Kevin Neale
Encyclopedia
Kevin "Cowboy" Neale is a former Australian rules football
er who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
, and nicknamed "Cowboy" for his bow-legs and his rolling gait, Neale played his first match for St Kilda against North Melbourne on 22 May 1965 (round 6), as a back-pocket/ruckman. His debut had been delayed because his own club,South Warrnambool, had needed him as a player for the first three matches of their season.
Neale, recruited by St Kilda as a nineteen year old, , ruckman, initially played in the backline (as the first change, resting in the back-pocket ruckman), but was moved to full forward in 1966. (Neale was selected as the back-pocket ruckman in St Kilda's "Team of the Century" in May 2001.)
He kicked five goals in St Kilda's 1966 Grand Final
win over Collingwood; and held the club record of 16 finals games, until it was recently beaten by Robert Harvey
.
Neal played for Victorian in the Interstate match against Tasmania in Hobart, on Saturday, 16 June 1967. He was selected at full-forward, and kicked four goals in the match (he was moved from full-forward in the second half because Victoria's Centre Half-Forward Peter McKenna
had not kicked a goal in the first half of the match).
At the end of the 1976 season, it was thought that Neale would retire from playing with St Kilda; however, St KIlda prevailed upon him to play yet another season, and he played in 20 of St Kilda's 22 matches that season, playing his last match as the back-pocket ruckman, in a losing St Kilda side, 17.10 (112), against Richmond 25.21 (171) at the M.C.G. on 27 August 1977 (round 22).
In his entire VFL career at St Kilda, he had played in 256 games, and scored 301 goals (as at the end of the 2010 season, only 5 other men have played more matches for St Kilda, and only 8 others have kicked more goals in their career).
in the South-West League
for three years at $25,000 per annum. St Kilda talked him out of accepting the offer; and, towards the end of the 1975 season, the Albury Football Club
in the Ovens & Murray Football League
offered him a three year contract of $35,000 as captain-coach.
In 1978, he moved to Canberra, and was appointed the captain-coach of the Ainslie Football Club
. In that year, he was also the captain coach of a combined A.C.T. team in the Escort Cup competition. He was still very effective at full-forward, setting a goal-kicking record in 1980. With Neale as its captain-coach, Ainslie won the premiership in both 1979 and 1980.
Neale was the captain-coach of the combined ACT side that beat the Victorian team 13.17 (95) to 11.16 (82) on 6 July 1980 at Manuka Oval
in front of a crowd of 10,600. He scored three goals.
Coached by Bill Stephen
, the Victorians were a very strong team including club captains and Brownlow medallists: Francis Bourke
of Richmond, captain, Trevor Barker
of St Kilda, Malcolm Blight
of North Melbourne, Terry Bright
of Geelong, Jim Buckley of Carlton, Robert DiPierdomenico
of Hawthorn, Jim Edmond
of Footscray, Robert Elliott of Melbourne, Neville Fields
of South Melbourne, Laurie Fowler
of Richmond, Steven Icke
of North Melbourne, Rene Kink
of Collingwood, Mark Lee
of Richmond, Mark Maclure
of Carlton, Alex Marcou
of Carlton, Merv Neagle
of Essendon, Jeff Sarau
of St Kilda, Laurie Serafini
of Fitzroy, and Michael Turner
of Geelong.
. Neale demanded $50,000 as his salary (St Kilda eventually appointed the ex-Richmond coach Tony Jewell
).
Only a few matches into the 1983 season he suffered a relatively minor injury to his left knee, and was admitted to hospital for a simple, routine surgical repair. At the time of his admission to hospital, it was thought that he might miss two weeks at the most (and, moreover, that he still had, perhaps, another two or three seasons in him as captain-coach).
Whilst in the hospital, he came down with a very severe nosocomial infection
that threatened his life; and the extremely long time that it took for him to recover meant that he never retained his fitness levels, and was only well enough to play a couple of matches at the end of the season. Although not a "passenger", he was not able to play up to his usual level of dominance; and it was clear to all that his playing career was over.
With Neale in the team, Ainslie won the 1983 premiership; the fourth in his six years as captain-coach. In the 1980 season he kicked 149 goals, in the 1981 season he kicked 139 goals, and in the 1982 season he kicked 125 goals.
as the captain-coach for the 1984 season).
Cleared by Ainslie, Neale moved to coach the Central District Football Club in the SANFL
. He was non-playing coach from 1984–1987. Central District only appeared twice in the finals during Neal's coaching tenure, without them winning a single finals game. In 1984, with Neal as coach, Central District's John Platten
won the Magarey Medal
.
for three seasons (1993–1995).
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
St Kilda
Recruited from South WarrnamboolSouth Warrnambool Football Club
The South Warrnambool Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Hampden Football League.They are based in the regional Victorian city of Warrnambool and have played in the Hampden Football League since 1933....
, and nicknamed "Cowboy" for his bow-legs and his rolling gait, Neale played his first match for St Kilda against North Melbourne on 22 May 1965 (round 6), as a back-pocket/ruckman. His debut had been delayed because his own club,South Warrnambool, had needed him as a player for the first three matches of their season.
Neale, recruited by St Kilda as a nineteen year old, , ruckman, initially played in the backline (as the first change, resting in the back-pocket ruckman), but was moved to full forward in 1966. (Neale was selected as the back-pocket ruckman in St Kilda's "Team of the Century" in May 2001.)
He kicked five goals in St Kilda's 1966 Grand Final
1966 VFL Grand Final
The 1966 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Collingwood Football Club and St Kilda Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 24 September 1966. It was the 70th annual grand final of the Victorian Football League , staged to...
win over Collingwood; and held the club record of 16 finals games, until it was recently beaten by Robert Harvey
Robert Harvey (footballer)
Robert Jeffrey Harvey is a former Australian rules football player for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League...
.
Neal played for Victorian in the Interstate match against Tasmania in Hobart, on Saturday, 16 June 1967. He was selected at full-forward, and kicked four goals in the match (he was moved from full-forward in the second half because Victoria's Centre Half-Forward Peter McKenna
Peter McKenna
Peter McKenna is a former Australian rules footballer, who played 180 games and kicked 838 goals with the Collingwood Football Club between 1965 and 1975, where he spent the majority of his career...
had not kicked a goal in the first half of the match).
At the end of the 1976 season, it was thought that Neale would retire from playing with St Kilda; however, St KIlda prevailed upon him to play yet another season, and he played in 20 of St Kilda's 22 matches that season, playing his last match as the back-pocket ruckman, in a losing St Kilda side, 17.10 (112), against Richmond 25.21 (171) at the M.C.G. on 27 August 1977 (round 22).
In his entire VFL career at St Kilda, he had played in 256 games, and scored 301 goals (as at the end of the 2010 season, only 5 other men have played more matches for St Kilda, and only 8 others have kicked more goals in their career).
1978
Towards the end of his career at St Kilda, numerous offers were made to Neal to leave St KIlda and take up a coaching position. At the start of 1975, he was offered the position of playing coach at Turvey ParkTurvey Park, New South Wales
Turvey Park is an inner southern suburb of Wagga Wagga in southern New South Wales, Australia. Its boundaries are defined by Fernleigh Road to the south, Glenfield Road to the west, Coleman Street to the north and to the east by Willans Hill...
in the South-West League
Riverina Football League
The Riverina Football Netball League is a semi-professional Australian rules football and netball competition containing nine clubs based in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The league features three grades in the Australian rules football competition, these being seniors,...
for three years at $25,000 per annum. St Kilda talked him out of accepting the offer; and, towards the end of the 1975 season, the Albury Football Club
Albury Football Club
The Albury Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Ovens & Murray Football League.The club is based in Albury, New South Wales.Two Brownlow Medallists, Haydn Bunton senior and Denis Ryan, both started their career at Albury....
in the Ovens & Murray Football League
Ovens & Murray Football League
The Ovens and Murray Football League, often referred to locally as the O&M, is a semi-professional Australian rules football league based around ten clubs in north-eastern Victoria and the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, and affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League...
offered him a three year contract of $35,000 as captain-coach.
In 1978, he moved to Canberra, and was appointed the captain-coach of the Ainslie Football Club
Ainslie Football Club
Ainslie Football Club is a semi-professional Australian rules football club based in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory.The club, formed in 1927 and play now in the North East Australian Football League, won its first permiership in 1929....
. In that year, he was also the captain coach of a combined A.C.T. team in the Escort Cup competition. He was still very effective at full-forward, setting a goal-kicking record in 1980. With Neale as its captain-coach, Ainslie won the premiership in both 1979 and 1980.
1980 Captain-coach of the ACT
In 1980, there was no concept of "State of Origin"; and, therefore, a combined A.C.T. was precisely that: a team of men who were currently playing in the ACT competition.Neale was the captain-coach of the combined ACT side that beat the Victorian team 13.17 (95) to 11.16 (82) on 6 July 1980 at Manuka Oval
Manuka Oval
Manuka Oval is a 13,550 capacity ground located in the suburb of Griffith, adjacent to Manuka, a business district of Canberra, Australia's capital....
in front of a crowd of 10,600. He scored three goals.
Coached by Bill Stephen
Bill Stephen
Bill Stephen was a former Australian rules footballer with Fitzroy Football Club. He also coached Fitzroy and Essendon.- Fitzroy career :...
, the Victorians were a very strong team including club captains and Brownlow medallists: Francis Bourke
Francis Bourke
Francis William Bourke is a former Australian rules football player who played in the Victorian Football League between 1967 and 1981 for the Richmond Football Club and coached the club between 1982 and 1983. One of the most respected Australian footballers of any era, Bourke was nicknamed "St...
of Richmond, captain, Trevor Barker
Trevor Barker
Trevor Barker was an Australian rules footballer with the St Kilda Football Club in the Victorian Football League ....
of St Kilda, Malcolm Blight
Malcolm Blight
Malcolm Jack Blight AM is a former champion Australian rules football player and coach, and current television commentator. During the 1970s and 1980s Blight played for the Woodville Football Club in the South Australian National Football League and the North Melbourne Football Club in the...
of North Melbourne, Terry Bright
Terry Bright
Terry Bright is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong in the VFL.After winning a premiership with Geelong West in 1975 he was recruited by the Cats with whom he would go on to play 219 VFL games. He was used as a forward but was sometimes seen across half back.-External links:...
of Geelong, Jim Buckley of Carlton, Robert DiPierdomenico
Robert DiPierdomenico
Robert "Dipper" DiPierdomenico is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL of Italian descent and a member of the VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century...
of Hawthorn, Jim Edmond
Jim Edmond
Jim Edmond is a former Australian rules footballer.Debuting in the Victorian Football League in 1977, Edmond was the former captain of Footscray Football Club between 1983 and 1985. He also won the goalkicking in 1981 with 25 goals...
of Footscray, Robert Elliott of Melbourne, Neville Fields
Neville Fields
Neville Fields is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon and South Melbourne in the VFL.Fields was a left footed centreman and won Essendon's 'Most improved player' award in 1971. He was their best and fairest the following season and went on to represent Victoria in...
of South Melbourne, Laurie Fowler
Laurie Fowler
Laurie Fowler is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Richmond and Melbourne in the Victorian Football League....
of Richmond, Steven Icke
Steven Icke
Steven Icke is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne and Melbourne in the Victorian Football League ....
of North Melbourne, Rene Kink
Rene Kink
Rene Kink is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood, St Kilda and Essendon in the VFL.Kink played in a variety of positions during his career but was mainly used as a half forward flanker or full forward...
of Collingwood, Mark Lee
Mark Lee (Australian rules footballer)
Mark Lee, known affectionately as "The General" is a former Australian rules football player for the Richmond Football Club. Recruited from Richmond’s country zone in Mildura, Lee played a couple of games in 1977 but took off the following year as the team’s regular ruckman, allowing David Cloke to...
of Richmond, Mark Maclure
Mark Maclure
Mark Maclure is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.Mark made his debut for Carlton in Round 13, 1974. He retired from the game in 1986 after playing 243 games for the club....
of Carlton, Alex Marcou
Alex Marcou
Alex Marcou is a former Australian rules footballer. He played with Carlton and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League during the 1980s....
of Carlton, Merv Neagle
Merv Neagle
Merv Neagle is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon and Sydney in the VFL/AFL.A centreman, Neagle was a member of Essendon's 1984 premiership side. He finished second in the 1980 Brownlow Medal and equal fifth the following season.He is the father of Essendon player Jay...
of Essendon, Jeff Sarau
Jeff Sarau
Jeff Sarau is a former Australian rules footballer who played for St Kilda in the Victorian Football League and West Torrens Football Club in the South Australian National Football League as a ruckman....
of St Kilda, Laurie Serafini
Laurie Serafini
Lorenzo 'Laurie' Serafini is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the VFL during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is the younger brother of Renato Serafini, who also played for Fitzroy....
of Fitzroy, and Michael Turner
Michael Turner (Australian rules footballer)
Michael Turner is a former Australian rules footballer who played 245 games for the Geelong Football Club in the VFL from 1974 to 1988....
of Geelong.
1982
For a number of reasons, Ainslie had experienced a dismal 1981 season; but, under the coaching of Neale and, particularly, due to his superb on-field leadership and strength at full-forward, Ainslie won the 1982 premiership. At the end of 1982, he was interviewed by St Kilda,with a view to him replacing Alex JesaulenkoAlex Jesaulenko
Alex 'Jezza' Jesaulenko MBE is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He is regarded as one of the game's greatest-ever players and is an official Legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame...
. Neale demanded $50,000 as his salary (St Kilda eventually appointed the ex-Richmond coach Tony Jewell
Tony Jewell
Tony 'TJ' Jewell is a former Australian rules football player who played in the VFL between 1964 and 1970 for the Richmond Football Club. He was recruited from Oakleigh in the VFA where he had led the club's goalkicking in 1962 and was placed 4th in the VFA's best & fairest award, the J. J. Liston...
).
Career-ending nosocomial infection
In 1983, he began the 1983 season as the captain-coach of the Ainslie Football Club, and was playing as well as he had ever been, despite his advanced age and increased weight.Only a few matches into the 1983 season he suffered a relatively minor injury to his left knee, and was admitted to hospital for a simple, routine surgical repair. At the time of his admission to hospital, it was thought that he might miss two weeks at the most (and, moreover, that he still had, perhaps, another two or three seasons in him as captain-coach).
Whilst in the hospital, he came down with a very severe nosocomial infection
Nosocomial infection
A nosocomial infection , also known as a hospital-acquired infection or HAI, is an infection whose development is favoured by a hospital environment, such as one acquired by a patient during a hospital visit or one developing among hospital staff...
that threatened his life; and the extremely long time that it took for him to recover meant that he never retained his fitness levels, and was only well enough to play a couple of matches at the end of the season. Although not a "passenger", he was not able to play up to his usual level of dominance; and it was clear to all that his playing career was over.
With Neale in the team, Ainslie won the 1983 premiership; the fourth in his six years as captain-coach. In the 1980 season he kicked 149 goals, in the 1981 season he kicked 139 goals, and in the 1982 season he kicked 125 goals.
South Australia
Because he was no longer able to take the field as a player, Neale was reluctantly released by the Ainslie Football Club; as their club and team structure at the time demanded a playing coach (the club eventually appointed ex-Richmond, and ex-Collingwod player Rod OborneRod Oborne
Rod C. Oborne is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood and Richmond in the Victorian Football League .Oborne, a left footed half forward flanker, was recruited from Marist Brothers College, in Burnie...
as the captain-coach for the 1984 season).
Cleared by Ainslie, Neale moved to coach the Central District Football Club in the SANFL
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
. He was non-playing coach from 1984–1987. Central District only appeared twice in the finals during Neal's coaching tenure, without them winning a single finals game. In 1984, with Neal as coach, Central District's John Platten
John Platten
John Patrick "The Rat" Platten is a former Australian rules footballer. With his unruly tangle of curls he was a distinctive figure on the field with tremendous tenacity and the ability to accumulate possessions week after week.-Career:Platten began his career with the Central District Bulldogs...
won the Magarey Medal
Magarey Medal
For the biography award of the same name, see Magarey Medal for biography. For a list of winners, see List of Magarey Medallists.The Magarey Medal is an Australian rules football honour awarded annually since 1898 to the fairest and most brilliant player in the South Australian National Football...
.
Tuggeranong
Neale was coach of the Tuggeranong Football ClubTuggeranong Hawks Football Club
The Tuggeranong Hawks Football Club is a semi-professional, community based Australian Rules Football club based in Tuggeranong, Australian Capital Territory...
for three seasons (1993–1995).