Garry Hamer

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Garry Hamer

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|2|13|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = Lemnos

| height = 185 cm

| weight = 84 kg

| position = Half forward

| statsend = 1965

| years1 = 1961–1965

| club1 = Geelong

| games_goals1 = 50 (26)

| careerhighlights =

}}

Garry Hamer (born 13 February 1943) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Football

=Geelong (VFL)=

Hamer was a half forward, defender and ruckman, recruited to Geelong from Lemnos, a Shepparton-based club.{{cite book|last=Holmesby|first=Russell|last2=Main|first2=Jim|title=The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers| publisher=BAS Publishing|year=2007|isbn=9781920910785}}{{cite web|url=http://resources.news.com.au/files/137/70/rochester-&-swans-1577175-1237438515824.pdf|title=Goulburn Valley Football League|publisher=News Limited|accessdate=30 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031030300/http://resources.news.com.au/files/137/70/rochester-%26-swans-1577175-1237438515824.pdf|archive-date=31 October 2014|url-status=dead}}

He made his debut in the opening round of the 1961 VFL season against Collingwood, one of eight appearances he would make that year.{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/G/Garry_Hamer_gm.html|title=AFL Tables – Garry Hamer – Games Played|publisher=AFL Tables|accessdate=30 October 2014}}{{efn|Doug Wade, who would go on and kick 1057 league goals, also debuted}} In 1962 he was one of three Geelong players to appear in all 21 games.{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/1962.html#9|title=AFL Tables - 1962 Stats - Player Lists|publisher=AFL Tables|accessdate=30 October 2014}} This included both the drawn preliminary final against Carlton and the controversial five-point loss in the replay a week later.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19620925&id=eetjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K5UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3718,3843762|title=Disputed Free Seals Tense Final|last=Beames|first=Percy|date=24 September 1962|work=The Age|page=20|accessdate=30 October 2014}}{{efn|In the dying seconds a mark was taken by Wade in front of the goals but a free kick was paid to Carlton defender Peter Barry for a push in the back}}

On 6 July 1963 he was a member of the Geelong team that were comprehensively and unexpectedly beaten by Fitzroy, 9.13 (67) to 3.13 (31) in the 1963 Miracle Match. He played eight games in 1963 and didn't feature in Geelong's premiership team, but did play in the Geelong reserves grand final win.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19631007&id=slARAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EJUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3468,1152344|title=Geelong Reserves Also Too Classy|last=Carter|first=Ron|date=7 October 1963|work=The Age|page=18|accessdate=30 October 2014}} The following year he again won a premiership with the reserves, after making only five appearances in the seniors.{{cite web|url=http://www.geelongcats.com.au/club/history/premierships/reserves|title=Reserves|publisher=Geelong Cats|accessdate=31 October 2014|archive-date=15 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215000835/http://www.geelongcats.com.au/club/history/premierships/reserves|url-status=dead}}

He brought up his 50th league game in the penultimate round of the 1965 home and away season.{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1965/060919650821.html|title=AFL Tables - Geelong v Fitzroy - Sat, 21-Aug-1965 2:20 PM - Match Stats|publisher=AFL Tables|accessdate=31 October 2014}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19650812&id=q4YQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9JQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1513,1986257|title=Rules facing a battle in Canberra|last=Hobbs|first=Greg|date=12 August 1965|page=24|accessdate=31 October 2014}}{{efn|By playing 50 games, Hamer qualified for the VFL provident fund}} At the end of the year, at the age of just 22, Hamer was granted a clearance to join Wimmera Football League side Horsham as playing coach.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19651222&id=WjpVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p5UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1786,3625504|title=Horsham move for Hamer|date=21 December 1965|work=The Age|page=18|accessdate=31 October 2014}}

=Coaching career=

From 1966 to 1970, Hamer coached a strong Horsham side, which made the finals each year. In his first season, he finished second in the Toohey Medal and led Horsham to the grand final, which they lost to Nhill, the game decided off the last kick.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19660907&id=miRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=apMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4168,959651|title=Busy man wants Footscray post|last=Hobbs|first=Greg|date=6 September 1966|work=The Age|page=22|accessdate=31 October 2014}} He then led Horsham to back to back premierships in 1967 and 1968.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19681001&id=yxZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dZMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2454,175679|title=Hamer to stay with Horsham|date=1 October 1968|work=The Age|page=24|accessdate=31 October 2014}} After leaving Horsham he played with Geelong West, then in 1972 joined Barwon Heads and was best on ground for the club in that year's grand final win.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19710714&id=NtpUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p5ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5140,2642494|title=Waverley loses Blew|last=O'Halloran|first=Terry|date=14 July 1971|work=The Age|page=22|accessdate=31 October 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.aflbarwon.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/BFL_Football/2013BFL_Best_in_Grand_Finals.pdf|title=Bellarine Football League – Best in Grand Final|publisher=AFL Barwon|accessdate=31 October 2014}}

He was considered one of the favorites to fill the vacant position of Geelong senior coach for the 1976 VFL season, having just steered the reserves team to the 1975 premiership, his sixth since he began coaching.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19751016&id=Pe5UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N5IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4507,3757762|title=Hamer likely|date=16 October 1975|work=The Age|page=30|accessdate=31 October 2014}} The job however went to Rodney Olsson and Hamer remained at the club as an assistant coach in 1976, before joining Barwon.{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsportspulse.com/club_info.cgi?c=1-6160-80521-0-0&sID=138868|title=Coaches & captains – South Barwon|publisher=Fox Sports Pulse|accessdate=31 October 2014}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19751016&id=Pe5UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N5IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3646,3981236|title=It's Olsson|last=Carter|first=Ron|date=17 October 1975|work=The Age|page=32|accessdate=31 October 2014}} He was coach of Geelong West in the 1982 VFA season.{{cite book|last=Fiddian|first=Marc|title=The VFA – A History of the Victorian Football Association 1877 – 1995|year=2013|publisher=Melbourne Sports Books|page=191}}

Cricket

Hamer also played for the Richmond Cricket Club in Victorian district cricket, as a fast bowler.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19640110&id=TqIQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pJUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6869,1238587|title=Geelong Footballer In Richmond's District Side|last=Hobbs|first=Greg|date=10 January 1964|work=The Age|page=18|accessdate=31 October 2014}}

In the 1963/64 summer, Hamer was chosen to represent a Victorian Country XI, against the touring South Africans at Kardinia Park.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/138/138406.html|title=Victoria Country v South Africans in 1963/64|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 October 2014}} He took 3/50 and had Eddie Barlow as one of his wickets, bowled for a duck. When the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) came to Horsham in 1970/71, Hamer again represented Victoria Country and dismissed Colin Cowdrey leg before wicket for a duck.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110436862 |title=M.C.C. Heckled |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=5 November 1970 |accessdate=31 October 2014 |page=34 |via=National Library of Australia}}