Happy 80th birthday to Graham McColl today.
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From the Blueseum:
Playing Career: 1958
Debut: Round 2, 1958 v North Melbourne, aged 23 years, 305 days
Carlton Player No.: 712
Games: 10
Goals: 4
Guernsey No.: 36
Last game: Round 18, 1958 v South Melbourne, aged 24 years, 66 days
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 83 kgs
DOB: June 18, 1934
Graham McColl played 10 games at Carlton starting in the 1958 season. He managed 4 goals for the Blues. Graham’s story was one only too familiar for many footballers, what might have been if not for injury. During a night match against St Kilda in 1958 he injured his knee snapping the anterior cruciate ligament which resulted in sitting out the entire 1959 season. During McColl’s convalescence the club contacted the medical arm of the American NFL Grid Iron code who had been experimenting with knee taping tehniques at the time to stabilise ACL injuries. Sadly the knee was re-injured during pre season training in 1960 and any attempt at a VFL comeback was thwarted. The silver lining in all this though was that the recovery techniques piqued McColl’s interest and is what lead him to become interested in becoming a trainer. Later, McColl did become a Trainer for the Blues, commencing as head trainer for the U19s in 1973 and moved up through the ranks of the reserves to the seniors.
In 1981 McColl was the deserved recipient of life membership of the Carlton Football Club. After spending some time on the past players committee in the early 1980s in 1985 he retired as a trainer at the club to concentrate on his professional career.
McColl was recruited from Coburg, after originally playing for Preston Swimmers U16s (where he played alongside Ron Barassi and Brian Pert). Whilst at Coburg, McColl played 70 games, winning the best and fairest in 1956.