Aussie Rules Hall of Fame: Jerry Dolan (1901-1986) of west Cavan ilk

Jonathan Smyth's latest Times Past column takes a look at Aussie Rules Footballer Jerry Dolan who was a son of Con Dolan from Cavan (who emigrated to the Kalgoorlie Goldfields)...

Well, if you want to know something about Aussie Rules football, then do not ask me. The truth is that I couldn’t tell you too much. I am told, this type of football is played on a round-shaped field and requires two teams of 18 players and, of course, a football. Other than that, you might need a good sports journalist like Paul Fitzpatrick to expand on the topic. Why Australian football in a Times Past column? You may ask. Well, it has to do with a former professional footballer, Jerry (John) Dolan and his father’s family.

You may remember, if you were reading last week’s Celt, that he was the son of west Cavan’s Con (Cormack) Dolan and Ellen McMahon Dolan. No doubt, if he had been born in his father’s old home county, he would have played for both Templeport and the county team. An informative account of Jerry’s many accomplishments was written by Harry C. J. Phillips for the Australian Dictionary of Biography. Other useful sources of information were to be found in newspapers of the time, which helped build up a clearer picture of the man behind the ball.

Perth birth

Jerry, named at birth as John, was born a bonnie Christmas baby, in Perth, Victoria, on December 25, 1901. The future star’s upbringing was played out on the goldfields of Kalgoorlie alongside his gold prospecting parents. His education, both spiritual and theoretical, was received under the watchful eye of the Christian Brothers and thereafter he remained a devout Catholic all his life.

In Harry Phillip’s account, he tells us that, in 1920, Jerry was appointed as a trainee teacher (monitor) at North Kalgoorlie State School and then entered the world of politics by joining the Australian Labour Party. On completing his training at a teaching college in Perth, Jerry joined the staff at the Freemantle Boys School.

Jerry plays ball

Phillips provides a strong description of Dolan’s characteristics and footballing achievements. ‘Dolan’, he writes, ‘was a champion Australian Rules footballer; 6ft 3ins (191 cm) tall and slender, he was a centre half-forward and ruckman. In 1923-38 he played 16 seasons in the Western Australian National Football League, 11 with East Fremantle and five with East Perth. He participated, often as team captain, in 22 finals games and nine grand finals: 1923-25, 1928-31, 1933 and 1936.’

His career began with teams like Kalgoorlie City, as a forward; East Freemantle; East Perth; and a return to East Freemantle in the 1940s.

The Western Australian Institute of Sport said that he had the ‘ability to be totally disciplined in everything he attempted on the football field, or off it, enabling Jerry Dolan to take a high place in Western Australia’s sporting history’.

There were occasions when West Perth faced East Freemantle in duels worthy of the bravest of Roman gladiators and it was comforting to know that Jerry Dolan was present, an old hand at football. Even the Daily News referred to him as, ‘the old East’s leader’, in September 1932.

Before the match against West Perth, Dolan himself penned a morale boosting letter to his fans via the media, telling them that ‘East Freemantle are accustomed to the big occasions, and I am certain they will produce their best form’.

He elaborated further: ‘Sixteen of those who will be in action for us will have already had experience of premiership matches and their experience must be useful. West Perth have a good forward line, but I feel sure it will not get definite control, as our backs are at the top. How our ruck will be constituted is uncertain, and, for that reason, it is a problematical factor, yet it may prove our strength. West Perth is a good all-round side, but we, too, have taken in all divisions, and I think Old Easts will come out of it victorious.’ He signed off with his signature appearing below the piece. In later years, Dolan coached the football players at Aquinas College, at Manning.

The Mirror, on December 31, 1932, announced Jerry’s marriage in an upbeat comical tone by informing his sporting fans ‘that the popular skipper’ of the East Freemantle Football Club led his team out onto the field, before adjusting their commentary to, ‘wait a minute we’ve got it all wrong!… What we meant to say was that Jerry led to the altar Miss Eileen Foley of East Freemantle.’

The happy couple were married in St Patrick’s Church under the guidance of the officiating priest, the Rev Fr Neville.

Parliamentarian

Politics was another of Jerry’s big interests and he was elected as a Labour Party candidate to the Western Australian Legislative in 1963. Under the Tonkin ministry, Jerry received a variety of portfolios, including the ministry of Police, Transport and Railways, of which he was minister from 1971 to 1973. In 1974, prior to his retirement from parliamentary life he also led the’ government in the Legislative Council’.

Hall of Fame!

In 1986, the year of his death, Jerry’s induction into the Western Australian’s Hall of Champions took place, and in 1997 was named coach of East Freemantle’s Team of the Century. More accolades followed. In 2004, Jerry Dolan’s memory was honoured as an inaugural inductee of the Western Australian Hall of Fame. Then in 2007 they him named coach to the Freemantle Team of Legends.

Even though I may not know too much about Aussie Rules Football, I do hope that the people of Cavan will know a bit more about Jerry Dolan, the son of an Irish emigrant who went in search of gold, but instead of finding wealth, he produced one of Australia’s most famous sports stars.

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