Algy Hay
St Kilda · “Algy”
AFL career
10 games1 goals
- Debut
- R1 1897 v COL8 May 1897
- Most recent
- R14 1897 v GEE7 Aug 1897
Stats
Bio
Born into South Australian aristocracy as the son of renowned politician and pastoralist Alexander Hay, Algy Hay moved to Melbourne for his education and was recruited to St Kilda from the prestigious Cumloden School. He carved out a unique niche in history during the VFL’s inaugural 1897 season, where, standing at just 166cm and weighing 62kg, he was distinguished as the smallest and lightest player in the entire competition. A diminutive rover or forward pocket, Hay featured in ten matches for the struggling foundation club—including their historic Round 1 debut against Collingwood at Victoria Park—and booted a single goal in a winless campaign. His career was brief and his life tragically short; just four years after his season in the big league, Hay contracted Bright’s disease and passed away at the age of 26 while aboard a steamship returning from Europe, leaving behind a legacy as one of the Saints' original, if ill-fated, pioneers.
Profile
- Full name
- Algy G Hay
- Born
- 02 Oct 1874
- Died
- 28 Aug 1901 (aged 26y 330d)
- Birthplace
- Linden Park, SA
- Deathplace
- Fremantle, WA
- Height
- 166 cm
- Weight
- 62 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionBorn into South Australian aristocracy as the son of renowned politician and pastoralist Alexander Hay, Algy Hay moved to Melbourne for his education and was recruited to St Kilda from the prestigious Cumloden School. He carved out a unique niche in history during the VFL’s inaugural 1897 season, where, standing at just 166cm and weighing 62kg, he was distinguished as the smallest and lightest player in the entire competition. A diminutive rover or forward pocket, Hay featured in ten matches for the struggling foundation club—including their historic Round 1 debut against Collingwood at Victoria Park—and booted a single goal in a winless campaign. His career was brief and his life tragically short; just four years after his season in the big league, Hay contracted Bright’s disease and passed away at the age of 26 while aboard a steamship returning from Europe, leaving behind a legacy as one of the Saints' original, if ill-fated, pioneers.