Gordon Eric "Gerry" Daly (19 January 1915 – 6 August 1977) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).Holmesby & Main (2007).
Family The son of Jeremiah John Daly (1871–1946),Obituary: Mr Jeremiah Daley, The Numurkah Leader, (Monday, 5 November 1946), p. 3. and Ruby Minnie Daly (1889–1967), née Cleary, Gordon Eric Daly was born at Numurkah, Victoria on 19 January 1915.Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria Births Registration no.6393/1915.
He married Mary Kathleen "Mollie" Cummins (1917-) in 1939.Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria Marriages Registration no.14606/1939. They had two children.
Football Daly was recruited from the Sandhurst Football Club in the Bendigo Football League (BFL).Bendigo's effort to hold Melbourne: Close Exhibition Game, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Saturday, 16 July 1938), p. 13.Permits Granted, The (Melbourne) Sun News-Pictorial, (Thursday, 4 May 1939), p. 31.australianfootball.comMelbourne Seconds, The Age, (Thursday, 7 September 1939), p. 4.Seconds' Grand Final, The Argus, (Wednesday, 27 September 1939), p. 22.Melbourne lead Richmond in Seconds Final, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Thursday, 28 September 1939), p. 42.Melbourne Wins, The Argus, (Friday, 29 September 1939), p. 15. League Seconds' Premiership: Melbourne's easy Win over Richmond, The (Melbourne) Sun News-Pictorial, (Friday, 29 September 1939), p. 31. He experienced considerable team success during his short VFL career, not playing in a loss until his 14th appearance.AFL Tables. Daly was also a member of Melbourne's 1941 premiership team, as a forward pocket. He kicked one of only two career goals in the 29-point grand final win.
From 1942 to 1945, he did not feature in the VFL due to the war, during which time he served with the Australian Army.Taylor, Percy, "Melbourne are Proud of their Great War Record", The Australasian, (Saturday, 24 June 1944), p.23. He returned to Melbourne in the 1946 season, but would play just three games.
Military service He enlisted in the Australian Army in December 1941, served overseas in the Bougainville campaign, and was discharged in December 1945.Nominal Roll.Service Record.
Death He died at Mildura, Victoria on 6 August 1977.Deaths: Daly, The Age, (Monday, 8 August 1977), p. 23.
Notes
References World War Two Nominal Roll: Private Gordon Eric Daly (VX67505), Department of Veterans' Affairs. World War Two Nominal Roll: Private Gordon Eric Daly (VX67505), National Archives of Australia.
External links
Gerry Daly, at DemonWiki.