16 Facts About Phil Cleary

Philip Ronald Cleary was born on 8 December 1952 and is an Australian political and sport commentator.

Phil Cleary is a former Australian rules footballer who played 205 games at the Coburg Football Club, before serving as the member for Wills in the House of Representatives from 1992 until 1996.

Phil Cleary wore number 1 at the club for the 1973 season.

Phil Cleary first came to notice as a prominent player and coach in Victoria's second-level Australian rules football competition, the Victorian Football Association, for the Coburg Football Club.

Phil Cleary debuted with the club in 1975, playing in the reserves premiersip later that season.

Phil Cleary was a member of the 1979 premiership side and losing 1980 side.

Phil Cleary coached the VFA representative side on five occasions without losing a game.

Phil Cleary was one of the most well-known players in the VFA in his era, and was instantly recognisable from the thick beard he wore throughout his career.

Phil Cleary has had various coaching and mentoring roles in the Essendon District Football League, including at the West Coburg Football Club, where he coached the under-16s team to a premiership in 2008 and the under-18s team to a premiership in 2010.

At the Wills by-election of 11 April 1992, caused by the resignation of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, Phil Cleary was elected as an independent to the Australian House of Representatives from a field of 22 candidates, becoming the only non-Labor member to have ever held the seat.

At the 1993 Australian federal election, Phil Cleary again stood as a candidate and was elected for a second time.

Phil Cleary lost the seat to Labor at the 1996 federal election.

Phil Cleary conducted interviews and acted as a boundary rider for the match of the day, writes a weekly column for the football magazine Inside Football, and regularly appears in the media on a range of social and political issues.

Phil Cleary has campaigned to stop male violence against women since his sister was murdered by her former partner in 1987.

Phil Cleary is a freelance journalist and public speaker and is the author of three books: Cleary Independent, Just Another Little Murder, and Getting Away with Murder.

Phil Cleary contested the seat of Brunswick at the 2010 Victorian state election as an independent.