BIO
Before joining Norwood, Gary Gurney was a duel Mail Medal winner in 1961 and 1962, playing for the Long Plains Football Club in the Adelaide Plains Football League.
Gurney played his first League game in the 1962 preliminary final loss to West Adelaide.
Strong, with a good leap and strong mark, he played predominantly as a ruckman in the Norwood league team. However, he found it difficult to keep a regular spot with "Big Bill" Wedding the dominant ruckman in the South Australian National Football League.
Gurney represented the State Seconds (reserves) in 1964, against a combined Broken Hill League team in Broken Hill.
His last league game was in Norwood's first semi-final loss to Sturt on the Adelaide Oval in 1965.
After leaving Norwood Gurney played in the country for several seasons, when his clubs included Casterton (Western Border Football League) and Kybybolite (Kowrie/Naracoorte). Gurney's versatility, especially at country level, allowed him to play very good football as a ruckman, and as a key forward/defender.
At Kybybolite, Gary Gurney played in four premiership teams (1966, 1968, 1973, 1974) and kicked 124 goals (1968) as well as 111 goals (1973). In one game against Border Districts in 1973 he kicked 21 goals. Captain-coach of Kybybolite's 1966 premiership team was Barrie Barbary. Also in that team was former Norwood player Brian Johnson
In 1968 Gurney played full forward for Kybybolite when they defeated Edenhope whose full forward was a young Phil Carman. Carman booted four of Edenhope's six goals, having also kicked six goals in the second semi final. In 1973, they defeated Naracoorte who was captain-coached by former Norwood ruckman Greg Kuchel.
R Cialini November 2017