Noel Kelly (rugby league)

Noel Kelly

Kelly in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Noel R Kelly
Nickname	Ned
Born	(1936-01-22) 22 January 1936 (age 81) Ipswich, Queensland
Playing information
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	14 st 0 lb (89 kg; 196 lb)
Position	Hooker, Prop, Lock
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1958–59 Brothers (Ipswich) 1960 Ayr 1961–69 Wests (Sydney) 111 6 0 0 18 1970 Wollongong Total 111 6 0 0 18 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1959–60 Queensland 8 1 0 0 3 1959–68 Australia 25 2 0 0 6 1963–67 New South Wales 6 1 0 0 3
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1966–69 Wests (Sydney) 85 43 2 40 51 1970 Wollongong 1973–76 North Sydney 88 33 4 51 38 Total 173 76 6 91 44

Noel Kelly (born 22 January 1936) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach, who played at club, state and national level. He has been named among the country's finest footballers of the 20th century. Kelly played at hooker, prop forward or lock for much of his top-grade career with the Western Suburbs Magpies, whom he played for in three consecutive NSWRFL grand finals from 1961 to 1963. Kelly was named at hooker of the Western Suburbs Magpies, Queensland and Australian teams of the 20th century.

Kelly was born at Ipswich Hospital and brought up in Goodna. He attended primary school at St Mary's in Goodna, and a Christian Brothers high school, where he has said he was, "frequently belted or bashed or caned," by the Brothers. At age 12, his mother allowed him to enrol in the local state school, where he studied until he was 14. Goodna's first team played in the local district reserve grade competition, and Kelly played for the club from his junior league until he was in the first team as a young man, mostly playing a lock or second rower.

In 1956, Kelly began playing in the Ipswich competition, first with Railways, and then, two years later, with Brothers. At Railways he played in the same side as Gary Parcell and Dud Beattie. At Brothers he was coached by Dan Dempsey, who had played on two Kangaroo tours.

The Bulimba Cup was a tri-series played between sides representing Ipswich, Brisbane and Toowoomba. Playing at hooker, Kelly played in the Ipswich side which defeated the Toowoomba Downsmen 15-10 in the 1958 final, in front of a crowd of 7,242. Kelly said, the repeated success in 1959 was his, "spring board to state and international level."