Today the players head off to Benalla for a two day AFL community camp. No doubt current Carlton player Jarrad Waite will enjoy visiting his old home town. He is not the only product of Benalla to play for the Blues.
Jim Flynn
Captain twice in Carlton’s glorious Premiership treble of 1906, ’07 and ’08, James Edward ‘Jim’ Flynn was a skilful, versatile player for the Blues, and a dynamic on-field leader whose fine career stretched into his late thirties.
Born in Benalla in northern Victoria, Flynn began his VFL senior career aged 25 at Geelong in 1897 he also played for Benalla District, Collingwood in the VFA and Canterbury. In seven seasons with the Pivotonians, he racked up 72 games and 22 goals without experiencing finals football. Meanwhile, Carlton’s similar lack of success led to the master-stroke appointment of former Test cricketer Jack Worrall as club secretary. In fact, Worrall was to quickly become the game’s first coach – responsible for every facet of the team’s performance.
Worrall’s single-minded determination to lift the Blues from the doldrums had him scouring the country for football talent, and Jim Flynn was one of his prizes. Promised a real shot at football glory by Worrall, Flynn agreed to swap clubs and arrived at Princes Park in 1903.
Although not particularly tall at 179 cm, Flynn was an intelligent and versatile ruckman who was always looking for ways to counter larger opponents. A natural athlete with a good spring and sure hands, he often sharked the taps of his opponents by feigning to jump for the ball, but intercepting it himself.
In Flynn’s first season, Carlton climbed from sixth on the ladder to third, and Jim’s impact was such that he was appointed vice-captain for the following year – to fellow ex-Geelong ruckman Joe McShane. Then, when McShane stepped down at the end of 1904, Jim Flynn was his popular successor. Flynn’s debut was incidentally Carlton’s 100th game in the new VFL league.
From: www.blueseum.org
Max Howell
Max Howell came down to Carlton from Benalla in 1948, setting himself the big task of breaking into the Blues’ reigning VFL Premiership team. A 26 year-old centreman with good pace and a raking kick, he eventually got the chance he craved in round seven, when incumbent wingman Fred Fitzgibbon was ruled out by injury. Howell was selected as Fitzgibbon’s replacement, and lined up against Melbourne at the MCG.
Howell’s second season never really got going. While Carlton set about redeeming themselves, he ran around with the Reserves again until round 12, 1949, when he made the first of his three senior appearances – all of them as 20th man in games prior to the finals. In September, Carlton fought their way through to another Grand Final, only to destroyed by a rampant Essendon.
Howell fronted up for his third year with the Blues in 1950, and seemed to get off to a promising start when coach Percy Bentley gave him an opportunity as first rover in round one – another test against Melbourne at the MCG. Max celebrated his first (and only) career goal that day, but the Demons proved too good again, and won by 20 points.
Victory eventually came Carlton’s way the following Saturday afternoon at Princes Park, when Ray Garby and Ken Baxter both kicked five goals in a high-scoring mid-table clash against North Melbourne. Howell played at half-forward in a 16-point win, but didn’t trouble the scorers.
Perhaps happy to go out on a winning note, Max retired from elite level football after that game, and headed back to the bush.
From: www.blueseum.org