View source for Les Dayman

{{short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{about|AFL footballer|his son, the Australian actor |Leslie Dayman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Les Dayman
| image = Les_Dayman_1923.png
| alt = 
| caption = 
| fullname = Leslie Clarence Dayman
| birth_date = 28 October 1901
| birth_place = [[Salisbury, South Australia]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1979|3|11|1901|10|28|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Alberton, South Australia]]
| originalteam = Salisbury
| height = 183&nbsp;cm
| weight = 82&nbsp;kg
| position = Key position forward/Ruckman
| statsend = 1937
| years1 = 1921–1931 & 1937
| club1 = [[Port Adelaide Football Club|Port Adelaide]]
| games_goals1 = 166 (401)
| years2 = 1932–1934
| club2 = [[Western Bulldogs|Footscray]]
| games_goals2 = 34 (68)
| years3 = 1934
| club3 = [[Coburg Football Club|Coburg]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The VFA Project: Coburg FC |url=http://www.thevfaproject.org/pages/Teams/Coburg-Players.php |website=The VFA Project |publisher=VFA |access-date=17 May 2024}}</ref>
| games_goals3 = 12 (13)
| games_goalstotal = 212 (482)
| sooyears1 = 1923–1931
| sooteam1 = [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australia]]
| soogames_goals1 = 19 (30)
| careerhighlights =
*[[South Australian Football Hall of Fame]] (Inaugural inductee)
*[[Port Adelaide Football Club#Greatest Team|Port Adelaide greatest team]] (Centre half forward)
*2× {{AFL Por}} premiership player ([[1921 SAFL Grand Final|1921]], [[1928 SANFL Grand Final|1928]])
*3× {{AFL Por}} best and fairest (1923, 1924, 1928)
*4× {{AFL Por}} leading goal kicker (1928, 1929, 1930, 1931)
*1× [[Footscray Football Club|Footscray]] leading goal kicker (1932)
*[[Ken Farmer Medal|SANFL leading goalkicker]] (1929)
}}
'''Leslie Clarence "Bro" Dayman''' (28 October 1901 &ndash; 11 March 1979) was an [[Australian rules football|Australian Rules football]]er who played for [[Port Adelaide Football Club|Port Adelaide]] in the [[South Australian National Football League]] (SANFL) and [[Western Bulldogs|Footscray]] in the [[Australian Football League|Victorian Football League]] (VFL).

== Family ==
The fifth of the seven children of Arthur Ernest Dayman,<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43214063 Deaths: Dayman, ''The (Adelaide) Advertiser'', (Saturday, 29 July 1944), p.12.]</ref> and Edith Annie Dayman, née Smitham,<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131200149 Deaths: Dayman, ''The (Adelaide) News'', (Wednesday, 3 March 1937), p.2.]</ref> Leslie Clarence Dayman was born at [[Salisbury, South Australia]] on 28 October 1901.

His eldest brother, [[Clem Dayman]], also played with Port Adelaide.

Dayman married Maria Jane "Ria" Diks on 2 January 1932.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90491813 Dilks—Dayman, ''The (Adelaide) Chronicle'', (Thursday, 1 January 1931), p.16.]</ref><ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74367136 L.C. Dayman, Port Forward, Married, ''The (Adelaide) Advertiser'', (Tuesday, 5 January 1932), p.11.]</ref> Their son, [[Leslie Dayman]], was the notable Australian stage, screen and TV actor, and their grandson, [[Chris McDermott]], was the inaugural captain of [[Adelaide Crows]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = SA FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Leslie C Dayman|url = http://www.sanfl.com.au/hall_of_fame/leslie_c_dayman/|website = sanfl.com.au|access-date = 2015-10-27}}</ref>

==Football==
=== Port Adelaide (1921–1931) ===
Les Dayman started his career at Port Adelaide in 1921, after arriving from Salisbury. During that year he was a member of the club's premiership team. He played beside his brother Clem at the club during the 1920s and was used mostly as a ruckman or in the key forward positions. On three occasions Dayman won Port Adelaide's 'Best and Fairest' award and also topped their goal-kicking four times. He was the league's [[Ken Farmer Medal|top goal-kicker]] in 1929 with 86 goals.

A regular South Australian interstate representative, he made a total of 19 appearances and kicked 30 goals for his state.

=== Footscray (1932–1934) ===
Footscray acquired his services in [[1932 VFL season|1932]] and he had a solid first season, kicking a bag of five against [[Fitzroy Football Club|Fitzroy]] in his second game and topping the club's goal-kicking with 37 majors.

=== Coburg (1934) ===
Following a three-year VFL stint, Dayman played briefly at [[Coburg Football Club|Coburg]] in the [[Victorian Football League|Victorian Football Association]] (VFA). He was cleared to Coburg after his round eight VFL match against Richmond in late June 1934. 
Dayman played in Coburg's losing 1934 VFL grand final loss.<ref>{{cite web |title=1934 - NORTHCOTE AND COBURG |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/277076773 |newspaper=The Sun News-Pictorial |location=Melbourne, Vic |access-date=17 May 2024 |page=22 |date=6 October 1934}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1934 - NORTHCOTE'S TRIUMPH |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205878946 |newspaper=The Age |access-date=17 May 2024 |page=6 |date=8 October 1934}}</ref>

===Yarraville / Sunshine (1935) ===
Dayman was initially appointed as captain-coach of [[Maryborough Football Club|Maryborough]] in the [[Bendigo Football League]] in late March 1935, but the position must have fallen through,<ref>{{cite web |title=1935 - Dayman Coach of Maryborough |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/276770539 |newspaper=The Sun News-Pictorial |location=Melbourne, Vic |access-date=17 May 2024 |page=22 |date=1 April 1935}}</ref> but he was then cleared from Coburg to Yarraville in early April, 1935 and later played with Sunshine.<ref>{{cite web |title=1935 - L. Daymnan to Play For Junior Team |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128485859 |newspaper=News |location=Adelaide, SA |access-date=17 May 2024 |page=2 |date=27 June 1935}}</ref>

===Newells (1936)===
Dayman was cleared to Newells FC, in the [[Footscray District Football League]] in April 1936.<ref>{{cite web |title=1936 - Clearances |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/75193684 |newspaper=Sunshine Advocate |access-date=17 May 2024 |page=1 |date=9 April 1936}}</ref>

=== Port Adelaide (1937) ===
He returned to Port Adelaide in 1937,<ref>{{cite web |title=1937 - Dayman May Play For Port Adelaide |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/74333853 |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide, SA |access-date=17 May 2024 |page=27 |date=10 March 1937}}</ref> making one further appearance for the seniors,<ref>{{cite web |title=1937 - Surprise Defeat Of Port Adelaide |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/74346484 |publisher=The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) |access-date=17 May 2024 |page=8 |date=24 May 1937}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1937 - Hard-Fought League Football Match Expected at Alberton |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130932198 |newspaper=News |location=Adelaide, SA |access-date=17 May 2024 |page=9 |date=28 May 1937}}</ref> before going on to serve the club in an off field capacity.

Dayman was awarded Life Membership of the [[Port Adelaide Football Club|Port Adelaide]] in 1938.<ref>{{cite web |title=1938 - FOOTBALL GATE CHARGES RAISED |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/74210199 |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide, SA |access-date=17 May 2024 |page=27 |date=8 March 1938}}</ref>

==Military service==
He served in the Australian army during the Second World War from 8 April 1942 to 14 September 1944.

==Death==
He died at [[Alberton, South Australia]] on 11 March 1979.

==Honours ==
In 2002 he was one of the inaugural inductees into the [[South Australian Football Hall of Fame]].

He was selected at centre half-forward in Port Adelaide's official [[Port Adelaide Football Club#Greatest Team|"Greatest Team"]], which took into account the period 1870 to 2000.

==Notes==
<references />

==References==
* [https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=730172&c=WW2#R World War Two Nominal Roll: Private Leslie Clarence Dayman (S66657), ''Department of Veterans' Affairs''.]
* [https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ViewPDF.aspx?B=6390995&D=D World War Two Service Record: Private Leslie Clarence Dayman (S66657), ''National Archives of Australia''.]

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{AFL Tables|ref=L/Les_Dayman.html}}
*{{AustralianFootball|ref=les%2Bdayman/5420}}
* [http://www.thevfaproject.org/pages/Players/Dayman,_Les.php Les Dayman, at ''The VFA Project''.]

{{Port Adelaide Football Club Greatest Team 1870–2000}}
{{1921 Port Adelaide premiership players}}
{{1928 Port Adelaide premiership players}}
{{John Cahill Medal}}
{{Port Adelaide leading goalkickers}}
{{Western Bulldogs leading goalkickers}}
{{1925 South Australia State Football Team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dayman, Les}}
[[Category:1901 births]]
[[Category:1979 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Adelaide]]
[[Category:Australian Rules footballers: place kick exponents]]
[[Category:Western Bulldogs players]]
[[Category:Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL) players]]
[[Category:Port Adelaide Football Club players (all competitions)]]
[[Category:Coburg Football Club players]]
[[Category:South Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Australian Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Military personnel from South Australia]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]