BIO

Edward McNulty was a classy follower with the Creswick junior team when he joined Norwood towards the end of the 1885 season.

He made his debut against Port Adelaide with two other juniors, wingman Norman Richards and Medindie vice-captain Paddy Knox.  Without George Bragge, who had returned to Victoria and was replaced as vice-captain by Peter Noble, Norwood was thought to have a weak team to take up the fight with Port for second place behind South Adelaide.  In the event, McNulty impressed as Norwood at times ran rings around the Magentas on their home ground, winning 6.16 to 1.13 before nearly 2,000 spectators.

There is no record to show if McNulty played in the next two games, a good win over Adelaide and a solid loss to South, but he was prominent against Port at Kensington Oval in Norwood’s final game of the season.  A dispute over umpire selection turned the match into ludicrous affair.  A young umpire from a junior team, Master Foster, eventually was given the task and his ignorance of the rules provided the crowd of 800 with constant amusement.  McNulty accepted a pass from Arthur Rowe and drew first blood with a goal at the three-minute mark.  Norwood went to win 4.14 to 2.8 – its fourth defeat of Port that season.

McNulty moved to South in 1886 and played the first two games before disappearing from the football scene.  He later dabbled in boxing and cycling.

McNulty played for the Norwood Alberts cricket team in 1879 with Tom Brimble, another future Norwood footballer.  In October 1880, McNulty and another boy appeared in court charged with having absented themselves from the service of George Blackeby without just cause or lawful excuse.  They were allowed to go with payment of costs of £2 1s each.

P. Robins, P. Cochinos July 2022