Dick Casey

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}

{{For|the Australian statesman|Richard Casey, Baron Casey}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Dick Casey

| image = Dick Casey 1905.jpg

| caption = Cigarette card of Casey in 1905

| fullname = Richard James Casey

| birth_date = c.1881

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1919|04|16|1881|df=yes}}

| death_place = South Melbourne, Victoria

| originalteam = Brunswick

| height = 168 cm

| weight = 58 kg

| position =

| statsend = 1914

| years1 = 1899–1904

| club1 = Brunswick (VFA)

| games_goals1 = {{0}}67 (12)

| years2 = 1905–1912

| club2 = South Melbourne

| games_goals2 = 112 (93)

| years3 = 1913

| club3 = City (NTFA)

| games_goals3 =

| years4 = 1914

| club4 = Footscray (VFA)

| games_goals4 = {{0|00}}1 {{0}}(0)

| careerhighlights =

}}

Richard James Casey ({{Circa|1881}} – 16 April 1919{{cite journal|journal=AFL Record|issue=Round 22|year=2016|page=68|title=Genuine Senior Footballers|first=Col|last=Hutchinson|url=http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/383525}}) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).{{cite book |last=Holmesby |first=Russell |last2=Main |first2=Jim|title=The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers| publisher=BAS Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-1-920910-78-5}}

Casey, who was noted for his small build and overly aggressive playing style, was recruited from Brunswick.{{cite web |url=http://www.thevfaproject.org/pages/Players/Casey,_Richard_James_'Dick'.php |title=Playing statistics: Dick Casey |publisher=The VFA Project}} A forward, he was South Melbourne's second leading goal-kicker in 1907, when he kicked a career high 23 goals.[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/D/Dick_Casey.html AFL Tables: Dick Casey] He appeared in two grand finals for South Melbourne; their 1907 and 1912 losses, but missed out on a spot in the 1909 premiership team through injury.

At the end of the round five match of the 1907 VFL season, Casey struck a 16-year-old spectator and rendered him unconscious for 15 minutes. He was later found guilty of assault and fined £3{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10641510 |title=Football Rowdyism. |newspaper=The Argus |date=13 June 1907 |page=3}} In round four of the 1910 VFL season, Casey was reported for striking George Topping, in retaliation for the Carlton player's king hit on Casey's teammate Bert Streckfuss. He received a 16-week suspension, meaning that he missed the rest of the year and the start of the 1911 season.

He coached Launceston club City in 1913 and also played some football for Footscray in the Victorian Football Association.The Mercury,[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24284725 "Tribute To Cazaly"], 30 August 1929, p. 13

Casey died young, in 1919, a victim of the influenza pandemic.{{cite web|url=http://australianfootball.com/players/player/dick%2Bcasey/2051| title=Dick Casey - Player Bio| publisher=Australian Football|accessdate=14 August 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=24oQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pJIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6667%2C1367673| title=Deaths| publisher=The Age|date=17 April 1919| page=1}}