Ray Donnellan

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}

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

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

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Ray Donnellan

| image =

| fullname = Ray Donnellan

| birth_date = {{birth date|1926|12|30|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|07|09|1926|12|30|df=y}}

| death_place =

| originalteam = East Brunswick CYMS

| height = 179 cm

| weight = 73 kg

| position = Centre

| years1 = 1949–1951

| club1 = {{AFL Fit}} (VFL)

| games_goals1 = 40 (0)

| years2 = 1953–1956

| club2 = Manuka (CANFL)

| games_goals2 =

| years3 = 1957–1960

| club3 = Ainslie (CANFL)

| games_goals3 =

| careerhighlights = * Runner-up Mulrooney Medal: 1953

• Manuka premiership team: 1955
• Ainslie premiership teams: 1958, 1959

}}

Ray Donnellan (30 December 1926 – 9 July 2008) was an Australian rules footballer. He was born into a footballing family, with his relatives including Steve and Frank Donnellan.[http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/of-politicians-and-pickering-w/ The Footy Almanac] He played with the Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1949 and 1951, appearing in a total of 40 games.{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 |last1=Holmesby|first1=Russell|last2=Main|first2=Jim |year=2014 |edition=10th |isbn=978-1-921496-32-5 |publisher=BAS Publishing |location=Seaford, Victoria |page=232}}

In 1953, Donnellan moved to the ACT where he played for the Manuka Football Club in the Canberra Australian National Football League (CANFL). He was runner-up in the Mulrooney Medal in his first season, and in 1955 won a premiership the following year as Manuka's captain-coach.[http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2915634 The Canberra Times] He also captained the CANFL to wins in representative games against the NSWANFL and QANFL.https://nswfootballhistory.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/1956-06-03-The-Australian-National-Football-Record-NSW-v-Canberra.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} Donnellan switched to Ainslie for the 1957 season as captain-coach.[http://www.ainsliefootball.com.au/1957 Ainslie Football Club] He and the club won consecutive premierships in 1958–59, and also made the grand final in 1960 losing to Eastlake.[http://websites.sportstg.com/club_info.cgi?client=1-1051-17826-390702-24909919&sID=55989&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=4878362 History of the Ainslie Football Club] Donnellan moved to Acton in 1961, as non-playing coach.[http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133976949 The Canberra Times]

Outside of football, Donnellan worked as a public servant with the federal Department of Territories and its predecessors. He worked in the areas of parks and recreation, including as superintendent of Lake Burley Griffin for a time, and was involved in organisation of the 1977 Pacific Conference Games and the establishment of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Donnellan was also an occasional sportswriter for The Canberra Times, writing mainly on football issues.[http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22media/pressrel/HPR09016366%22 Retirement press release] His nephew Luke Donnellan became a politician in Victoria.