Phil Cleary
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Phil Cleary (born ??) is an Australian commentator on politics and sport, particularly Australian Rules Football.
Football playing career
Clearly first came to notice as a prominent player and coach in Victoria's second-level Australian Rules football competition, the then Victorian Football Association (now VFL), for Coburg Football Club (now the Coburg Tigers, affiliated with the Richmond Football Club). He debuted with the club in 1975.Politics career
Cleary was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in 1992, following the resignation of Bob Hawke in the Division of Wills. However, his election was successfully challenged in the High Court and his election was declared void. At the subsequent by-election, he stood as an independent and won.While advocating an Australian republicanism, he broke with the Australian Republican Movement (ARM) over disagreement about how the President of Australia should be chosen, forming a group called "Real Republic". This advocated direct election of the President, as opposed to the model advocated by Malcolm Turnbull of the ARM, under which the President would be chosen by a joint sitting of the Parliament. This was the model that was proposed in the 1999 referendum.
Post-politics
Cleary's most prominent position is now a job at Australian Broadcasting Corporation, as a match-day commentator on the ABC's coverage of what is now known as the Victorian Football League. He is also an advocate for action to prevent violence against women, after his sister was murdered by a former partner of hers.External links
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