Spirit of Carlton Past and Present
We represent the past players and officials of the Carlton Football Club
Jean Garby, wife of Carlton’47 premiership player Ray Garby (passed away March 2009) passed away peacefully on May 1, 2012, aged 88 years. Loving wife of Ray for 62 years and mother of two, grandmother of nine and great-grandmother of seven.
Our condolences to the Garby family.
Happy 50th Birthday to Blues premiership player, Jon Dorotich today.
Make sure you call into ABC radio tonight to wish Dorra a happy birthday!
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From the Blueseum:
Career : 1986 – 1993
Debut : Round 1, 1986 vs Hawthorn, aged 23 years, 338 days
Carlton Player No. 932
Games : 132
Goals : 103
Last Game: Round 15, 1993 vs Brisbane, aged 31 years, 74 days
Guernsey No. 6
Height : 193 cm (6 ft. 4 in.)
Weight: 97 kg (15 stone, 4 lbs.)
DOB : 27 April, 1962
Premiership Player: 1987
Jon Dorotich was a big, rugged, key defender from South Fremantle who enjoyed a notable football career on both sides of the continent for 17 seasons between 1981 and 1997. Blessed with vice-like hands and a raking left foot, he played in successive Grand Finals for Carlton against Hawthorn in 1986 and 1987; suffering a loss in the first, then taking sweet revenge in the second. After finishing at Carlton, he returned to WA and claimed more glory; as both a 100-goal full-forward, and captain of South Fremantle’s 1997 Premiership team.
Better known as “Dorra” throughout his career, Dorotich came under notice by the Blues when represented WA against Victoria at Subiaco Oval in 1984. Starting on the bench, he came on to take some telling pack marks as WA held out the Big V by four points in a clinker of a game. The Carlton recruiting machine swung into action, and Dorotich joined the Blues in time to make his debut at centre half-back against Hawthorn in round 1, 1986 on an auspicious day for the Carlton Football Club.
Also making their first appearance in navy blue on that afternoon were two future champions in Stephen Kernahan and Craig Bradley, along with Mil Hanna and Bernie Evans. It turned out to be a less than perfect start, however – Hanna wrecked his knee in the first few minutes, and Carlton lost by six goals. But the Blues soon recovered and wound up the year third on the ladder. Wins in the early finals over Sydney and Hawthorn followed, to put Carlton into the Grand Final against the front-running Hawks.
By this time Dorotich had already begun a fierce rivalry with Hawthorn’s champion centre half-forward Dermott Brereton, and their clashes were eagerly awaited by fans of both teams. Throughout his career, Dorra never shirked the physical challenges, particularly when he was called to stand up for his smaller team-mates against the likes of Brereton, St. Kilda’s Tony Lockett, Brian Taylor of Collingwood or Roger Merrett from Brisbane. In the ’86 decider however, it was Brereton who took the honours when his team crushed Carlton by 42 points.
It took precisely 12 months for Carlton to revenge that humiliation, by downing Hawthorn by 33 points in the 1987 Grand Final. Carlton coach Robert Walls set up the victory with some courageous positional changes, particularly the switch of tall utility David Rhys-Jones onto Brereton at centre half-back. Dorotich was sent to a forward pocket as support for Carlton’s lone ruckman Justin Madden, and it was Dorra’s big effort in the ten minutes before half-time that helped give the Blues a vital half-time lead.
With Madden off the ground for a much-needed rest, Dorotich took on the ruckman’s role, competing fiercely and more than breaking even with the Hawthorn big men. Late in the term he charged onto the ball deep in attack, scooping it up on the run and kicking truly for Carlton’s fifth major. Soon afterwards, he initiated another attack that brought up a brilliant captain’s goal for Kernahan – off the ground, from a tight angle. Those goals gave the Blues a confidence-boosting 11-point advantage at the main break, and with Rhys-Jones keeping Brereton completely under wraps, Carlton controlled the match in the second half to run out worthy winners.
From 1988 on, Dorotich began spending more time up forward in a potent Carlton attack that featured Kernahan, Dorotich and Peter Sartori as the tall targets, with a host of quick and skilful runners around them. In round 16, 1988 at Princes Park, Dorra booted five goals in a big win over Geelong, but the year ended in dismay with a shock Preliminary Final loss to Melbourne.
Although on paper Carlton was still a powerful team, in 1989 the Blues slumped alarmingly to win only twice in the first nine rounds. And when the equally-inept Brisbane Bears knocked us over at home in round 10, Walls paid the price and was sacked. The new man in charge was club legend Alex Jesaulenko, back for a second stint at the helm after leading the Blues to the 1979 flag.
Jesaulenko’s strict but effective methods didn’t seem to gel with Dorotich. He was dropped after round 2, 1990 and from then on spent much of the year with the Reserves, playing only seven senior matches. Although he would have been discontented, he finished the year on a high when he was just about best on ground at centre half-forward when Carlton Reserves comfortably beat Melbourne on Grand Final day, to claim our eighth and final lower-grade flag.
Another change of coach in 1991 – to David Parkin, also back for a second crack at one of football’s toughest jobs – seemed to spur Dorotich into his best form again. He began in a blaze of glory with bags of five, five and six goals in rounds 2, 3 and 4 respectively, but by the second half of the year had been switched back into defence where he was sorely needed.
While Carlton languished on the middle rungs of the ladder in 1992, Dorra had another big season, highlighted by two impressive efforts against St Kilda. In the first, at Princes Park in round 6, he was sent to full-back at half time and quelled a rampaging Tony Lockett, allowing Carlton to overhaul a big lead and beat the Saints by 8 points.
Later, in round 21 at Waverley, Carlton trailed the Saints again by 15 points at the main break, so Parkin swung Dorotich from defence to full-forward in the third quarter, and he immediately began marking everything that came his way. Kicking three big goals in that term, he single-handedly sparked the Blues into an 11-goal blitz that put the game out of reach of St Kilda before three-quarter time. Despite that win and a couple of more just as rewarding however, Carlton still wound up in seventh place on the ladder. Dorra finished the year off well, and polled 12 Brownlow Medal votes to be highest-placed among all Carlton players.
Although approaching 31, and therefore into the veteran ranks by 1993, Dorotich showed there was still fire in his belly when he up-ended Essendon’s enforcer Dean Wallis in one of the early-season games. Even so, as age and fluctuating form began making their mark, Dorra found himself relegated first to the interchange bench, and then to the Reserves.
He enjoyed what turned out to be his last senior match for the Blues in round 15, 1993 against Brisbane at Princes Park. Starting on the bench, he played in bursts in the back half, and had a relatively easy day as the Blues cruised home by nearly six goals. Five weeks later, while playing again with the Reserves, Dorra was reported by an umpire for unduly rough play against a St Kilda opponent, and suspended for four matches.
Because that penalty ended his season, Dorotich decided that that was as good a time as any to retire from AFL football – after 132 games, (including that precious Premiership) in the Navy Blue number 6. During that time he had kicked 103 goals, and represented WA in State of Origin matches on four occasions. Remarkably, even then, he wasn’t quite finished with representative football.
After a fond farewell from Princes Park, Dorotich returned to South Fremantle, and pulled on the red and white strip of the Bulldogs again after a lengthy absence. Although understandably less nimble than before, his wealth of experience and still-strong hands made him a daunting prospect at full-forward for any opposition defender – as was shown when he was the WAFL’s leading goal-kicker in 1995 with 78 majors, and in 1996 with 88.
But it was Dorra’s one special season in 1997 that rounded off his long and successful career. Because of his consistent big bags of goals – and the way they were being scored – Dorotich was selected in the WA state side for the game against Tasmania in Hobart in June. He may have been 35 years old by then, but he ruled the forward 50 on that cool afternoon at North Hobart Oval, as Tassie eventually won a skilful exhibition of football by 47 points. Dorra kicked seven of his side’s ten goals, never stopped presenting for his team-mates, and was a worthy winner of the Simpson Medal as the outstanding player of the match.
Perhaps with renewed confidence after that game, Dorotich went back to captaining South Fremantle, and finished off the year in a blaze of glory. The Bulldogs beat their traditional rivals East Fremantle by 7 points in a pulsating Grand Final, and Dorra was the competition’s leading scorer once again with a massive 120 goals. He retired from football after that amazing year – well, almost. Deciding on a comeback in 1999, he managed only one more game before finally calling it quits.
Shortly afterwards, Dorra established himself as a popular football commentator in his home state on radio and TV. And as we head into 2010, his media work seems to be evolving in the same way his football career did – because he just gets better with age.
Tickets are now available to our two open game day events for this season.
These events are open to everyone. So get some friends together and enjoy a special day at the footy.
Come and enjoy the football in the luxurious surroundings of the Endeavour Room at Etihad Stadium.
For $50 you get a premium level 2 seat as well as access to the Endeavour Room and its wonderful views of the action on the field. The choice is yours; enjoy the comfort of premium seating or watch the game from behind the glass with a glass in hand.
Tickets are available for the following games
Round 6, CARLTON vs GWS GIANTS, Etihad Stadium, Sunday May 6, 1:10pm
Round 8, CARLTON vs ADELAIDE CROWS, Etihad Stadium, Sunday May 20, 3:15pm
To secure your tickets to these events please ring Mandy Hunter on 03 9389 6256.
Tickets are available up until 9:00am on the wednesday before each game.
See you there!
Can you believe the 1987 Premiership was 25 years ago! A lot has changed in that time. Naughtons is no longer with us and thankfully some of the hairstyles have gone by the wayside as well. Please check out our latest youtube upload which shows some of the news reports of the boys celebrating after the big win in 1987.
Happy 60th birthday to Graeme Whitnall today!
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From the Blueseum:
Career : 1974 – 1981
Debut : Round 1, 1974 vs Melbourne, aged 21 years, 345 days
Carlton Player No. 842
Games : 66
Goals : 20
Last Game : Round 21, 1981 vs North Melbourne, aged 29 years, 118 days
Guernsey Nos. 7 (1974 – ’79) and 30 (1980– ’81)
Height : 180 cm (5 ft. 11 in.)
Weight : 79.5 kg (12 stone, 7 lbs)
DOB : April 5, 1952
The son of champion country footballer Noel Whitnall, and the father of 2006 Carlton Best & Fairest Lance Whitnall, Graeme Whitnall seemed set for a long and productive career when he won Carlton’s Best First Year Player award in 1974. Graeme hailed from Talbot, near Maryborough in central Victoria – a small town with a proud football history. His father Noel played 205 games for the Talbot Hawks, the club that also produced Carlton Premiership player Paul Meldrum.
While attending Maryborough Technical school, 17 year-old Whitnall was invited to train with Maryborough in the Ballarat Football League. He won a place in their senior side – without playing with their reserves – and by the age of 19, won their 1971 senior Best and Fairest Award. In 1972 he was a member of Maryborough’s senior Premiership team. He came to Carlton in 1973 and, wearing guernsey number 47, won Carlton’s Reserves’ Most Improved Player Award. In 1974 Graeme moved to number 7 and played seven senior games to win Carlton’s Senior Best First Year Player Award. His son Lance picked up the same award in 1997. Another son Shane Whitnall played a season of Reserves Grade football with the Blues in 1996.
Graeme was a handy pickup for the Blues; a true utility who could play anywhere, but was most useful as a hard-running ruck-rover. Unfortunately for Graeme, he came to Princes Park at a time when Carlton was assembling a player list rich in similar types, including established stars like Barry Armstrong and Neil Chandler. Whitnall proved a handy addition, but couldn’t command a regular place in the senior team for an extended period. In his seven years at Princes Park, he averaged nine senior games per season.
“Poppy” (so called because of his red hair) had his best season in 1977, when he was one of two Carlton players to play all games during this season (the other was Ray Byrne). In 1978 the fiery “Poppy” and Carlton’s newly-appointed captain-coach Alex Jesaulenko clashed, with the result that Graeme only played four senior games for the year. He applied for an open clearance, but that was refused, so he returned to play at Maryborough during 1979. After winning Maryborough’s Best and Fairest for a second time (from just 14 games) and after the off-field upheaval at Carlton over the 1979 / 80 summer, Graeme was invited to return to Princes Park. He played a further 11 senior games during 1980 and 1981, in guernsey number 30.
In 1980, Graeme picked up the Carlton Reserves’ Best & Fairest award, but at the end of the following year, he retired from VFL football after being overlooked again during the final series. Sixteen years later, Graeme’s strapping son Lance pulled on the Famous Old Dark Navy Blue for the first time, at the dawn of a career that would bring him a Grand Final appearance, All Australian selection, the 2006 John Nicholls Medal and over 200 games of fine service to the Blues. Graeme’s oldest son Shane also played 40 Reserve games for Carlton during 1996 and 1997.
Happy 50th birthday to Tom Alvin today!
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From the Blueseum:
Easily distinguished on the field by his long, shoulder-length hair, Tom said later that he rarely visited a hairdresser because the males in his family had a history of premature baldness, and he wanted to flaunt his locks while he still had them. “Eventually I may have my hair cut,” he said; “but it won’t be because it hinders my football.” That it certainly did not. By the end of his first VFL season Alvin was a fixture on one half-back flank in a strong Carlton team that made the finals, but couldn’t do better than fourth, followed by fifth in 1985.
In 1986, David Parkin was replaced as Carlton coach by Robert Walls, who saw in Tom Alvin something other than a gifted defensive flanker. At 183 cm and 81 kg, with surprising pace, good hands and superb concentration, Tom became more of a true utility. Often ruck-roving or pushing forward to kick handy goals, he had a wonderful season and was selected in the Victorian State team. In September he ran onto the MCG for his first Grand Final, only to have the day end in bitter disappointment as the Blues went down to Hawthorn by 42 points.
That heavy defeat was the spur for Carlton’s sweet revenge in 1987. The Blues dominated the home and away rounds to finish on top of the ladder, then demolished Hawthorn in the Grand Final by 55 points to claim our 15th flag. Tom started in the back pocket and was a rock all day in a watertight Carlton defence, doing a superb job in tagging the Hawks trump card Gary Buckenara virtually out of the game.
Alvin’s third and last Grand Final appearance in 1993 was not so joyous. Carlton was simply no match for young, vigorous and switched-on Essendon team. In a Carlton side with few real winners, Tom was sent everywhere to try to stem the tide, and won many admirers for his grit against the odds.
After 218 games that produced 95 goals, Tom Alvin retired from league football following the 1994 season. In his eleven year career from 1984 to 1994 he represented Victoria on six occasions. After leaving Princes Park, he went on to captain-coach VFA club Sandringham in 1995, and in 1999, was elected to the Carlton Hall of Fame.
For those who have obtained their special SOC premium seating for the Carlton v Essendon game this weekend below is a map for the seating and the location of the past players room.
There are still seats available, just call Mandy Hunter on 03 9389 6256 before close of business today.
If you are sitting elsewhere in the ground all SOC members are welcome to join us in the past players room at half time and after the game.
Seats and room are in Blue! Click on the picture to see a larger copy.
By Tony De Bolfo
Could this be the great Australian game’s oldest footy card?
The hand-coloured item, depicting a Carlton footballer proudly sporting a dark navy top and knickerbockers blue and white hooped socks and high-cut boots in a bushland backdrop, was released by local business Paterson Brothers, which occupied the premises at 68 Lygon Street from 1887-1891.
It was part of a lot that went under the hammer at Leonard Joel auction house some 18 months ago and acquired by Carlton supporter Simon Davis.
“It was sold by people who don’t tend to sell a lot of football memorabilia so not a lot of people knew it was being sold,” Davis said.
“A friend of mine, a Footscray supporter, saw it featured in a catalogue and contacted me about it. So I went along to the auction and pleasantly discovered that while there was some interest there wasn’t a lot of interest… and I picked it up for under $1000.”
Certainly, it would be difficult to envisage a card pre-dating this one. The oldest known Carlton footy card is that featuring Tommy Leydin, the club’s captain from 1887-1889. That card was published by the American firm Goodwin and Co., manufacturers of Old Judge cigarettes.
Tommy Leydin – Club’s captain from 1887-1889.
Noted Melbourne card collector Damien Green believed Davis’s acquisition raised more questions than answers.
“I’ve searched for a means of classifying this card and it appears to come under the classification of ‘carte-de-visite’,” Green said.
“A carte-de-visite is, in reality, a studio photo pasted onto a backing card that advertises the studio that produced them. I’m trying to get some more advice on whether it qualifies as a footy card, but I would think not at this point as these items were crafted for personal use rather than those specifically produced as a set then made available to the public.
“Today’s equivalent of a carte-de-visite would be Chris Judd’s head printed on a business card then passed off as a footy card.”
Regardless, the carte-de-visite in Davis’ collection is no less valuable according to Green, particularly if the subject featured is a Carlton footballer.
“If it’s a Carlton footballer it may be worth thousands of dollars because photographs of that period fade and this one appears to be in great condition,” Green said.
It is a fantastic piece of ephemera from an era where not too much photographic material has survived, especially the colourised variety.”
Whatever the merits of the item’s status, the burning question remains. Who is the Blueboy featured?
“I’d really like to know who the player is and a little bit about his history,” Davis said. “He’s clearly a Carlton player, he’s clearly in the Carlton uniform and the image can be sourced to between 1887 and 1891.”
If you know the identity of the footballer featured in this carte-de-visite, please call Tony De Bolfo at the club on 9389 6241.
Happy 40th Birthday to Ron De Iulio!
Played over 100 games for the Blues in a succesfull era.
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Career: 1992-1999
Debut: Round 1, 1992 vs Brisbane, aged 19 years, 341 days
976th Carlton Player
Games: 104
Goals: 71
Last Game: Round 21, 1999 vs St Kilda, aged 27 years, 128 days
Guernsey No. 34
Height: 180cm
Weight: 82kg
DOB: 15 April, 1972
Ron burst on to the scene with 29 goals from 19 games as a pacy half-forward in the 1992 season, wearing the #34 guernsey. He was recruited from VFA club Box Hill, previous to that, he had played with VFA club Brunswick.
After battling with Luke O’Sullivan and the resting rovers such as Mitchell, Gleeson and Heaver for that role in subsequent years, Ron went back to the reserves and was was tried in defence. He eventually returned to the senior team, often picking up the opposition’s fastest and smallest forward. In this role, De Iulio had breakthrough years in 1996 and 1998 (playing 21 and all 22 games respectively) and began to make a name for himself as a defensive stalwart whilst the Blues struggled.
He had many battles with Sean Charles and later Jeff Farmer playing against Melbourne and was a valuable member of the team.
But he struggled to maintain his place in the side in 1999, after playing the first 5 games, playing his final game in Round 21. He remained at the club in 2000 but spent the entire year in the VFL, where his career ended.
He ended up playing 104 games in the #34- a fair achievement and just enough to earn him a place on the locker, as only the third Blue to do so.
50 Games – Round 13, 1996 v Sydney Swans
100 Games – Round 17, 1999 v Collingwood
1997 – Pre-Season Premiership Player
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Blueseum: Summary of playing statistics for Rocket Ron | Career Breakdown | De Iulio’s Blueseum Image Gallery
Our latest upload to our Youtube Channel, SpiritofCarltonTV is Geoff Southby winning full back in the Channel 7 Hall of Fame night in the early 80’s where they chose their premier team of players from the 25 years they had been broadcasting football.
