Neil Conlan was born in Hobart and was an instant success as a footballer when he joined the State School Old Boys Association (SSOBA) club Buckingham in 1950.
The following year he won the Best and Fairest award and captained the team.
He joined New Town in the TFL in 1953 at the age of 17, and, in the same year became Tasmanias youngest State player, as a representative at the Adelaide carnival.
Neil went on to play in three carnivals, and represent Tasmania a total of 26 times - a State record.
He also represented the TFL 18 times and the NWFU 15 times.
The 1955 New Town team at New Town Oval prior to playing Sandy Bay on June 4th 1955. Captain and coach Jack Rough is first left with Barry Strange fourth left and Max Griffiths and Neil Conlan seventh and eight left.
He was vice captain of Glenorchy in 1956 and captained the side under Jack Rough in 1957 and 1958, playing in four premierships and winning the clubs best and fairest award in four consecutive years.
In total, he played 104 games with Glenorchy.
The 1958 Glenorchy premiership team coached by Jack Rough who is sitting fifth from the left in the front row with Neil Conlan sitting sixth from the left. Also featured is Kevin Baker in the middle row fourth from the left.
He came to the North West coast for his first coaching appointment at the Devonport Magpies. He coached Devonport from 1955 to 1963 but it took until 1962 to get the Magpies into a grand final but they were not successful. In 1964 he stepped down from the captaincy in favour of Jervis Stokes. He was vice captain to Peter Lyon the following season, playing a total of 105 games with Devonport.
Neil also spent a season with NWFA club Wesley vale in 1966 and won that clubs best and fairest award.
The man who was ranked alongside Darrel Baldock, Arthur Hodgson, Stuart Spencer and Royce Hart as one of Tasmania's best since the war made an even bigger name for himself when he joined Manuka in the ACT in 1967 as playing coach.
Football followers will remember him as one of the most successful coaches ever in the ACT.
From 1967 through 1968 when he was playing coach and in the non playing role from 1969 to 1974, Conlan was at the helm through seven grand finals and six premierships in just eight seasons.
Conlan retired for two seasons and returned to Manuka as chairman of selectors and was league chairman at the time of his untimely death.
The football world was shocked to hear that on Saturday July 22nd 1978, at just 42 years of age, Conlan died in his sleep after going to bed with flu and mild pleurisy. He was having a day off as non playing coach of ACT club Belconnen.
Sports writer Allan Leeson described him as "The meanest, toughest footballer Tasmania ever produced and one of the best - that was Neil Conlan."
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Neil Conlan - a Tasmanian Football Legend
