BIO

Wartime competition 1942 -1944
Norwood-North goals: 1
Norwood-North goals: 0

Patrick Sidney Neylon Roads played his early football at Ardrossan on Yorke Peninsula, following in the footsteps of his elder brother Sandy. He then moved to Whyalla and played with Souths. Sandy had a successful stint with West Torrens (40 games) before deciding to join his younger brother at South Whyalla in 1940. Patrick played 11 games for the South Whyalla Demons during the year.
 
The brothers were then both recruited by the Norwood Football Club for the start of the 1941 season.
 
Patrick looked promising in an early internal trial. After some strong performances in the Reserves, the tall ruckman made his senior debut for Norwood in Round 4, 1941. Well over 6 foot (183cm) he was named as a forward pocket/ruckman.
 
In 1942 he represented the Norwood-North combination in the revised World War 2 competition. In his one game he led the first ruck against West-Glenelg in an early season encounter.
 
Soon after, he received the call up to join the Royal Australian Navy. Whilst serving in the navy he went to Western Australia. In the opening round of the 1945 Western Australian Football League season he played for Subiaco against East Fremantle.
 
Discharged at the end of the war, he moved to Port Pirie as a member of the fire brigade and joined Ports. Several years later, playing as a half-forward/ruckman, he won the 1951 Recorder Medal awarded to the best and fairest player in the Port Pirie Association.
 
His brother Sandy played 29 league games for the Redlegs from 1941-1948.

R Cialini, J Hannan, D Cox, M Giles Oct 2020