The fourth son of John Kerley, and Sarah Ann Kerley, née Hillier, Henry Charles Kerley was born on 12 December 1894. He married Rose Gertrude Robinson in 1922. He died on 23 January 1987.
VFL Football (Collingwood)
Kerley twice kicked four goals in his games with Collingwood in 1915 among his year's total of 21.
Military service
Just 21, Kerley enlisted in the First AIF in February 1916, and was discharged from the service in October 1919.
In 1921, Kerley was cleared from Collingwood to play with St Kilda. He played his first match for St Kilda, against South Melbourne, on 7 May 1921. He played his last match for St Kilda, again against South Melbourne, on 5 August 1922. In all he played 20 senior games for St Kilda.
VFA Football
Prahran
On the basis that Kerley had been appointed to the position of captain-coach at Prahran Football Club, St Kilda granted him a clearance. He played well for Prahran in the first five games of the 1923 season; and then, for reasons that have never been revealed, Kerley and Prahran severed all connection with each other, and Thomas J. Bayliss assumed the coaching duties.
Granted a clearance from Prahran on 20 June 1923, he transferred to Port Melbourne part-way through the 1923 season, and played his first game for Port Melbourne, against Geelong Association, in round eight. He played in every match in the 1923 season, including the losing Grand Final against Footscray; and played twice in the 1924 season. He was captain of the Port Melbourne team on at least one occasion.
Kerley transferred to the Coburg at the beginning of the 1925 season. It was the club's first VFA season, having been admitted to the VFA competition following the move of Footscray, North Melbourne and Hawthorn to the VFL. Kerley was the team's captain in three successive premierships, and all in all he played 83 games for Coburg, mainly at centre half-forward, kicking 128 goals. He was appointed captain-coach for both the 1928 and 1929 seasons, but resigned the position on 16 July 1929, because "he considered that it interfered with his play". "He said that he was not satisfied with the form the team had shown, and that, together with the fact that he had injured his hand at Brunswick (on 22 June
Northcote
In 1930 he was appointed coach of the Northcote Football Club's Second XVIII.
