AFL Tasmania is deeply saddened by the passing of Gary Davis, inductee #332 in the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame. Quietly spoken but a fierce competitor, Gary was one of the state’s finest defenders in a career spanning almost two decades.
A talented junior basketballer, he committed to football in his late teens and made his senior debut for East Devonport at just 17 years of age. He was an instant success, starring in the club’s drought-breaking 1968 NWFU premiership in his first season and winning back-to-back club best and fairest awards.
From there, he would enjoy success at every stop; more than 200 games and two best and fairest awards with Launceston, a pair of premierships with Bridgenorth Tamar, and a stint back in the north west with Devonport. While he never harboured ambitions of leaving the state, he was clearly up to the standard of the best in the country, representing Tasmania on four occasions and regularly starring in regional representative games.
Gary was a respected teammate and opponent, and he gave that respect right back – across his entire career, he was never once reported, a noteworthy record in a notoriously rough and rugged era of football. He was named a member of Launceston’s Team of the Century, and earlier this year, he rightfully took his place alongside the greats of the game in the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame.
The thoughts of all at AFL Tasmania are with Gary's loved ones at this difficult time.
You can read more about Gary’s outstanding career here.