Jim Cleary (Australian rules footballer)
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth | July 13, 1914, |
| Recruited from | |
| Height and weight | 183cm / 89kg |
| Playing career¹ | |
| Debut | 1934, South Melbourne vs. , at |
| Team(s) | South Melbourne (1934-48)
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| ¹ Statistics to end of 1948 season | |
| Career highlights | |
Jim Cleary (born July 13, 1914) was an Australian rules footballer who played for South Melbourne in the VFL during the 1930s and 40s.
Cleary played as a fullback and won two best and fairest awards for South Melbourne, in 1942 and 1944. His reputation was marred somewhat by his involvement in what is referred to as the 1945 VFL Grand Final 'bloodbath'. For his part in the incident he was suspended for 8 matches.
He left the club in 1948 and went on to become captain and coach of Port Melbourne. After a successful stint with Port he continued his coaching career at both Brunswick and Dandenong. He remained involved in the game even after retiring as a coach, becoming a panelist on a TV show called 'World of Sport'.
