Cazaly

Roy Cazaly’s extraordinary story is one of the great tales of Australian Football.

Born in the depths of a depression, he overcame humble beginnings and personal setbacks to become one of our most celebrated footballers. His sublime skills and thrilling aerial feats made him a legend in his lifetime, with his name carried into the modern era via Mike Brady’s hymn to football - ‘Up There Cazaly’. In 1996 he became one of 12 inaugural Legends of Australian Football Hall of Fame. A relentless self-improver, Cazaly shaped the game’s development, applied his own theories to fitness, training and teamwork, and coached teams to premiership success. Away from the field, he enriched the lives of many more as a physiotherapist, horse trainer, philosopher and family man. Robert Allen’s meticulous research, gathered over 10 years, reveals in great detail the story of the man behind the catch cry.



“Little did I know when I wrote Up there Cazaly back in 1979 that I had chosen as a subject a man who was revered as a sportsman of many facets including fairness, a fair go and healthy living. He was ahead of his time.” Mike Brady