Lloyd Bendall was a Carlton Football Club director over a 28-year period. (Photo: Supplied)
Lloyd Bendall, a Carlton Football Club director over a 28-year period through seven Premiership seasons, has died at the age of 93.
Bendall served in that capacity in two stints – the first from 1965-1977 through the Presidential terms of George Harris and Ivan Rohrt; the second from 1980-1994 through the presidencies of Ian Rice and John Elliott. He committed his energies to both the Football and Social Club Boards as well as Carlton’s Finance Sub-Committee.
A fellow long-serving former Carlton director John Perriam remembered Bendall as “a hard-working bloke like all the boys around at that time under George (Harris)”.
“He (Bendall) was one of the originals who came in with George Harris,” Perriam said. “He was in the car business so he used to look after the players by loaning them cars. He even loaned them money.”
Carlton’s four-time Premiership player David McKay said his relationship with Bendall was fairly close given his wife’s racing connection.
“Lloyd was a friend of Meg’s uncle Kevin Wynne, who trained the 1968 Caulfield Cup winner Bunratty Castle,” McKay said.
“In one of my times of being disenfranchised from the club, not long after I’d accepted the role of assistant coach of Subiaco, Lloyd came over to talk me into coming back. It was early in the ’78 season and I ended up playing in two more Premierships.”
Bendall, who never married, was a steadfast racehorse owner who savoured the spoils of more than 300 victories. Notwithstanding his awarding of Life Membership of Carlton in 1973, Bendall also earned Life Memberships of the VRC, MRC and MVRC.
The Carlton players will wear black armbands as a mark of respect to the late Lloyd Bendall, in Friday night’s Round 8 match against Geelong at Etihad Stadium.
Greg hardie gave me achance to play 1st grade for North Wagga in 1969 . He was a great player for our club. And a good coach . Also a bloody good bloke.