Player Inductee
Claremont/Glenorchy, Forward/Full Back, 1973-1990
> 235 games, over 200 goals for Glenorchy, 1975-79, 1982-90
> Glenorchy TANFL/TFL Premierships, 1983, 1985, 1986
> R.H. ‘Banjo’ Patterson Trophy (Glenorchy Best and Fairest), 1984, 1986
> Seven-Time TANFL/TFL representative
> Ten-Time Tasmanian State Representative
> State Amateur Representative, 1980, 1981
> TFL ‘Player of the Year’ Media Award, 1986, 1987
> Glenorchy District Football Club Life Member
> Glenorchy District Football Club Hall of Fame, 2002
> Glenorchy Team of the Century, 2000
> Three Under-Age Premierships: U/17’s 1973, U/19’s 1975 (Claremont), U/18’s 1974 (Glenorchy)
> Claremont U/17 Best and Fairest, 1973
An imposing presence either forward or back, whose coolness and poise under pressure were the hallmarks of his game, Roland Curley is one of the most popular players in the history of the Glenorchy District Football Club. After a bevy of underage honours, including representing Tasmania at a national schoolboys carnival in 1967 and selection in the All-Australian schoolboys side in 1972, his transition from junior to senior football was almost seamless.
Curley made his senior debut for Glenorchy in 1975 as a forward, and after two seasons at amateur club Friends in 1980-81, he returned to the Magpies in 1982. At this point he made his transition to Full Back, a move that proved a masterstroke. He became one of the most formidable opponents in the competition for any forward to contend with, with his towering torpedo punts out of Full Back becoming his great personal signature, a testament to his skill with Sherrin in hand. During the Glenorchy period of dominance of the mid 1980’s Curley’s role at Full Back would prove a crucial one, playing an influential hand in the Magpies’ triple flags in 1983, 1985 and 1986, while his own personal form during that period was rewarded with twin ‘Banjo’ Patterson Trophies as Best and Fairest in 1984 and ’86 and finishing runner-up on another three occasions. Curley was also awarded many additional honours, including back-to-back TFL ‘Player of the Year’ media awards in 1986-87 as well as 17 league/state representative guernseys.
After 235 senior appearances Curley retired at the conclusion of the 1990 season, and his popularity was such that he was honoured with a club testimonial dinner. After football he served on the AFL Tasmania league tribunal for four years. The legacy he left at Glenorchy have been honoured many times since his retirement, with a life membership and selection in the club’s Team of the Century and Hall of Fame.
