Michael Cleary
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Michael Cleary AO (b. 1940) was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He was born in Randwick, New South Wales and was the State member for Coogee from 1974 to 1991 and was the NSW Minister for Sport in the Wran Labor Government from 1981 to 1988.
He had been an Australian rugby league and rugby union player - a dual rugby international. He represented the Wallabies in 6 Tests in 1960-61 and the Kangaroos in 8 Tests from 1962.
His international rugby league debut in the 1st Test against Great Britain in Sydney on 9 June 1962 saw Cleary become Australia's 27th dual code rugby international, following Arthur Summons and preceeding Dick Thornett.
He was a Winger with the South Sydney Rabbitohs throughout the 1960s. He played in three premiership winning sides in 1967, 1968 and 1970.
He was educated at Christian Brothers Waverley. He had represented Australia in Athletics at the Commonwealth games in 1962 collecting the Bronze Medal for the 100 yard sprint. He is one of only four Australian sportsmen to represent internationally in three different sports at the senior level. (See also Dick Thornett and Snowy Baker).
