Full name Mal P. Drury Name Mal Drury 1934 Hawthorn | Years Club Height/Weight 173 cm / 68 kg Died August 19, 1993 | |
Date of birth (1910-04-06)6 April 1910 Date of death 19 August 1993(1993-08-19) (aged 83) Original team West Torrens Football Club | ||
Mal Drury (6 April 1910 – 19 August 1993) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and West Torrens in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).
Drury was a member of the West Torrens premiership team of 1933 and topped their goal-kicking with 34 majors for the year. The following season he was picked up by Hawthorn, coached by Bill Twomey, Sr., and played 15 of a possible 18 games.
He then returned to West Torrens and was made club captain in 1937, before being appointed coach in 1940. Drury oversaw two poor seasons but when the war induced three year recess ended, steered West Torrens to a surprise premiership in 1945. After winning both the Semi Final and Preliminary Final by a kick, the former due to a controversial goal from Jim Thoms, West Torrens took on Port Adelaide in the decider. Having lost just twice during the season, Port Adelaide were the favourites but West Torrens, despite conceding eight first quarter goals, won by 13 points.