July 1902 – 30 May 1963) was anAustralian rules footballer who played forCarlton andSouth Melbourne in theVictorian Football League (VFL).
Born in the small rural town ofBaddaginnie in 1902. He apparently captained his school's football team, then went on to play with Baddaginnie in the Euroa District Football Association in 1919,[1] 1920[2] and 1921.[3]
Kelleher then played withBenalla in theOvens and Murray Football League in 1922[4] and 1923, gaining selection in theOMFL team against the VFL in 1923.
He stood out of football in 1924 as Benalla refused to clear him toWangaratta.[5][6] Standing out of football for a year gave him an automatic clearance. At Wangaratta he played as the team's centre half-forward in their 1925Ovens and Murray Football League premiership[7] and 1926Ovens and Murray Football League grand final loss to St. Patrick's.[8] Kelleher represented the O&MFL in a match against theVFL in 1926 at Albury.[9]
Carlton initially tried to recruit Kelleher in 1925, after he was spotted playing forWangaratta in theOvens and Murray Football League.[10] He later played well in a practice match with Carlton in April, 1926,[11][12] before returning to Wangaratta,[13] then played seven senior VFL games in 1927. They considered him a plodder so after six years he began to look elsewhere. Kelleher also played mid-week with the Railways team which may have sapped his energy. Kelleher was the first big name Melbourne footballer to be recruited by a team in theHampden League. Camperdown offered him the position as captain-coach and he accepted. Carlton took their time clearing him as he played the first four games of the 1932 season with theBlues. Unfortunately for Kelleher and Camperdown they finished last in 1932.[14]
He Returned to Carlton in 1933 but only managed to play a few games in the seconds before South Melbourne recruited him. His first game was against Melbourne and that started an eleven game winning streak which culminated in the1933 premiership.
A solid 101 kg follower, Kelleher was a member of South's three unsuccessful VFL grand finals sides of1934,1935, and1936.
Leaving South Melbourne forMurtoa in the Wimmera, he was there for two years before moving on to Tasmania. Kelleher coached four different teams to premierships.[15]
He captain-coachedCity toNTFA premierships in 1939 and 1941 before retiring as a player in 1941.[16]
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