Nick Gelavis Explained

Nick Gelavis
Fullname:	Nikolas Gelavis
Birth Date:	15 June 1926
Birth Place:	Kalgoorlie
Originalteam:	Subiaco
Height:	165cm
Weight:	67kg
Position:	Rover
Statsend:	1955
Years1:	1949–51
Club1:	(WAFL)
Games Goals1:	37 (9)
Years2:	1953–54
Games Goals2:	15 (16)
Years3:	1954
Games Goals3:	4 (0)
Years4:	1955
Club4:	Sandringham (VFA)
Games Goals4:	8 (10)

Nikolas Gelavis (born 15 June 1929) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL).^[1]

Family

The son of Johannes "John" Gelavis (1898-1947),^{[2] [3]} and Stavroula Gelavis (1908-2005), née Sarinas,^[4] Nikolas Gelavis was born in Kalgoorlie on 15 June 1929.^[5]

Football

Subiaco (WAFL)

Gelavis began his senior career with Subiaco in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and played from 1949 to 1951.

South Melbourne (VFL)

He was cleared from Subiaco to South Melbourne in 1952,^{[6] [7] [8] [9]} and made his senior VFL debut in 1953.^[10]

Footscray (VFL)

Having not played a senior game for South Melbourne that season, Gelavis was cleared to Footscray on 12 June 1954.^{[11] [12]} He played his first match for the Footscray First XVIII, against St Kilda, on 10 July 1954.^[13]

Sandringham (VFA)

In 1955 Gelavis moved to Sandringham in the Victorian Football Association.

Devonport (NWFU)

A mid-season job as a radio announcer in Tasmania led to Gelavis being given a clearance from Sandringham to Devonport in the North West Football Union (NWFU) competition.^{[14] [15] [16]}

On 12 May 1956 Gelavis represented the NWFU in an intrastate match against the Northern Tasmanian Football Association and was named among the best players.^[17]

References

• Book: The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 . Holmesby. Russell. Main. Jim . 2014 . 10th . 978-1-921496-32-5 . BAS Publishing . Seaford, Victoria . 312.
• Gordon, Harry, "Migrant Sports Stars Among Our Top-Liners", The Good Neighbour, No.45, (October 1957), Department of Immigration, (Canberra), pp.4-5: the article includes a photograph of Nick Gelavis, the captain of a team from Perth's Hellenic Club, that played an Australian Rules Football match, in Melbourne, against a team from Melbourne's Olympic Club (alongside the Olympic Club's captain, Peter Kanis).]

External links

• Nick Gelavis's playing statistics from WAFL FootyFacts.
  • • Nick Gelavis, The VFA Project.

Notes and References

1. Holmesby & Main (2014), p.312.
2. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/94410080 Public Notices, The Kalgoorlie Miner, (Thursday, 2 June 1927), p.2
3. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46261846 Deaths: Gelavis, The West Australian, (Tuesday, 11 February 1947), p.1
4. Web site: Name Search.
5. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/34487697 Births: Gelavis, The Western Argus, (Tuesday, 2 July 1929), p.15.
6. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49020636 Nine Permits, The West Australian, (Friday, 14 March 1952), p.18
7. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164500513 Subiaco Winger for South, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Friday, 18 January 1952), p.1.
8. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206208914 These Made League Lists: South Melbourne, The Age, (Monday, 14 April 1952), p.10.
9. http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/South+Melbourne+Seconds+1952c+%28SLV+122_094%29 South Melbourne Second XVIII (1952), Boyles Football Photos.
10. http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/South+Melbourne+Senior+Team+1953+%28SLV+122_032%29 South Melbourne First XVIII (1953), Boyles Football Photos.
11. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205382266 South Rover Gets Clearance, The Age, (Wednesday, 16 June 1954), p.12.
12. "There is a chance that former South Melbourne rover Nick Gelavis will be given his chance soon with Footscray. Officials who have seen Gelavis play with the seconds are keen on his style. Footscray needs a fast, mobile, play-on rover. Inclusion of Gelavis would allow Don Ross to return to centre half-back, a position that has caused [Footscray] concern in recent weeks." (Percy Beames, in The Age, (Wednesday, 7 July 1954), p.12)
13. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205690062 Nick Gelavis in Footscray Side, The Age, (Friday, 9 July 1954), p.18.
14. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lkwQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1pQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1542%2C2944601 Gelavis May Leave Zebras, The Age, (Monday, 20 June 1955), p.15.
15. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71889121 Zebras lose Gelavis, The Argus, (Monday, 20 June 1955), p.23.
16. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mEwQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1pQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4924%2C3152018 Welch, Bruce, "Williamstown Stars in Doubt for Danger Game",The Age, (Wednesday, 22 June 1955), p.15.
17. NWFU Record, 12 May 1956. annotated copy in QVMAG collection CHS 4 (Jack Donnelly)