Sonny Morey: Biography, Age, Wife, Hall of Fame, Children
Sonny Morey (born 1945) is a former Australian rules football player and proud Arrernte man. He is best known for playing for Central District Football Club. He was inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame during the Magarey Medal gala ceremony at Adelaide Oval.
In his prime, Morey was known for his sublime skills, deft balance, and blistering speed. He held many different jobs before his retirement in 2006.
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| Quick Facts | |||
| Name: | Sonny Morey | ||
| Born: | 1945 (age 79 years old), Yambah Station | ||
| Nationality: | Australian | ||
| Parents: | Tom Gorey (father), Nancy Pununga (mother) | ||
| Occupation: | Former Rules footballer | ||
| Honors: | South Australian Football Hall of Fame | ||
| Spouse: | Carmel | ||
| Children: | Kim, Nicole | ||
| Grandchildren: | Christopher, Michael, Tarnee, Kyan | ||
Early Life
Sonny Morey was born in 1945 in Yambah Station, outside Alice Springs. His father, Tom Gorey, owned a station and was of Irish descent, while his mother, Nancy Pununga, is of Aboriginal Australian. He spent the first six years at Yambah Station, north of Alice Springs.
Sonny was a happy and adventurous child growing up in traditional homelands in the Eastern Arrernte.
The government officials stole Sonny from his family when he was seven years old while he was playing with a cousin in the riverbed of the Todd River. The authorities changed his surname from Gorey to Morey. He then became a ward of the state. He never set his eyes on his mother ever since.
Morey spent six years at St Mary’s Hostel in Alice Springs. He was flown, with some boys, to Adelaide in 1958. They moved into St Francis House in Semaphore.
After the closing down of St Francis in 1959, Morey moved in with foster parents, Ada and Sydney Maguire, at 14. Their children Maureen, Joan, and Alan accepted Morey as a sibling. Ada left her husband, who was violent, taking Sonny with her.
Career
Football
Sonny Morey has always loved football – which gave him direction and purpose. He made his debut for Central District Football Club in 1964. He appeared in over 200 games for the club.
Morey played state football for South Australia. He holds the record as the first Bulldogs player to win a kick in senior ranks in the club’s opening game against West Torrens at Thebarton Oval. He was also the fitter and turner for the Postmaster-General’s Department (PMG).
Sonny bagged best-and-fairest in 1970 and made it on the club’s Best Team 1964-2003. He was the first Central District Bulldog player to register a kick in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).
Morey is also the first SANFL football Honouree in the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls rounds. He wore the No. 5 jumper with distinction across 14 seasons. He played 213 league games with Central District.
The football legend began as a half-forward and wingman. In the second half of his career, he switched to silky-smooth defender. He was the first Indigenous player to finish in the top three of a Magarey Medal count. He was the runner-up to Woodville’s Malcolm Blight in 1972.
Morey played for Gawler Central Football Club, soon winning the under-17’s and senior best-and-fairest awards.
Sonny Morey was the last remaining player from the Central District original team when he retired from football in 1977. He was inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame during the 2023 Magarey Medal gala ceremony at the Adelaide Oval.
Other ventures
Morey landed many job roles before his retirement in 2006. He was a sports store manager, fitter and turner, and storeman. He worked as a community police officer for 13 years with SAPOL (SA Police).
Sonny worked for Telecom. He carried out an investigation into the abuse of children in the Northern Territory and Western Australia for six months.
Personal Life
Sonny Morey and his wife, Carmel, have two daughters, Kim and Nicole. The duo has been married for over 50 years. They have four grandchildren, Christopher, Michael, Tarnee, and Kyan, and a great-grandchild, Marley.
References:
- “Sonny Morey rises from his Stolen Generation trauma to become a hall of fame star of South Australian football“. www.adelaideaz.com.
- Peter Argent. “The People’s Champion – Sonny Morey“. www.sanfl.com.au.
- Dr Sean Gorman. “Fall and Rise: The incredible story of SA footy great Sonny Morey“. www.afl.com.au.
- www.morethanourchildhoods.org/stories/sonny-morey.
