Terry Gleeson

DOB: 16 October, 1933
Died: February 2011

Debut: Round 10, 1953 against Hawthorn at MCG
Last Game: Round 17, 1962 against South Melbourne at Lake Oval

Games: 100
Goals: 27
Career Statistics (external link)

Wins	Draws	Losses	Winning %
71	1	28	71.00

From: Berrigan/St. Pat's Ballarat

Number: 28 1953-1957, 1959-1962 14 1958

Honours:
Premiership Player - 1955, 1956
Grand Final team - 1958
150 Heroes selection
Life Member

One of Melbourne's few New South Wales born players, Gerald "Terry" Gleeson was a hard working ruckman whose brother Brian played 71 games and won a Brownlow for St. Kilda. His brother could have come to Melbourne at the same time as Terry, but Checker Hughes only offered him a role in the thirds and St. Kilda snuck in to sign him up.

The Demons only got one brother, but he gave them fine service. First signed in 1951 he made his way through the thirds, and after playing just six games in his first two seasons, Gleeson played ten in 1955 - culminating in the Grand Final victory. Forced to compete with Denis Cordner and Bob Johnson for the ruck position he managed just ten games again the next year, but once more finished the season with a premiership to his name.

Cordner's retirement after the 1956 season opened up a position for him, and Gleeson played 16 matches the next season before being dropped for the Preliminary Final.

Suffering illness in 1958, Gleeson was the subject of a transfer wrangle when South Melbourne revealed that they believe he had signed for the Demons while living in their territory. The league found no case to answer and Gleeson played the first three rounds and once more in Round 13 before being recalled for another Grand Final. This time, though, he was on the losing side.

With opportunities drying up in 1959 Gleeson was appointed captain of the seconds and played just eight games for the seniors. He was recalled to the side after Johnson fell ill but suffered an injury himself and missed the last few games of the year.

He played 15 games in 1960, 13 in 1961 and 17 in 1962 but his days of winning premierships were over. He played his 100th game in the second last round of '62 and promptly retired.

Gleeson joined the committee, and was later the leader of a "Reform Group", along with Geoff Slade, which attempted to unseat Billy Snedden as President in 1985.