| Les Dayman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Leslie Clarence Dayman | ||
| Born | 28 October 1901 Salisbury, South Australia | ||
| Died | 11 March 1979(1979-03-11) (aged 77) Alberton, South Australia | ||
| Original team | Salisbury | ||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | ||
| Position | Key position forward/Ruckman | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1921–1931 & 1937 | Port Adelaide | 166 (401) | |
| 1932–1934 | Footscray | 34(68) | |
| 1934 | Coburg[1] | 12(13) | |
| Total | 212 (482) | ||
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 1923–1931 | South Australia | 19 (30) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1937. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
Leslie Clarence "Bro"Dayman (28 October 1901 – 11 March 1979) was anAustralian Rules footballer who played forPort Adelaide in theSouth Australian National Football League (SANFL) andFootscray in theVictorian Football League (VFL).
The fifth of the seven children of Arthur Ernest Dayman,[2] and Edith Annie Dayman, née Smitham,[3] Leslie Clarence Dayman was born atSalisbury, South Australia on 28 October 1901.
His eldest brother,Clem Dayman, also played with Port Adelaide.
Dayman married Maria Jane "Ria" Diks on 2 January 1932.[4][5] Their son,Leslie Dayman, was the notable Australian stage, screen and TV actor, and their grandson,Chris McDermott, was the inaugural captain ofAdelaide Crows.[6]
Les Dayman started his career at Port Adelaide in 1921, after arriving from Salisbury. During that year he was a member of the club's premiership team. He played beside his brother Clem at the club during the 1920s and was used mostly as a ruckman or in the key forward positions. On three occasions Dayman won Port Adelaide's 'Best and Fairest' award and also topped their goal-kicking four times. He was the league'stop goal-kicker in 1929 with 86 goals.
A regular South Australian interstate representative, he made a total of 19 appearances and kicked 30 goals for his state.
Footscray acquired his services in1932 and he had a solid first season, kicking a bag of five againstFitzroy in his second game and topping the club's goal-kicking with 37 majors.
Following three years with Footscray, Dayman was cleared toVictorian Football Association (VFA) clubCoburg in late June1934. He played in Coburg's losing 1934 VFA grand final loss againstNorthcote.[7][8]
Dayman was announced as captain-coach ofMaryborough in theBendigo Football League in late March 1935[9] but was instead cleared from Coburg to fellow VFA clubYarraville in early April 1935 and later played with VFA clubSunshine.[10]
After playing for Newells Football Club in theFootscray District Football League (FDFL) in 1936,[11] Dayman returned to Port Adelaide in 1937,[12] making one further appearance for the seniors,[13][14] before going on to serve the club in an off field capacity.
Dayman was awardedPort Adelaide Football Club Life Membership in 1938.[15]
Dayman enlisted in theAustralian army on 8 April 1942 and served as a Private in 1 BattalionVolunteer Defence Corps until his discharge on 14 September 1944.[16]
He died atAlberton, South Australia on 11 March 1979.
In 2002 he was one of the inaugural inductees into theSouth Australian Football Hall of Fame.
He was selected at centre half-forward in Port Adelaide's official"Greatest Team", which took into account the period 1870 to 2000.
