Roy Cazaly
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Roy Cazaly was an Australian rules football player famous his high marks, and for giving rise to the phrase "Up there Cazaly".
Cazaly was born in Albert Park, a suburb of Melbourne on January 13 1893. He learnt his football at the local state school, quickly becoming its first-choice ruckman. He made his debut in the Victorian Football League for St. Kilda in 1911, for whom he would play 99 matches. In 1920 he was voted "Champion of the Colony", but left St. Kilda, signing with South Melbourne. He began coaching South Melbourne in 1922 and won the club's Best and Fairest award in 1926.
Cazaly was famous for his ability to take spectacular marks despite his small stature, and at South Melbourne a teammate would often yell "Up there, Cazaly", a phrase that would become synonymous with football. He initially developed his marking ability by jumping at a ball strung up in a shed at his home, and held his breath as he jumped, an action that he believed lifted him higher. He also possessed the capacity to kick a football over 65 metres.
In 1928 he departed Victoria and headed for Launceston, Tasmania, before returning in 1931 to coach the Preston club in the Victorian Football Association. His subsequent return to Tasmania was punctuated by short stints as playing coach of South Melbourne (in 1937-38), Camberwell (in 1940) and Hawthorn (in 1942-43), and as non-playing assistant coach of South in 1947. While coaching Hawthorn, he was reported to have given the club its nickname the "Hawks" as he saw it as tougher than their original nickname the "mayblooms".
He played 429 senior matches (including 13 interstate matches for Victoria and 19 for Tasmania). Throughout his career he stood at just 180 centimetres (5 feet 11 inches) and was incredibly fit. He retired from competitive football in 1951 at the age of 58 after winning the Tasmanian Football League premiership with New Town. After his retirement from football, he was involved in many business ventures before his death in Hobart on October 10, 1963.
The famous line of "Up there, Cazaly" was used a battle cry by Australian forces during World War II. It is also the name of a song in 1979 by The Two-Man Band.
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