Background
An Alyawarra man, Reilly was born in Alpurrurulam on the Northern Territory/Queensland border and, in line with government policy of the day, was removed from his mother and taken to Alice Springs hospital.
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Elkin Reilly
Edit ProfileCareer
He was one of the earlier Australian Aboriginals to play in the VFL. Reilly attended the exclusive Rostrevor College in Adelaide and became a leading ruckman who after leaving Rostrevor played in various country leagues. Recruited by South Melbourne from Sunraysia Football League club Wentworth in 1962, Reilly made his senior VFL debut in Round Five that season against Fitzroy Football Club at South Melbourne"s home ground, the Lake Oval. A ruptured appendix ended Reilly"s VFL career in 1966 and he moved to Cohuna in country Victoria to coach.
Rostrevor College has honoured Reilly by naming a hall and a scholarship for Indigenous students for him.
Achievements
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Reilly was a star in the country and won two Mail Medals in a row for being the best and fairest player in 1959 in the Southern Yorke Peninsula Football League while for playing for Minlaton Football Club and in 1960 in the Upper Murray Riverland Football League with Barmera-Monash Football Club. Over five seasons, Reilly played 51 games for South Melbourne, teaming with South"s champion rover Bob Skilton to win matches "in an otherwise bleak period for the club", with one sports reporter claiming "Elkin Reilly is not a brilliant player but his spoiling tactics are an important feature of South"s play.".
