Name Pat Devery | Role Rugby player | |
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Australian rugby league footballer and coach Pat Devery Died at 95
Pat Devery (born 9 August 1922) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s, and 1950s, and coach of the 1950s. An Australian international representative half, he played in Australia for the Balmain club, winning the 1944, '46 and '47 grand finals with them. He was also the 1947 season's top point-scorer. Devery then had a successful career playing in England for the Huddersfield club before returning to Sydney where he coached the Manly-Warringah club.
Contents
- Australian rugby league footballer and coach Pat Devery Died at 95
- Playing career
- England
- Post playing
- References
Playing career
Devery was discovered by Latchem Robinson while playing football in The Domain, Sydney as a sailor in the Royal Australian Navy during the war. He played for Balmain at halfback in the 1944 NSWRFL season's premiership final, scoring a try in his side's victory over Newtown. Devery also represented City Firsts on 6 occasions, New South Wales on 2 occasions between 1946–1947 and the Australian rugby league team in 1946 in three tests against Great Britain. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.222. Balmain reached the 1946 NSWRFL season's premiership final and Devery played at centre in their victory over St. George.
England
At the end of the 1947 season a large number of Australians signed with English clubs, headed by Devery who signed with Huddersfield for a fee of £1,350 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £120,000 in 2013). He went on to break the club's record for most points in a season with 332, achieved during the 1952–53 season. He also made 11-appearances for the Other Nationalities, and one appearance for the British Empire.
Devery played left-centre, i.e. number 4, in Huddersfield's 4-11 defeat by Bradford Northern in the 1949 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1949–50 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 29 October 1949, and played left-centre, i.e. number 4, and scored 3-conversions in the 18-8 victory over Batley in the 1952 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1952–53 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 15 November 1952.
Devery played left-centre, i.e. number 4, in Huddersfield's 2-20 defeat by Wigan in the Championship Final during the 1949–50 season at Maine Road, Manchester on Saturday 13 May 1950.
Pat Devery played left-centre, i.e. number 4 (Following a leg injury to Pat Devery, Pat Devery moved to left wing, i.e. number 5, and Lionel Cooper moved to Centre, i.e. number 4; Lionel Cooper also took over the kicking duties from Pat Devery.) and scored a conversion in Huddersfield's 15-10 victory over St. Helens in the 1953 Challenge Cup Final during the 1952–53 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 25 April 1953, in front of a crowd of 89,588.
He scored over 1000 points during his English career between 1948–1954.
He was a teacher at Oakes Elementary school in Huddersfield in the late 1940s, and early 1950s at the same time as Bon Spence the former Huddersfield Town Full back.
Post-playing
On his return to Sydney, he commenced coaching the Manly-Warringah club in 1955, taking them to a 3rd-place regular season finish. The 1956 season finished with Manly in 6th place, just missing out on a spot in the finals. In 1957 Devery finished his coaching career at Lithgow.
In 2005 Devery was named as one of the inaugural inductees into the Balmain Tigers Hall of Fame.
He currently lives in Portland, Oregon.