Hector de Lacy


Hector Alexander de Lacy was a leading Melbourne-based Australian [rules football] writer, covering the Victorian [Football League (1897–1989)|Victorian Football League] for over 20 years from the 1920s.

Family

The son of Alexander George de Lacy, and Henrietta de Lacy, née Nicol, Hector Alexander de Lacy was born at Collingwood, Victoria on 6 May 1900.
He married Victoria Maud Lugton in 1926. They had five children.

Journalist

H. A. de Lacy was the chief football writer for The Sporting Globe newspaper in Melbourne and was noted for the controversial and bold nature of his writings. His opinionated and unabashed style made him one of the most widely read sports journalists of his time and he was banned by several clubs for periods of time because of his articles. He campaigned in the 1940s for better payments to players, arguing that 3 pounds per week was inadequate for the time spent training, travelling and injuries. He was an ardent supporter of the Victorian Football Association's throw-pass rules, which were in effect in that league during the 1940s.
Aside from both VFL and VFA football, de Lacy also wrote about rowing, tennis, and cricket.

Death

He died at Sandringham, Victoria on 1 November 1956.

Australian Football Hall of Fame

Hector de Lacy was posthumously inducted to the Australian [Football Hall of Fame] in 1996, with his citation reading: